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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $662 in Makassar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,005 in Makassar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,347 in Makassar.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 122% more expensive than Makassar, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Makassar is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$3.13 Rp 55.9K

321.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$9.45 Rp 168.8K

470.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$2.98 Rp 53.2K

216.11%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$1.74 Rp 31.1K

104.02%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$0.71 Rp 12.7K

128.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.39 Rp 6,976

184.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$3.67 Rp 65.5K

-14.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$3.72 Rp 66.4K

24.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.63 Rp 29.1K

4.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$1.09 Rp 19.4K

149.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$0.64 Rp 11.5K

198.44%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$1.44 Rp 25.8K

76.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$5.49 Rp 98.0K

82.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$2.77 Rp 49.5K

192.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$4.36 Rp 77.8K

166.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$2.29 Rp 40.9K

29.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.64 Rp 29.3K

10.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$1.85 Rp 33.0K

8.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$1.57 Rp 28.0K

29.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$1.26 Rp 22.5K

68.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$1.56 Rp 27.9K

45.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$0.41 Rp 7,381

241.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.47 Rp 8,440

140.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$2.56 Rp 45.8K

66.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$22.53 Rp 402.4K

-30.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$2.10 Rp 37.4K

-16.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$2.48 Rp 44.3K

45.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.32 Rp 5,720

18.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$4.51 Rp 80.5K

325.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$0.56 Rp 10.0K

146.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.29 Rp 5,115

-3.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$3.03 Rp 54.1K

79.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$0.78 Rp 13.9K

66.67%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$16.8K Rp 299.6M

11.38%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$18.7K Rp 334.7M

23.42%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$66.5 Rp 1.2M

-38.54%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$3.50 Rp 62.5K

666.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$32.44 Rp 579.2K

-7.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$23.28 Rp 415.8K

123.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$6.03 Rp 107.6K

345.11%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$3.16 Rp 56.4K

99.37%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$106 Rp 1.9M

309.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$4,097 Rp 73.2M

154.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$30.05 Rp 536.6K

88.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$25.17 Rp 449.4K

76.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$81.8 Rp 1.5M

25.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$43.93 Rp 784.5K

140.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$212 Rp 3.8M

382.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$168 Rp 3.0M

275.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$438 Rp 7.8M

387.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$333 Rp 5.9M

273.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$1,167 Rp 20.8M

234.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$737 Rp 13.2M

180.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$218 Rp 3.9M

411.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

89.00%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Makassar: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $212 in Makassar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 412% 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $9.00 in Makassar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $190 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 122% 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.

Mexico City pays 412% more on average, 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $212 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 325% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $106 in Makassar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $662 in Makassar versus $1,467 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 $662 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 122% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.