Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Gili Trawangan

For one person, living is cheaper in Gili Trawangan: $948 a month against $1,548 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,548
/mo nomad
Gili Trawangan
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$948
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Trawangan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,548 in Mexico City versus $948 in Gili Trawangan.

  • Mexico City $1,548
  • Gili Trawangan $948

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,436 in Mexico City versus $1,580 in Gili Trawangan.

  • Mexico City $2,436
  • Gili Trawangan $1,580

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,323 in Mexico City versus $2,213 in Gili Trawangan.

  • Mexico City $3,323
  • Gili Trawangan $2,213

Living in Mexico City is roughly 63% more expensive than in Gili Trawangan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 14% above, Gili Trawangan is 30% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mexico City
Gili Trawangan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.02 MX$204
$2.24 Rp 40.3K
391.96%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$48.68 MX$900
$23.76 Rp 427.7K
104.88%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.90 MX$201
$3.74 Rp 67.4K
191.44%
Cappuccino
$3.68 MX$68.1
$1.83 Rp 32.9K
101.09%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.63 MX$30.18
$1.09 Rp 19.7K
49.54%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.25 MX$23.07
$0.55 Rp 9,840
127.27%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.25 MX$60.1
$1.76 Rp 31.7K
84.66%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.53 MX$102
$2.99 Rp 53.8K
84.95%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
Gili Trawangan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.70 MX$31.50
$1.16 Rp 20.8K
46.55%
White Bread (500g)
$3.02 MX$55.8
$1.75 Rp 31.6K
72.57%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.92 MX$35.53
$0.94 Rp 17.0K
104.26%
Eggs
$2.73 MX$50.5
$1.64 Rp 29.5K
66.46%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.77 MX$218
$13.01 Rp 234.2K
-9.53%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.53 MX$176
$2.99 Rp 53.9K
218.73%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.41 MX$266
$9.03 Rp 162.6K
59.58%
Apples (1kg)
$3.02 MX$55.8
$2.70 Rp 48.6K
11.85%
Banana (1kg)
$1.89 MX$35.01
$1.16 Rp 20.8K
62.93%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.99 MX$36.70
$1.77 Rp 31.9K
12.43%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.19 MX$40.38
$1.45 Rp 26.2K
51.03%
Potato (1kg)
$1.92 MX$35.43
$1.37 Rp 24.7K
40.15%
Onion (1kg)
$1.87 MX$34.49
$1.76 Rp 31.7K
6.25%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.44 MX$26.62
$0.74 Rp 13.4K
94.59%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 MX$23.39
$0.41 Rp 7,341
209.76%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.22 MX$96.4
$1.73 Rp 31.1K
201.73%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.17 MX$299
$17.33 Rp 311.9K
-6.69%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.90 MX$35.03
$1.75 Rp 31.6K
8.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.22 MX$78.0
$2.22 Rp 40.0K
90.09%
🚌 Getting Around
Mexico City
Gili Trawangan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.34 MX$6.30
$0.21 Rp 3,778
61.90%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.65 MX$363
$7.14 Rp 128.5K
175.21%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.00 MX$36.90
$0.40 Rp 7,268
400.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.52 MX$9.67
$0.37 Rp 6,649
40.54%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.34 MX$98.7
$5.09 Rp 91.6K
4.91%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.52 MX$28.13
$0.68 Rp 12.3K
123.53%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.1K MX$408.0K
$20.6K Rp 370.8M
7.16%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.5K MX$452.9K
$28.0K Rp 503.7M
-12.41%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
Gili Trawangan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$61.1 MX$1,129
$69.7 Rp 1.3M
-12.36%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.58 MX$528
$5.49 Rp 98.9K
420.58%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.47 MX$637
$15.46 Rp 278.3K
122.96%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
Gili Trawangan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.4 MX$1,042
$39.13 Rp 704.3K
44.03%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.88 MX$460
$12.90 Rp 232.3K
92.87%
Cinema Ticket
$6.66 MX$123
$3.09 Rp 55.6K
115.53%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mexico City
Gili Trawangan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$427 MX$7,891
$347 Rp 6.3M
22.89%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.6K MX$215.0K
$4,182 Rp 75.3M
178.26%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
Gili Trawangan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$67.8 MX$1,253
$38.51 Rp 693.1K
76.06%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$52.0 MX$960
$30.37 Rp 546.7K
71.09%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 MX$1,959
$66.6 Rp 1.2M
59.16%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$113 MX$2,080
$67.8 Rp 1.2M
65.89%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
Gili Trawangan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,025 MX$18.9K
$677 Rp 12.2M
51.41%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$654 MX$12.1K
$419 Rp 7.5M
56.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,308 MX$42.7K
$2,150 Rp 38.7M
7.38%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,242 MX$22.9K
$1,042 Rp 18.8M
19.20%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,613 MX$66.8K
$1,665 Rp 30.0M
116.94%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,936 MX$35.8K
$1,371 Rp 24.7M
41.21%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mexico City
Gili Trawangan
Difference
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 Trawangan: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
$654
Gili Trawangan
$419 35.9% $235
Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
$318
Gili Trawangan
$219 31.3% $99
Eating Out
Mexico City
$204
Gili Trawangan
$72 64.5% $131
Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
$152
Gili Trawangan
$92 39.9% $61
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
$124
Gili Trawangan
$91 27% $33
Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
$70
Gili Trawangan
$45 35% $24
Getting Around
Mexico City
$26
Gili Trawangan
$10 60.1% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,025 in Mexico City and $677 in Gili Trawangan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $49.00 in Mexico City vs $24.00 in Gili Trawangan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $219 per month, with Gili Trawangan cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🇮🇩 Gili Trawangan
🕒 Local time
21:50 9:50 PM
11:50 11:50 AM
14 h ahead of Mexico City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,209,944 Capital
1,500
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 25, 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 25, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mexico City Gili Trawangan 16,030 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mexico City
  • Gili Trawangan

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 Trawangan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Gili Trawangan cheaper than Mexico City?
Gili Trawangan is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 63% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $2,322 in Mexico City and $1,422 in Gili Trawangan to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Mexico City and Gili Trawangan?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,025 in Mexico City versus $677 in Gili Trawangan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Mexico City and in Gili Trawangan?
Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is eating out cheaper in Mexico City or in Gili Trawangan?
Dining out is cheaper in Gili Trawangan – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $49.00 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Mexico City or in Gili Trawangan?
At $948 in Gili Trawangan versus $1,548 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Gili Trawangan but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Gili Trawangan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Mexico City or Gili Trawangan more family-friendly?
For families, Gili Trawangan is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Mexico City, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Mexico City or Gili Trawangan?
Safety-wise, Mexico City and Gili Trawangan are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Gili Trawangan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 63% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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