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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $644 in Makassar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $980 in Makassar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $1,317 in Makassar.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 158% more expensive than in Makassar, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Makassar is 53% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$206

$1.65 Rp 29.3K

622.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$890

$9.03 Rp 159.8K

471.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$3.21 Rp 56.9K

255.45%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.9

$1.99 Rp 35.3K

100.50%

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

$1.66 MX$28.61

$0.50 Rp 8,874

232.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.87

$0.34 Rp 6,003

291.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.9

$2.59 Rp 45.8K

33.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$3.27 Rp 58.0K

80.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.36

$1.62 Rp 28.6K

16.05%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$1.00 Rp 17.7K

225.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.26

$0.61 Rp 10.8K

254.10%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.94

$1.50 Rp 26.6K

93.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$222

$6.60 Rp 116.8K

94.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$3.51 Rp 62.1K

186.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$5.28 Rp 93.6K

200.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.8

$2.39 Rp 42.3K

37.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.60

$1.39 Rp 24.7K

44.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.93

$1.94 Rp 34.4K

13.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.63

$1.79 Rp 31.6K

31.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.43

$1.14 Rp 20.2K

79.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.79

$1.60 Rp 28.3K

18.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$0.80 Rp 14.2K

101.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.09

$0.40 Rp 7,020

250.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.2

$2.69 Rp 47.6K

102.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$22.97 Rp 406.7K

-23.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.44

$1.84 Rp 32.6K

11.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.8

$2.30 Rp 40.7K

103.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.84

$0.27 Rp 4,734

25.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$359

$4.35 Rp 77.0K

378.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.15

$0.51 Rp 9,032

311.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.64

$0.36 Rp 6,314

55.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$2.89 Rp 51.2K

101.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$0.79 Rp 14.0K

103.80%

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

$22.8K MX$393.8K

$15.7K Rp 277.8M

45.61%

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

$26.8K MX$461.2K

$16.9K Rp 299.4M

58.19%

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

$65.2 MX$1,124

$90.0 Rp 1.6M

-27.58%

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

$30.09 MX$519

$2.61 Rp 46.2K

1052.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$641

$25.25 Rp 447.2K

47.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,030

$21.32 Rp 377.5K

180.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$458

$23.06 Rp 408.3K

15.13%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$3.50 Rp 62.0K

101.14%

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

$465 MX$8,012

$94.9 Rp 1.7M

389.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.9K

$3,893 Rp 68.9M

240.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,308

$27.74 Rp 491.2K

173.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$965

$24.02 Rp 425.4K

132.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,929

$74.9 Rp 1.3M

49.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,078

$40.90 Rp 724.2K

194.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$195 Rp 3.4M

466.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$152 Rp 2.7M

374.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$403 Rp 7.1M

527.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$313 Rp 5.5M

312.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.8K

$1,438 Rp 25.5M

177.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

$572 Rp 10.1M

265.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

$218 Rp 3.9M

375.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

88.33%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Makassar: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $195 in Makassar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 376% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $9.00 in Makassar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $199 per month, with Makassar 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 Makassar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Makassar wins on cost – living expenses run 158% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Makassar the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 376% higher in Mexico City, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $195 in Makassar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Makassar runs roughly 378% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $94.9 in Makassar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $644 in Makassar versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Makassar but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Makassar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Makassar delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $644 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Makassar hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Makassar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 158% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.