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: $1,481 in Mexico City versus $974 in Gili Trawangan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,352 in Mexico City versus $1,736 in Gili Trawangan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,222 in Mexico City versus $2,499 in Gili Trawangan.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 52% more expensive than in Gili Trawangan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Gili Trawangan is 27% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.16 MX$230

$2.40 Rp 43.1K

448.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.6 MX$937

$21.82 Rp 391.3K

145.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.55 MX$167

$3.34 Rp 60.0K

185.93%

Cappuccino

$3.72 MX$65.1

$1.87 Rp 33.6K

98.93%

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

$1.57 MX$27.42

$0.88 Rp 15.8K

78.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.22

$0.46 Rp 8,219

152.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$1.94 Rp 34.8K

63.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$81.1

$2.57 Rp 46.1K

80.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.83

$1.38 Rp 24.7K

23.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.62 MX$45.77

$1.92 Rp 34.5K

36.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 MX$33.04

$0.91 Rp 16.4K

107.69%

Eggs

$2.60 MX$45.40

$1.80 Rp 32.3K

44.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.91 MX$173

$11.25 Rp 201.8K

-11.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.22 MX$144

$3.35 Rp 60.1K

145.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.78 MX$206

$9.34 Rp 167.4K

26.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.00 MX$52.4

$2.78 Rp 49.8K

7.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 MX$31.48

$1.24 Rp 22.3K

45.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 MX$36.27

$2.15 Rp 38.5K

-3.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.41

$1.70 Rp 30.6K

15.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 MX$36.24

$1.51 Rp 27.1K

37.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$38.04

$1.75 Rp 31.4K

24.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.54

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

72.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.80

$0.55 Rp 9,819

94.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 MX$72.0

$2.40 Rp 43.1K

71.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.42 MX$305

$17.88 Rp 320.7K

-2.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.31

$2.12 Rp 37.9K

-20.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 MX$63.8

$2.10 Rp 37.6K

73.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.65

$0.25 Rp 4,487

52.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.71 MX$327

$6.90 Rp 123.8K

171.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.25

$0.41 Rp 7,374

224.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.30

$0.39 Rp 6,949

-23.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.51 MX$96.4

$5.25 Rp 94.2K

4.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.84

$0.69 Rp 12.4K

89.86%

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

$19.2K MX$335.3K

$22.1K Rp 395.6M

-13.10%

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

$23.7K MX$415.4K

$26.9K Rp 482.2M

-11.67%

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

$41.14 MX$720

$67.8 Rp 1.2M

-39.28%

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

$27.74 MX$485

$3.40 Rp 61.0K

715.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.13 MX$527

$20.73 Rp 371.8K

45.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.7 MX$940

$68.0 Rp 1.2M

-20.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.98 MX$454

$4.60 Rp 82.6K

464.78%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 MX$114

$2.89 Rp 51.8K

124.57%

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

$437 MX$7,638

$218 Rp 3.9M

100.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.9K

$4,891 Rp 87.7M

113.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,020

$46.61 Rp 835.9K

25.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.86 MX$802

$33.32 Rp 597.5K

37.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MX$1,775

$75.6 Rp 1.4M

34.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 MX$1,863

$67.1 Rp 1.2M

58.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,005 MX$17.6K

$605 Rp 10.8M

66.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$634 MX$11.1K

$415 Rp 7.4M

52.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,148 MX$37.6K

$2,097 Rp 37.6M

2.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,247 MX$21.8K

$1,249 Rp 22.4M

-0.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,859 MX$67.5K

$1,690 Rp 30.3M

128.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,085 MX$36.5K

$1,364 Rp 24.5M

52.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,072 MX$18.8K

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: July 22, 2026

Last update for Gili Trawangan: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,005 in Mexico City and $605 in Gili Trawangan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $22.00 in Gili Trawangan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 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 52% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,222 in Mexico City and $1,461 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: $1,005 in Mexico City versus $605 in Gili Trawangan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% 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 $974 in Gili Trawangan versus $1,481 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 52% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.