Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Jayapura

For one person, living is cheaper in Jayapura: $647 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Jayapura
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Jayapura Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Jayapura

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$647

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Jayapura

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $647 in Jayapura.

Mexico City $1,608
Jayapura $647

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $994 in Jayapura.

Mexico City $2,549
Jayapura $994

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $1,342 in Jayapura.

Mexico City $3,490
Jayapura $1,342

Living in Mexico City is roughly 149% more expensive than in Jayapura, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 18% above, Jayapura is 52% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$198

$1.69 Rp 30.7K

528.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$901

$9.93 Rp 180.5K

386.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$193

$3.02 Rp 54.8K

242.72%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$68.7

$1.99 Rp 36.1K

85.43%

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

$1.67 MX$31.05

$0.65 Rp 11.8K

156.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.58

$0.22 Rp 4,023

477.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.5

$3.36 Rp 61.1K

-5.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$98.9

$2.81 Rp 51.2K

88.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.13

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

44.54%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$56.6

$0.99 Rp 18.0K

207.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.17

$0.82 Rp 14.9K

136.59%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$53.8

$1.39 Rp 25.3K

107.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$204

$6.95 Rp 126.3K

57.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$172

$2.87 Rp 52.2K

222.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$282

$7.31 Rp 132.8K

106.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$56.8

$2.13 Rp 38.8K

43.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.17

$1.30 Rp 23.6K

49.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.73

$1.51 Rp 27.5K

34.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.12

$1.25 Rp 22.7K

84.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$37.91

$1.26 Rp 22.9K

61.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.53

$1.97 Rp 35.8K

-8.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.56

$0.90 Rp 16.4K

64.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.62

$0.46 Rp 8,313

176.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$98.8

$2.61 Rp 47.4K

103.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$300

$21.38 Rp 388.7K

-24.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$36.95

$1.62 Rp 29.5K

22.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.2

$2.93 Rp 53.3K

45.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.68

$0.27 Rp 4,972

14.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$368

$11.81 Rp 214.7K

67.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.23

$0.54 Rp 9,880

240.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.94

$0.32 Rp 5,769

65.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$98.7

$3.23 Rp 58.7K

64.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.14

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

106.85%

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

$21.8K MX$405.3K

$23.9K Rp 435.1M

-9.10%

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

$24.0K MX$446.9K

$34.0K Rp 617.9M

-29.42%

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

$63.0 MX$1,173

$69.4 Rp 1.3M

-9.24%

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

$27.39 MX$510

$4.56 Rp 83.0K

500.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$664

$17.54 Rp 319.0K

103.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,098

$15.53 Rp 282.4K

279.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$441

$8.13 Rp 147.7K

190.77%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$119

$2.42 Rp 43.9K

164.46%

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

$432 MX$8,041

$96.2 Rp 1.7M

348.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$212.8K

$8,295 Rp 150.8M

37.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,271

$37.63 Rp 684.2K

81.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$990

$31.25 Rp 568.1K

70.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,008

$81.4 Rp 1.5M

32.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,185

$64.4 Rp 1.2M

82.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.7K

$220 Rp 4.0M

405.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.2K

$159 Rp 2.9M

346.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.2K

$539 Rp 9.8M

379.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.2K

$347 Rp 6.3M

305.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$67.6K

$1,311 Rp 23.8M

177.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$39.8K

$692 Rp 12.6M

208.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

9.46

19.98%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Jayapura: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Jayapura

$159 24.6% 77.6% $551

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Jayapura

$192 29.7% 39.9% $128

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Jayapura

$72 11.2% 63.6% $126

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Jayapura

$97 14.9% 38% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Jayapura

$92 14.1% 27.4% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Jayapura

$20 3.2% 71.6% $51

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Jayapura

$15 2.3% 41% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Mexico City and $220 in Jayapura. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48 in Mexico City vs $10 in Jayapura for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $192 per month, with Jayapura cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇮🇩 Jayapura

🕒 Local time

19:22 7:22 PM

10:22 10:22 AM

15 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

233,859

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.63 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.74 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18,183 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20,242 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Jayapura 13,260 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Jayapura

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 Jayapura: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jayapura is about 60% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $2,412 in Mexico City and $970 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: $1,113 in Mexico City versus $220 in Jayapura. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $432 in Mexico City versus $96 in Jayapura. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 66% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $647 in Jayapura versus $1,608 in Mexico City, a $1,000 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.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Jayapura gentler on the wallet – expenses run 60% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.