Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Jayapura Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Jayapura

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $673 in Jayapura.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,035 in Jayapura.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $1,397 in Jayapura.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 116% more expensive than in Jayapura, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Jayapura is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$229

$1.81 Rp 32.4K

622.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$943

$10.48 Rp 187.9K

412.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$170

$3.14 Rp 56.3K

208.28%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.6

$1.79 Rp 32.2K

108.94%

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

$1.62 MX$28.34

$0.67 Rp 12.0K

141.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.37

$0.56 Rp 9,960

107.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$3.95 Rp 70.8K

-18.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$83.1

$4.43 Rp 79.4K

7.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.89

$1.23 Rp 22.1K

34.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$48.30

$1.12 Rp 20.1K

145.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.87

$0.88 Rp 15.7K

112.50%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.86

$1.60 Rp 28.7K

56.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$179

$8.32 Rp 149.2K

22.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$145

$3.10 Rp 55.6K

166.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$207

$7.76 Rp 139.2K

52.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.8

$2.36 Rp 42.3K

27.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.77

$1.50 Rp 27.0K

20.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$35.07

$1.78 Rp 32.0K

12.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$35.00

$1.54 Rp 27.7K

29.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.56

$1.37 Rp 24.6K

51.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.85

$1.94 Rp 34.7K

17.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.55

$0.97 Rp 17.5K

50.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.88

$0.42 Rp 7,450

157.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$76.3

$2.47 Rp 44.3K

76.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$298

$20.41 Rp 366.0K

-16.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.40

$2.02 Rp 36.2K

-14.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.7

$3.06 Rp 54.9K

16.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.79

$0.32 Rp 5,759

21.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$328

$9.80 Rp 175.8K

90.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.25

$0.53 Rp 9,535

150.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.91

$0.38 Rp 6,739

-26.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$92.1

$2.94 Rp 52.7K

78.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.44

$0.82 Rp 14.6K

63.41%

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

$19.4K MX$340.5K

$24.8K Rp 444.2M

-21.60%

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

$23.8K MX$418.0K

$27.7K Rp 496.9M

-13.97%

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

$40.69 MX$714

$68.8 Rp 1.2M

-40.84%

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

$26.87 MX$471

$4.43 Rp 79.4K

506.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$535

$22.56 Rp 404.6K

35.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$926

$22.85 Rp 409.9K

130.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$467

$6.31 Rp 113.2K

322.35%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$114

$3.13 Rp 56.1K

107.99%

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

$428 MX$7,508

$94.2 Rp 1.7M

354.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$184.2K

$7,675 Rp 137.7M

36.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$1,004

$40.93 Rp 734.2K

39.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$798

$30.81 Rp 552.7K

47.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,825

$67.3 Rp 1.2M

54.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,891

$74.5 Rp 1.3M

44.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.6K

$255 Rp 4.6M

293.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

$160 Rp 2.9M

288.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$37.0K

$581 Rp 10.4M

263.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.4K

$328 Rp 5.9M

271.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$68.1K

$1,205 Rp 21.6M

222.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.7K

$693 Rp 12.4M

193.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

9.15

23.93%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Jayapura: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $255 in Jayapura. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $10.00 in Jayapura for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $207 per month, with Jayapura 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 Jayapura: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jayapura is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 116% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,185 in Mexico City and $1,009 in Jayapura 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $255 in Jayapura. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $94.2 in Jayapura. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $673 in Jayapura versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Jayapura but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Jayapura the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Jayapura 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.

Expats usually find Jayapura gentler on the wallet – expenses run 116% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.