Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Gili Trawangan Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Gili Trawangan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,466 in Mexico City versus $993 in Gili Trawangan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,325 in Mexico City versus $1,737 in Gili Trawangan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,184 in Mexico City versus $2,481 in Gili Trawangan.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 48% more expensive than Gili Trawangan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Gili Trawangan is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.30 MX$231

$2.28 Rp 39.1K

483.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$932

$21.70 Rp 372.9K

147.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$3.27 Rp 56.2K

188.07%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.3

$1.83 Rp 31.5K

96.17%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$0.92 Rp 15.8K

76.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.49

$0.49 Rp 8,464

128.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$2.01 Rp 34.5K

61.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.65 MX$80.6

$2.53 Rp 43.5K

83.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$1.38 Rp 23.7K

18.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 MX$46.00

$1.93 Rp 33.1K

37.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.99

$0.94 Rp 16.2K

108.51%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.08

$1.87 Rp 32.2K

35.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.97 MX$173

$10.91 Rp 187.5K

-8.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 MX$145

$3.33 Rp 57.2K

151.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.83 MX$205

$9.18 Rp 157.8K

28.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$49.62

$2.87 Rp 49.3K

-0.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 MX$30.05

$1.18 Rp 20.3K

46.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.50

$2.16 Rp 37.1K

-7.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.51

$1.71 Rp 29.3K

19.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$1.52 Rp 26.1K

35.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 MX$39.54

$1.67 Rp 28.6K

36.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MX$25.05

$0.82 Rp 14.1K

76.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.83

$0.55 Rp 9,459

98.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$2.53 Rp 43.4K

68.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.67 MX$254

$18.15 Rp 312.0K

-19.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.58

$2.16 Rp 37.1K

-18.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 MX$61.8

$2.10 Rp 36.1K

70.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.67

$0.23 Rp 3,950

65.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.73 MX$325

$6.86 Rp 117.9K

173.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.09

$0.41 Rp 7,084

239.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.26

$0.36 Rp 6,173

-16.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$93.8

$5.36 Rp 92.0K

0.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.22

$0.74 Rp 12.7K

81.08%

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

$18.9K MX$326.7K

$22.0K Rp 377.5M

-14.18%

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

$23.2K MX$402.0K

$27.4K Rp 471.0M

-15.35%

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

$40.30 MX$698

$67.1 Rp 1.2M

-39.90%

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

$27.15 MX$471

$3.39 Rp 58.3K

700.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$510

$20.03 Rp 344.2K

47.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 MX$914

$69.3 Rp 1.2M

-23.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.17 MX$454

$4.65 Rp 79.9K

462.80%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$107

$2.79 Rp 48.0K

121.51%

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

$441 MX$7,637

$218 Rp 3.8M

101.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.4K

$4,855 Rp 83.4M

120.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.2 MX$992

$47.20 Rp 811.2K

21.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.04 MX$781

$32.73 Rp 562.5K

37.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,793

$76.5 Rp 1.3M

35.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,884

$67.5 Rp 1.2M

61.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.3K

$602 Rp 10.3M

66.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 MX$11.0K

$412 Rp 7.1M

53.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,141 MX$37.1K

$2,057 Rp 35.3M

4.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,253 MX$21.7K

$1,244 Rp 21.4M

0.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,745 MX$64.9K

$1,829 Rp 31.4M

104.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,381 MX$41.3K

$1,424 Rp 24.5M

67.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,079 MX$18.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

13.28

-14.61%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 20, 2026

Last update for Gili Trawangan: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $602 in Gili Trawangan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54 in Mexico City vs $22 in Gili Trawangan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $229 per month, with Gili Trawangan cheaper across the board.

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

Gili Trawangan is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 48% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,199 in Mexico City and $1,490 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $602 in Gili Trawangan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Gili Trawangan – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $993 in Gili Trawangan versus $1,466 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.

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.

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.

Expats usually find Gili Trawangan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.