Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Palangkaraya

For one person, living is cheaper in Palangkaraya: $618 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $11,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mexico City, Mexico
Palangkaraya, Indonesia
Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,608
/mo nomad
Palangkaraya
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$618
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $618 in Palangkaraya.

  • Mexico City $1,608
  • Palangkaraya $618

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $1,012 in Palangkaraya.

  • Mexico City $2,549
  • Palangkaraya $1,012

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $1,406 in Palangkaraya.

  • Mexico City $3,490
  • Palangkaraya $1,406

Living in Mexico City is roughly 160% more expensive than in Palangkaraya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 18% above, Palangkaraya is 55% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mexico City
Palangkaraya
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.62 MX$197
$1.41 Rp 25.6K
653.19%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$48.35 MX$898
$13.87 Rp 252.0K
248.59%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.35 MX$192
$3.59 Rp 65.2K
188.30%
Cappuccino
$3.69 MX$68.5
$1.55 Rp 28.1K
138.06%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.67 MX$30.95
$0.46 Rp 8,357
263.04%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.27 MX$23.50
$0.22 Rp 4,085
477.27%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.19 MX$59.3
$2.14 Rp 38.8K
49.07%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.31 MX$98.6
$3.47 Rp 63.0K
53.03%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
Palangkaraya
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.72 MX$32.03
$1.18 Rp 21.5K
45.76%
White Bread (500g)
$3.04 MX$56.5
$1.09 Rp 19.7K
178.90%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.05
$0.85 Rp 15.5K
128.24%
Eggs
$2.89 MX$53.6
$1.45 Rp 26.3K
99.31%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.97 MX$204
$7.07 Rp 128.3K
55.16%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.25 MX$172
$2.13 Rp 38.6K
334.27%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.13 MX$281
$6.56 Rp 119.2K
130.64%
Apples (1kg)
$3.05 MX$56.6
$2.14 Rp 38.8K
42.52%
Banana (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.05
$1.65 Rp 30.0K
17.58%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.03 MX$37.61
$1.54 Rp 28.0K
31.82%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.31 MX$42.99
$0.99 Rp 17.9K
133.33%
Potato (1kg)
$2.04 MX$37.79
$1.20 Rp 21.7K
70.00%
Onion (1kg)
$1.80 MX$33.43
$1.98 Rp 35.9K
-9.09%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.48 MX$27.47
$0.87 Rp 15.7K
70.11%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 MX$23.54
$0.41 Rp 7,428
209.76%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.30 MX$98.5
$2.57 Rp 46.6K
106.23%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.10 MX$299
$23.47 Rp 426.3K
-31.40%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.98 MX$36.83
$1.92 Rp 34.8K
3.13%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.25 MX$79.0
$3.06 Rp 55.7K
38.89%
🚌 Getting Around
Mexico City
Palangkaraya
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.31 MX$5.67
$0.21 Rp 3,758
47.62%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.73 MX$367
$13.19 Rp 239.6K
49.58%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.84 MX$34.13
$0.58 Rp 10.6K
217.24%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 MX$9.91
$0.34 Rp 6,129
55.88%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.30 MX$98.3
$2.77 Rp 50.4K
91.34%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.51 MX$28.05
$0.63 Rp 11.5K
139.68%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.8K MX$404.0K
$20.4K Rp 370.3M
6.68%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.0K MX$445.4K
$32.3K Rp 587.5M
-25.85%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
Palangkaraya
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$63.0 MX$1,170
$69.4 Rp 1.3M
-9.29%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$27.39 MX$509
$4.19 Rp 76.0K
553.70%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$35.67 MX$662
$18.78 Rp 341.0K
89.94%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
Palangkaraya
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$58.9 MX$1,095
$5.49 Rp 99.7K
973.59%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.64 MX$439
$9.37 Rp 170.2K
152.29%
Cinema Ticket
$6.40 MX$119
$2.79 Rp 50.7K
129.39%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mexico City
Palangkaraya
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$432 MX$8,015
$105 Rp 1.9M
309.83%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.4K MX$212.1K
$7,652 Rp 139.0M
49.29%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
Palangkaraya
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$68.2 MX$1,267
$46.45 Rp 843.5K
46.87%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$53.1 MX$987
$29.61 Rp 537.7K
79.43%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 MX$2,002
$70.1 Rp 1.3M
53.73%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$117 MX$2,178
$80.0 Rp 1.5M
46.59%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
Palangkaraya
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,113 MX$20.7K
$217 Rp 3.9M
413.60%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$710 MX$13.2K
$142 Rp 2.6M
400.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,588 MX$48.1K
$495 Rp 9.0M
422.79%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,406 MX$26.1K
$417 Rp 7.6M
237.27%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,631 MX$67.4K
$1,081 Rp 19.6M
235.94%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,135 MX$39.6K
$859 Rp 15.6M
148.42%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mexico City
Palangkaraya
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$946 MX$17.6K
-
-
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 Palangkaraya: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
$710
Palangkaraya
$142 80% $568
Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
$320
Palangkaraya
$194 39.4% $126
Eating Out
Mexico City
$199
Palangkaraya
$61 69.3% $138
Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
$156
Palangkaraya
$102 34.7% $54
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
$126
Palangkaraya
$92 26.7% $34
Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
$72
Palangkaraya
$11 84.6% $61
Getting Around
Mexico City
$25
Palangkaraya
$16 36% $9.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Mexico City and $217 in Palangkaraya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48 in Mexico City vs $14 in Palangkaraya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $194 per month, with Palangkaraya cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🇮🇩 Palangkaraya
🕒 Local time
18:10 6:10 PM
07:10 7:10 AM
13 h ahead of Mexico City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,209,944 Capital
220,962
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.57 MXN (100 MXN = 5.38 USD). 1 EUR = 20.81 MXN (100 MXN = 4.8 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18,161 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,355 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.91 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mexico City Palangkaraya 15,940 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mexico City
  • Palangkaraya

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 Palangkaraya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Mexico City and in Palangkaraya?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,608 in Mexico City and $618 in Palangkaraya, so Palangkaraya is about 62% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Mexico City compared to Palangkaraya?
You’d need roughly $2,412 in Mexico City and $927 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Mexico City and in Palangkaraya?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,113 in Mexico City versus $217 in Palangkaraya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do commuting costs compare in Mexico City and in Palangkaraya?
A monthly transit pass in Palangkaraya runs roughly 33% less than in Mexico City. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Mexico City and Palangkaraya?
Childcare runs $432 in Mexico City versus $105 in Palangkaraya. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city is more doable on $800 per month?
At $618 in Palangkaraya versus $1,608 in Mexico City, a $800 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.
How does quality of life compare between Mexico City and Palangkaraya?
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 Palangkaraya?
Expats usually find Palangkaraya 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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