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: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $970 in Gili Trawangan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $1,619 in Gili Trawangan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $2,268 in Gili Trawangan.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 73% more expensive than in Gili Trawangan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, Gili Trawangan is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$205

$2.29 Rp 40.4K

430.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$911

$24.20 Rp 426.2K

122.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$187

$3.80 Rp 66.8K

191.84%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.3

$1.78 Rp 31.3K

130.34%

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

$1.68 MX$28.44

$1.22 Rp 21.4K

37.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.47

$0.53 Rp 9,330

162.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.3

$1.96 Rp 34.6K

69.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.4

$2.96 Rp 52.1K

98.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.30

$1.23 Rp 21.7K

50.41%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.6

$1.71 Rp 30.1K

85.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.01

$0.83 Rp 14.6K

149.40%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.51

$1.61 Rp 28.3K

81.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$213

$13.40 Rp 236.0K

-6.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$3.08 Rp 54.2K

228.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$272

$9.12 Rp 160.6K

76.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.3

$2.73 Rp 48.1K

24.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.14

$1.24 Rp 21.8K

67.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.85

$1.79 Rp 31.6K

18.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.82

$1.56 Rp 27.5K

54.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.00

$1.45 Rp 25.5K

46.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$33.90

$1.86 Rp 32.7K

8.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.13

$0.80 Rp 14.1K

93.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.08

$0.39 Rp 6,814

248.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.5

$1.69 Rp 29.8K

241.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$300

$17.38 Rp 306.1K

2.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.00

$1.76 Rp 31.0K

17.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.0

$2.24 Rp 39.5K

105.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.19

$0.21 Rp 3,698

76.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$358

$7.10 Rp 125.0K

198.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.73

$0.41 Rp 7,291

400.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.75

$0.40 Rp 7,096

45.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$5.19 Rp 91.3K

16.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.25

$0.68 Rp 12.1K

127.94%

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

$22.9K MX$386.8K

$21.2K Rp 372.9M

8.03%

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

$27.2K MX$460.5K

$26.6K Rp 468.7M

2.34%

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

$67.4 MX$1,140

$71.3 Rp 1.3M

-5.46%

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

$30.62 MX$518

$5.47 Rp 96.4K

459.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$630

$15.78 Rp 278.0K

135.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,039

$40.33 Rp 710.4K

52.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$459

$12.84 Rp 226.2K

111.21%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$120

$3.17 Rp 55.8K

124.29%

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

$456 MX$7,714

$353 Rp 6.2M

29.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$231.5K

$4,175 Rp 73.5M

227.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,255

$39.31 Rp 692.4K

88.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$964

$30.24 Rp 532.6K

88.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,951

$69.9 Rp 1.2M

65.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,055

$68.7 Rp 1.2M

76.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.4K

$693 Rp 12.2M

65.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$414 Rp 7.3M

71.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.6K

$2,186 Rp 38.5M

17.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$21.9K

$1,071 Rp 18.9M

20.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.7K

$1,705 Rp 30.0M

134.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.0K

$1,384 Rp 24.4M

53.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.3K

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: September 6, 2026

Last update for Gili Trawangan: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $693 in Gili Trawangan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $24.00 in Gili Trawangan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $222 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, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 73% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,515 in Mexico City and $1,455 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: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $693 in Gili Trawangan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 55% 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 $24.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $970 in Gili Trawangan versus $1,677 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 73% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.