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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $651 in Medan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $982 in Medan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,313 in Medan.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 125% more expensive than Medan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$1.83 Rp 32.8K

620.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$10.63 Rp 190.6K

407.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$3.22 Rp 57.7K

192.55%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$1.80 Rp 32.2K

97.22%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$0.40 Rp 7,149

305.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$0.25 Rp 4,436

344.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$1.58 Rp 28.3K

97.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$5.13 Rp 92.0K

-9.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$1.18 Rp 21.1K

44.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

132.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$0.87 Rp 15.6K

119.54%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$1.58 Rp 28.3K

60.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$9.78 Rp 175.2K

2.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$3.88 Rp 69.6K

108.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$6.86 Rp 123.0K

69.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$2.29 Rp 41.1K

29.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$1.00 Rp 17.9K

81.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$1.47 Rp 26.4K

36.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$0.94 Rp 16.9K

115.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$0.74 Rp 13.3K

186.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$1.29 Rp 23.1K

75.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$0.46 Rp 8,194

204.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$0.46 Rp 8,232

145.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$2.48 Rp 44.4K

72.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$15.75 Rp 282.4K

-1.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$1.35 Rp 24.2K

30.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$3.17 Rp 56.8K

13.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$0.30 Rp 5,338

26.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$9.86 Rp 176.8K

94.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$0.52 Rp 9,380

165.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$0.22 Rp 3,946

27.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$6.27 Rp 112.4K

-13.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$0.82 Rp 14.8K

58.54%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$28.1K Rp 503.3M

-33.44%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$33.8K Rp 606.6M

-31.65%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$83.4 Rp 1.5M

-51.01%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$3.64 Rp 65.3K

636.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$33.53 Rp 601.1K

-10.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$23.40 Rp 419.4K

122.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

$7.27 Rp 130.3K

269.19%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$3.58 Rp 64.1K

75.98%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$126 Rp 2.3M

245.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$10.6K Rp 189.5M

-1.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$66.3 Rp 1.2M

-14.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$42.49 Rp 761.8K

4.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$116 Rp 2.1M

-10.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$65.6 Rp 1.2M

60.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$191 Rp 3.4M

433.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

539.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$544 Rp 9.8M

292.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$231 Rp 4.1M

439.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

$1,176 Rp 21.1M

231.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

$567 Rp 10.2M

264.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$215 Rp 3.9M

418.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

9.25

22.59%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Medan: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $191 in Medan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 419% 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 $11.00 in Medan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $187 per month, with Medan 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 Medan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medan is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 125% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Mexico City pays 419% 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 $191 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 95% 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 $126 in Medan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $651 in Medan versus $1,467 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 125% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.