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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $577 in Mataram.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $888 in Mataram.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $1,200 in Mataram.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 157% more expensive than Mataram, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Mataram is 57% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$1.05 Rp 18.3K

1136.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$11.02 Rp 190.9K

381.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$2.25 Rp 39.0K

332.00%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$1.87 Rp 32.4K

100.53%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$0.55 Rp 9,529

185.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.36 Rp 6,243

213.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$2.63 Rp 45.6K

20.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$3.78 Rp 65.6K

23.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$1.56 Rp 27.0K

3.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$1.68 Rp 29.1K

61.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$0.83 Rp 14.4K

126.51%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$1.36 Rp 23.6K

84.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$3.32 Rp 57.5K

203.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$3.53 Rp 61.2K

134.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$6.29 Rp 109.1K

89.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$1.70 Rp 29.5K

68.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$1.21 Rp 21.0K

44.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$1.86 Rp 32.3K

11.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$0.79 Rp 13.7K

149.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$0.79 Rp 13.7K

173.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$1.89 Rp 32.8K

15.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$0.47 Rp 8,180

195.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$0.31 Rp 5,443

261.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$1.79 Rp 31.1K

134.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$16.27 Rp 282.1K

-12.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$2.46 Rp 42.6K

-28.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$3.80 Rp 65.9K

-3.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.63 Rp 10.9K

-38.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

$18.37 Rp 318.5K

1.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$0.48 Rp 8,285

189.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$0.29 Rp 5,024

3.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$3.16 Rp 54.7K

71.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$0.65 Rp 11.2K

107.69%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$23.4K Rp 405.9M

-19.36%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$28.0K Rp 485.3M

-17.31%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$50.2 Rp 870.0K

-18.69%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$4.39 Rp 76.2K

526.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$19.07 Rp 330.6K

59.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$26.67 Rp 462.3K

100.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

$7.66 Rp 132.7K

243.34%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$2.10 Rp 36.3K

198.57%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$90.8 Rp 1.6M

380.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$4,319 Rp 74.9M

142.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$36.80 Rp 637.8K

54.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$24.84 Rp 430.6K

80.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$61.1 Rp 1.1M

68.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$40.16 Rp 696.1K

168.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$76.9 Rp 1.3M

1199.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$128 Rp 2.2M

383.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$156 Rp 2.7M

1266.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$265 Rp 4.6M

366.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$1,199 Rp 20.8M

222.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$783 Rp 13.6M

197.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

$202 Rp 3.5M

427.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

26.00%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Last update for Mataram: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $76.9 in Mataram. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 427% 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: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $11.00 in Mataram for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $179 per month, with Mataram 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 Mataram: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Mataram differ by about 157% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $577 including rent). Mataram is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 427% 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $76.9 in Mataram. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 60% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Mataram – a meal for two runs $11.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $577 in Mataram versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $2,000 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.

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 Mataram gentler on the wallet – expenses run 157% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.