Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Medan

For one person, living is cheaper in Medan: $613 a month against $1,567 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Medan
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Medan Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,567

/mo nomad

Medan

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$613

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,567 in Mexico City versus $613 in Medan.

Mexico City $1,567
Medan $613

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,450 in Mexico City versus $940 in Medan.

Mexico City $2,450
Medan $940

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,333 in Mexico City versus $1,266 in Medan.

Mexico City $3,333
Medan $1,266

Living in Mexico City is roughly 156% more expensive than in Medan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 16% above, Medan is 55% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.75 MX$199

$1.71 Rp 30.8K

528.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.3 MX$929

$8.30 Rp 149.4K

505.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.10 MX$205

$2.95 Rp 53.0K

276.27%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

$1.53 Rp 27.5K

140.52%

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

$1.65 MX$30.42

$0.35 Rp 6,215

371.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 MX$24.08

$0.25 Rp 4,534

420.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 MX$61.3

$1.66 Rp 29.9K

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.54 MX$102

$3.59 Rp 64.6K

54.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 MX$32.68

$1.11 Rp 20.0K

59.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 MX$56.4

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

158.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 MX$37.20

$0.81 Rp 14.7K

148.15%

Eggs

$2.77 MX$51.1

$1.32 Rp 23.8K

109.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.91 MX$220

$8.12 Rp 146.2K

46.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.33 MX$172

$3.59 Rp 64.6K

159.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.02 MX$278

$6.36 Rp 114.5K

136.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 MX$56.8

$2.40 Rp 43.1K

28.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 MX$35.97

$1.05 Rp 18.9K

85.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.54

$1.42 Rp 25.5K

42.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 MX$40.92

$0.93 Rp 16.7K

137.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.41

$0.84 Rp 15.1K

140.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 MX$33.67

$1.80 Rp 32.3K

1.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 MX$28.07

$0.38 Rp 6,905

300.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 MX$23.65

$0.44 Rp 7,872

190.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.27 MX$97.4

$2.87 Rp 51.7K

83.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.12 MX$298

$15.72 Rp 282.9K

2.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 MX$36.05

$1.83 Rp 32.9K

6.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$78.6

$3.01 Rp 54.1K

41.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.82

$0.27 Rp 4,816

14.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.85 MX$367

$5.93 Rp 106.7K

234.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.93

$0.51 Rp 9,186

292.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.86

$0.19 Rp 3,465

178.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.62 MX$104

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.07

$0.80 Rp 14.4K

90.00%

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

$21.0K MX$388.7K

$24.7K Rp 444.1M

-14.75%

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

$25.2K MX$465.3K

$32.2K Rp 579.9M

-21.84%

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

$62.5 MX$1,155

$84.8 Rp 1.5M

-26.34%

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

$28.77 MX$532

$3.17 Rp 57.0K

807.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.45 MX$637

$23.57 Rp 424.3K

46.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,055

$16.95 Rp 305.0K

236.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.81 MX$458

$8.41 Rp 151.5K

195.01%

Cinema Ticket

$6.67 MX$123

$3.29 Rp 59.3K

102.74%

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

$431 MX$7,964

$112 Rp 2.0M

286.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K MX$216.9K

$1,692 Rp 30.5M

593.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.8 MX$1,308

$54.2 Rp 975.9K

30.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.8 MX$958

$38.53 Rp 693.6K

34.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$2,011

$108 Rp 1.9M

0.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 MX$2,076

$111 Rp 2.0M

1.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,051 MX$19.4K

$233 Rp 4.2M

351.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 MX$12.3K

$89.8 Rp 1.6M

640.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,346 MX$43.3K

$494 Rp 8.9M

374.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 MX$22.7K

$212 Rp 3.8M

479.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,554 MX$65.7K

$1,158 Rp 20.8M

206.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,977 MX$36.5K

$560 Rp 10.1M

253.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$975 MX$18.0K

$215 Rp 3.9M

352.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

9.25

22.16%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Last update for Medan: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$665 42.4%

Medan

$90 14.6% 86.5% $575

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$323 20.6%

Medan

$181 29.5% 44% $142

Eating Out

Mexico City

$203 13%

Medan

$59 9.6% 71.1% $144

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$155 9.9%

Medan

$140 22.9% 9.3% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 8%

Medan

$112 18.2% 11.2% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Medan

$24 3.8% 66.6% $47

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.6%

Medan

$8.5 1.4% 67.1% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,051 in Mexico City and $233 in Medan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 353% 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: $50.0 in Mexico City vs $8.00 in Medan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $323 vs $181 per month, with Medan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇮🇩 Medan

🕒 Local time

03:33 3:33 AM

16:33 4:33 PM

13 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

2,097,610

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Medan 16,800 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Medan

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 Medan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medan is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 156% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 353% 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: $1,051 in Mexico City versus $233 in Medan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Medan runs roughly 235% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $431 in Mexico City versus $112 in Medan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $613 in Medan versus $1,567 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medan but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Medan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Medan 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 Medan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 156% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.