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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $671 in Jayapura.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,033 in Jayapura.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,395 in Jayapura.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 119% more expensive than Jayapura, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Jayapura is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$1.82 Rp 32.7K

624.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$10.56 Rp 189.3K

410.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$3.05 Rp 54.6K

208.85%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$1.80 Rp 32.3K

97.22%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$0.68 Rp 12.2K

138.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$0.55 Rp 9,796

101.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$3.87 Rp 69.4K

-19.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$4.20 Rp 75.2K

10.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$1.18 Rp 21.1K

44.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$1.14 Rp 20.4K

138.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$0.87 Rp 15.7K

119.54%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$1.59 Rp 28.6K

59.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$8.16 Rp 146.2K

22.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$3.10 Rp 55.6K

160.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$7.94 Rp 142.3K

46.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$2.28 Rp 40.9K

30.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$1.49 Rp 26.7K

21.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$1.86 Rp 33.3K

8.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$1.50 Rp 26.9K

35.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$1.34 Rp 24.0K

58.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$1.88 Rp 33.7K

20.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$0.90 Rp 16.0K

55.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$0.41 Rp 7,392

175.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$2.54 Rp 45.6K

68.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$20.78 Rp 372.5K

-25.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$2.03 Rp 36.4K

-13.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$3.10 Rp 55.6K

16.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$0.30 Rp 5,288

26.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$9.69 Rp 173.7K

97.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$0.53 Rp 9,449

160.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$0.37 Rp 6,662

-24.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$2.93 Rp 52.5K

86.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$0.78 Rp 14.1K

66.67%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$24.2K Rp 433.2M

-22.68%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$27.8K Rp 498.4M

-16.82%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$69.6 Rp 1.2M

-41.27%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$4.35 Rp 78.0K

516.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$23.00 Rp 412.4K

30.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$23.41 Rp 419.7K

122.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

$6.04 Rp 108.2K

344.37%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$2.98 Rp 53.5K

111.41%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$95.0 Rp 1.7M

359.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$7,735 Rp 138.6M

34.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$42.03 Rp 753.5K

34.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$30.84 Rp 552.9K

43.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$67.2 Rp 1.2M

53.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$72.6 Rp 1.3M

45.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$260 Rp 4.7M

292.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$159 Rp 2.8M

297.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$594 Rp 10.6M

259.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$334 Rp 6.0M

271.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

$1,125 Rp 20.2M

246.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

$661 Rp 11.9M

212.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Jayapura: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $260 in Jayapura. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $11.00 in Jayapura for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $206 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 119% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,201 in Mexico City and $1,006 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $260 in Jayapura. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $95.0 in Jayapura. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $671 in Jayapura versus $1,467 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 119% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.