Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Gili Air

For one person, living is cheaper in Gili Air: $812 a month against $1,548 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Gili Air
Learn more

Gili Air Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Gili Air

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$812

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Gili Air

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Gili Air actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,548 per month in Mexico City vs $812 in Gili Air, rent included.

Mexico City $1,548
Gili Air $812

A couple spends around $2,436 per month in Mexico City vs $1,337 in Gili Air, rent included.

Mexico City $2,436
Gili Air $1,337

A family of three spends $3,323 per month in Mexico City vs $1,861 in Gili Air, rent included.

Mexico City $3,323
Gili Air $1,861

Mexico City costs about 91% more than Gili Air, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Mexico City sits 14% above the global median, while Gili Air is 40% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 MX$204

$1.84 Rp 33.2K

498.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.68 MX$900

$19.34 Rp 348.1K

151.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$201

$2.99 Rp 53.8K

264.55%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

$1.43 Rp 25.7K

157.34%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 MX$30.18

$0.87 Rp 15.7K

87.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$23.07

$0.44 Rp 7,928

184.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$60.1

$1.46 Rp 26.2K

122.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 MX$102

$2.44 Rp 43.9K

126.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$31.50

$1.13 Rp 20.4K

50.44%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$1.60 Rp 28.7K

88.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.53

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

137.04%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$50.5

$1.47 Rp 26.4K

85.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 MX$218

$12.29 Rp 221.3K

-4.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 MX$176

$2.82 Rp 50.7K

237.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.41 MX$266

$8.56 Rp 154.0K

68.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$2.49 Rp 44.9K

21.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.01

$1.14 Rp 20.5K

65.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.70

$1.68 Rp 30.2K

18.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.38

$1.37 Rp 24.7K

59.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.43

$1.34 Rp 24.0K

43.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$34.49

$1.71 Rp 30.8K

9.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MX$26.62

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

97.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.39

$0.38 Rp 6,869

234.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 MX$96.4

$1.59 Rp 28.7K

228.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.17 MX$299

$15.78 Rp 284.0K

2.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 MX$35.03

$1.69 Rp 30.5K

12.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 MX$78.0

$2.06 Rp 37.2K

104.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.30

$0.18 Rp 3,182

88.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.65 MX$363

$6.64 Rp 119.6K

195.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.90

$0.38 Rp 6,851

426.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MX$9.67

$0.34 Rp 6,206

52.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 MX$98.7

$5.04 Rp 90.6K

5.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.13

$0.71 Rp 12.8K

114.08%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$22.1K MX$408.0K

$19.0K Rp 342.1M

16.16%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$24.5K MX$452.9K

$25.7K Rp 461.8M

-4.46%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$61.1 MX$1,129

$64.5 Rp 1.2M

-5.27%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$28.58 MX$528

$5.21 Rp 93.7K

448.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.47 MX$637

$14.68 Rp 264.3K

134.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,042

$32.16 Rp 578.8K

75.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$460

$10.43 Rp 187.8K

138.54%

Cinema Ticket

$6.66 MX$123

$2.51 Rp 45.1K

165.34%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$427 MX$7,891

$336 Rp 6.0M

27.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K MX$215.0K

$3,931 Rp 70.8M

196.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 MX$1,253

$37.54 Rp 675.7K

80.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 MX$960

$28.70 Rp 516.5K

81.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 MX$1,959

$63.6 Rp 1.1M

66.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MX$2,080

$63.0 Rp 1.1M

78.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 MX$18.9K

$543 Rp 9.8M

88.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 MX$12.1K

$331 Rp 6.0M

97.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 MX$42.7K

$1,705 Rp 30.7M

35.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 MX$22.9K

$807 Rp 14.5M

53.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,613 MX$66.8K

$1,306 Rp 23.5M

176.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,936 MX$35.8K

$1,074 Rp 19.3M

80.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$964 MX$17.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

13.78

-18.00%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Gili Air: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$654 42.3%

Gili Air

$331 40.8% 49.4% $323

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$318 20.6%

Gili Air

$205 25.2% 35.6% $113

Eating Out

Mexico City

$204 13.2%

Gili Air

$58 7.2% 71.4% $146

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$152 9.8%

Gili Air

$87 10.7% 43% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$124 8%

Gili Air

$84 10.4% 32% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Gili Air

$37 4.6% 46.7% $33

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Gili Air

$9.5 1.2% 63.1% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,025 in Mexico City versus $543 in Gili Air. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49.00 in Mexico City versus $19.00 in Gili Air. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $318 vs $205 – making Gili Air the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇮🇩 Gili Air

🕒 Local time

06:36 6:36 AM

20:36 8:36 PM

14 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

1,800

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Gili Air 16,030 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Gili Air

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Mexico City vs Gili Air: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mexico City is pricier by about 91%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,322 per month in Mexico City and $1,218 in Gili Air. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Gili Air, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,548 in Mexico City and $812 in Gili Air. That's a gap of about 91%.

Public transport costs about 196% less in Gili Air. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Gili Air, where all-in costs run around $812, than in Mexico City at $1,548. In Gili Air it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Gili Air – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Gili Air. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.