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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $618 in Palangkaraya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $982 in Palangkaraya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $1,347 in Palangkaraya.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 169% more expensive than in Palangkaraya, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Palangkaraya is 55% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$206

$1.39 Rp 24.7K

757.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$890

$13.63 Rp 241.3K

278.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$3.63 Rp 64.3K

214.33%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.9

$1.51 Rp 26.8K

164.24%

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

$1.66 MX$28.61

$0.45 Rp 8,021

268.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.87

$0.20 Rp 3,533

565.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.9

$2.38 Rp 42.2K

45.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$3.97 Rp 70.2K

48.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.36

$1.17 Rp 20.8K

60.68%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$1.09 Rp 19.3K

198.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.26

$0.89 Rp 15.8K

142.70%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.94

$1.45 Rp 25.6K

100.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$222

$7.39 Rp 130.9K

74.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$2.19 Rp 38.8K

358.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$6.76 Rp 119.8K

134.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.8

$2.25 Rp 39.9K

46.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.60

$1.71 Rp 30.3K

17.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.93

$1.77 Rp 31.3K

24.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.63

$0.94 Rp 16.7K

151.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.43

$1.22 Rp 21.7K

68.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.79

$2.02 Rp 35.7K

-5.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$0.72 Rp 12.8K

123.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.09

$0.43 Rp 7,587

225.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.2

$2.74 Rp 48.5K

99.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$18.07 Rp 320.0K

-2.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.44

$1.88 Rp 33.2K

9.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.8

$3.41 Rp 60.4K

37.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.84

$0.28 Rp 4,918

21.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$359

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.15

$0.48 Rp 8,503

337.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.64

$0.32 Rp 5,734

75.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$2.52 Rp 44.5K

130.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$0.66 Rp 11.8K

143.94%

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

$22.8K MX$393.8K

$23.6K Rp 417.1M

-3.03%

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

$26.8K MX$461.2K

$27.7K Rp 489.7M

-3.27%

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

$65.2 MX$1,124

$66.0 Rp 1.2M

-1.21%

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

$30.09 MX$519

$4.50 Rp 79.7K

568.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$641

$19.18 Rp 339.7K

93.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,030

$5.56 Rp 98.5K

974.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$458

$7.56 Rp 133.9K

251.19%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$2.52 Rp 44.6K

179.37%

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

$465 MX$8,012

$105 Rp 1.9M

342.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.9K

$8,638 Rp 152.9M

53.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,308

$44.06 Rp 780.2K

72.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$965

$31.24 Rp 553.2K

79.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,929

$80.6 Rp 1.4M

38.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,078

$78.0 Rp 1.4M

54.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$245 Rp 4.3M

349.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$134 Rp 2.4M

439.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$588 Rp 10.4M

330.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$407 Rp 7.2M

217.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.8K

$1,299 Rp 23.0M

207.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

$681 Rp 12.1M

206.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

9.46

19.45%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Palangkaraya: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $245 in Palangkaraya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $14.00 in Palangkaraya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $187 per month, with Palangkaraya 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 Palangkaraya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Palangkaraya differ by about 169% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $618 including rent). Palangkaraya is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,489 in Mexico City and $926 in Palangkaraya to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $245 in Palangkaraya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $105 in Palangkaraya. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Palangkaraya – a meal for two runs $14.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $618 in Palangkaraya versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Palangkaraya but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Palangkaraya 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 Palangkaraya gentler on the wallet – expenses run 169% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.