Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Mataram

For one person, living is cheaper in Mataram: $605 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $12,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mexico City, Mexico
Mataram, Indonesia
Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,608
/mo nomad
Mataram
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$605
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $605 in Mataram.

  • Mexico City $1,608
  • Mataram $605

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $977 in Mataram.

  • Mexico City $2,549
  • Mataram $977

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $1,348 in Mataram.

  • Mexico City $3,490
  • Mataram $1,348

Living in Mexico City is roughly 166% more expensive than in Mataram, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 18% above, Mataram is 56% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mexico City
Mataram
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.62 MX$199
$1.00 Rp 18.0K
962.00%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$48.35 MX$908
$8.82 Rp 159.8K
448.19%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.35 MX$194
$3.24 Rp 58.7K
219.44%
Cappuccino
$3.69 MX$69.3
$1.53 Rp 27.7K
141.18%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.67 MX$31.29
$0.46 Rp 8,344
263.04%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.27 MX$23.76
$0.30 Rp 5,390
323.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.19 MX$59.9
$2.68 Rp 48.5K
19.03%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.31 MX$99.6
$3.36 Rp 61.0K
58.04%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
Mataram
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.72 MX$32.38
$1.37 Rp 24.9K
25.55%
White Bread (500g)
$3.04 MX$57.1
$1.47 Rp 26.6K
106.80%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.44
$0.84 Rp 15.2K
130.95%
Eggs
$2.89 MX$54.2
$1.39 Rp 25.2K
107.91%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.97 MX$206
$8.07 Rp 146.3K
35.94%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.25 MX$174
$2.85 Rp 51.7K
224.56%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.13 MX$284
$7.47 Rp 135.4K
102.54%
Apples (1kg)
$3.05 MX$57.2
$2.06 Rp 37.2K
48.06%
Banana (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.45
$1.18 Rp 21.3K
64.41%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.03 MX$38.02
$1.53 Rp 27.7K
32.68%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.31 MX$43.46
$1.24 Rp 22.4K
86.29%
Potato (1kg)
$2.04 MX$38.21
$1.26 Rp 22.9K
61.90%
Onion (1kg)
$1.80 MX$33.79
$2.17 Rp 39.4K
-17.05%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.48 MX$27.77
$0.79 Rp 14.3K
87.34%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 MX$23.80
$0.39 Rp 7,106
225.64%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.30 MX$99.6
$2.60 Rp 47.2K
103.85%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.10 MX$302
$21.31 Rp 386.1K
-24.45%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.98 MX$37.23
$1.82 Rp 33.0K
8.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.25 MX$79.8
$3.12 Rp 56.6K
36.22%
🚌 Getting Around
Mexico City
Mataram
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.31 MX$5.73
$0.21 Rp 3,809
47.62%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.73 MX$371
$11.53 Rp 209.0K
71.12%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.84 MX$34.50
$0.49 Rp 8,897
275.51%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 MX$10.02
$0.37 Rp 6,626
43.24%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.30 MX$99.4
$2.80 Rp 50.7K
89.29%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.51 MX$28.36
$0.57 Rp 10.2K
164.91%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.8K MX$408.4K
$22.9K Rp 415.3M
-5.10%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.0K MX$450.3K
$29.7K Rp 538.7M
-19.32%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
Mataram
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$63.0 MX$1,182
$57.9 Rp 1.0M
8.75%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$27.39 MX$514
$3.75 Rp 67.9K
630.40%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$35.67 MX$670
$18.52 Rp 335.6K
92.60%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
Mataram
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$58.9 MX$1,107
$18.47 Rp 334.6K
219.11%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.64 MX$444
$7.43 Rp 134.6K
218.17%
Cinema Ticket
$6.40 MX$120
$2.73 Rp 49.5K
134.43%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mexico City
Mataram
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$432 MX$8,103
$98.6 Rp 1.8M
337.85%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.4K MX$214.5K
$8,614 Rp 156.1M
32.62%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
Mataram
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$68.2 MX$1,281
$40.36 Rp 731.4K
69.03%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$53.1 MX$997
$28.06 Rp 508.4K
89.34%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 MX$2,023
$74.8 Rp 1.4M
44.01%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$117 MX$2,202
$69.9 Rp 1.3M
67.70%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
Mataram
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,113 MX$20.9K
$228 Rp 4.1M
388.39%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$710 MX$13.3K
$130 Rp 2.4M
447.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,588 MX$48.6K
$516 Rp 9.3M
401.85%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,406 MX$26.4K
$371 Rp 6.7M
279.21%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,631 MX$68.2K
$1,170 Rp 21.2M
210.39%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,135 MX$40.1K
$752 Rp 13.6M
183.74%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mexico City
Mataram
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$946 MX$17.8K
$217 Rp 3.9M
337.02%
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 Mataram: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
$710
Mataram
$130 81.7% $581
Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
$320
Mataram
$202 36.8% $118
Eating Out
Mexico City
$199
Mataram
$59 70.2% $139
Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
$156
Mataram
$96 38.5% $60
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
$126
Mataram
$80 36.4% $46
Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
$72
Mataram
$24 66.6% $48
Getting Around
Mexico City
$25
Mataram
$15 42.3% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Mexico City and $228 in Mataram. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays about 4.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $48 in Mexico City vs $9 in Mataram for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $202 per month, with Mataram cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🇮🇩 Mataram
🕒 Local time
22:58 10:58 PM
12:58 12:58 PM
14 h ahead of Mexico City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,209,944 Capital
402,843
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18,120 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD). 1 EUR = 20,232 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mexico City Mataram 16,040 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mexico City
  • Mataram

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 Mataram: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Mexico City and in Mataram?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,608 in Mexico City and $605 in Mataram, so Mataram is about 62% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Mexico City or Mataram?
Average pay in Mexico City is about 4.4 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Mexico City and in Mataram?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,113 in Mexico City versus $228 in Mataram. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 58% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Mataram – a meal for two runs $9 versus $48 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
At $605 in Mataram versus $1,608 in Mexico City, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Mataram but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Mataram the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Mexico City and Mataram?
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.
Where should expats move: Mexico City or Mataram?
Expats usually find Mataram gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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