Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Purwokerto

For one person, living is cheaper in Purwokerto: $497 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mexico City, Mexico
Purwokerto, Indonesia
Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,608
/mo nomad
Purwokerto
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$497
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $497 in Purwokerto.

  • Mexico City $1,608
  • Purwokerto $497

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $824 in Purwokerto.

  • Mexico City $2,549
  • Purwokerto $824

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $1,151 in Purwokerto.

  • Mexico City $3,490
  • Purwokerto $1,151

Living in Mexico City is roughly 224% more expensive than in Purwokerto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 18% above, Purwokerto is 64% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mexico City
Purwokerto
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.62 MX$200
$1.23 Rp 22.2K
763.41%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$48.35 MX$909
$8.31 Rp 150.7K
481.83%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.35 MX$194
$3.23 Rp 58.6K
220.43%
Cappuccino
$3.69 MX$69.4
$1.34 Rp 24.4K
175.37%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.67 MX$31.32
$0.41 Rp 7,357
307.32%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.27 MX$23.78
$0.18 Rp 3,263
605.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.19 MX$60.0
$2.20 Rp 39.8K
45.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.31 MX$99.7
$3.01 Rp 54.6K
76.41%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
Purwokerto
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.72 MX$32.41
$1.07 Rp 19.4K
60.75%
White Bread (500g)
$3.04 MX$57.1
$0.79 Rp 14.3K
284.81%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.48
$0.81 Rp 14.7K
139.51%
Eggs
$2.89 MX$54.3
$1.47 Rp 26.7K
96.60%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.97 MX$206
$7.02 Rp 127.3K
56.27%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.25 MX$174
$2.81 Rp 51.0K
229.18%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.13 MX$284
$7.04 Rp 127.7K
114.91%
Apples (1kg)
$3.05 MX$57.3
$2.21 Rp 40.2K
38.01%
Banana (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.48
$1.09 Rp 19.7K
77.98%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.03 MX$38.06
$1.51 Rp 27.4K
34.44%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.31 MX$43.50
$0.87 Rp 15.9K
165.52%
Potato (1kg)
$2.04 MX$38.25
$1.07 Rp 19.4K
90.65%
Onion (1kg)
$1.80 MX$33.83
$1.90 Rp 34.5K
-5.26%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.48 MX$27.80
$0.65 Rp 11.8K
127.69%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 MX$23.82
$0.34 Rp 6,195
273.53%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.30 MX$99.7
$2.36 Rp 42.9K
124.58%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.10 MX$303
$21.23 Rp 385.0K
-24.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.98 MX$37.27
$1.81 Rp 32.9K
9.39%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.25 MX$79.9
$3.15 Rp 57.1K
34.92%
🚌 Getting Around
Mexico City
Purwokerto
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.31 MX$5.73
$0.20 Rp 3,621
55.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.73 MX$371
$11.72 Rp 212.5K
68.34%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.84 MX$34.53
$0.52 Rp 9,378
253.85%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 MX$10.03
$0.34 Rp 6,210
55.88%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.30 MX$99.5
$2.32 Rp 42.1K
128.45%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.51 MX$28.39
$0.89 Rp 16.1K
69.66%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.8K MX$408.8K
$20.9K Rp 378.5M
4.25%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.0K MX$450.8K
$32.2K Rp 584.6M
-25.58%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
Purwokerto
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$63.0 MX$1,184
$33.11 Rp 600.6K
90.21%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$27.39 MX$515
$2.72 Rp 49.4K
906.99%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$35.67 MX$670
$19.01 Rp 344.7K
87.64%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
Purwokerto
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$58.9 MX$1,108
$19.64 Rp 356.2K
200.10%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.64 MX$444
$10.88 Rp 197.3K
117.28%
Cinema Ticket
$6.40 MX$120
$2.53 Rp 45.9K
152.96%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mexico City
Purwokerto
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$432 MX$8,111
$92.9 Rp 1.7M
364.67%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.4K MX$214.7K
$7,053 Rp 127.9M
61.97%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
Purwokerto
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$68.2 MX$1,282
$38.47 Rp 697.8K
77.33%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$53.1 MX$999
$30.86 Rp 559.8K
72.16%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 MX$2,026
$72.4 Rp 1.3M
48.95%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$117 MX$2,204
$68.8 Rp 1.2M
70.43%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
Purwokerto
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,113 MX$20.9K
$140 Rp 2.5M
695.77%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$710 MX$13.4K
$69.1 Rp 1.3M
928.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,588 MX$48.6K
$584 Rp 10.6M
342.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,406 MX$26.4K
$250 Rp 4.5M
463.48%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,631 MX$68.2K
$1,376 Rp 25.0M
163.82%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,135 MX$40.1K
$272 Rp 4.9M
684.41%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mexico City
Purwokerto
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$946 MX$17.8K
$117 Rp 2.1M
706.05%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.35
8.45
34.32%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Purwokerto: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
$710
Purwokerto
$69 90.3% $641
Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
$320
Purwokerto
$184 42.6% $136
Eating Out
Mexico City
$199
Purwokerto
$55 72.3% $144
Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
$156
Purwokerto
$95 39.2% $61
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
$126
Purwokerto
$55 56.5% $71
Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
$72
Purwokerto
$25 65.6% $47
Getting Around
Mexico City
$25
Purwokerto
$15 42.1% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Mexico City and $140 in Purwokerto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays about 8.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $48 in Mexico City vs $8 in Purwokerto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $184 per month, with Purwokerto cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🇮🇩 Purwokerto
🕒 Local time
06:30 6:30 AM
19:30 7:30 PM
13 h ahead of Mexico City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,209,944 Capital
292,782
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.97 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18,138 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,241 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mexico City Purwokerto 16,680 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mexico City
  • Purwokerto

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 Purwokerto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Mexico City and in Purwokerto?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,608 in Mexico City and $497 in Purwokerto, so Purwokerto is about 69% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Mexico City or Purwokerto?
Average pay in Mexico City is about 8.1 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Mexico City and in Purwokerto?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,113 in Mexico City versus $140 in Purwokerto. 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 Purwokerto?
A monthly transit pass in Purwokerto runs roughly 41% 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 Purwokerto?
Childcare runs $432 in Mexico City versus $93 in Purwokerto. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
At $497 in Purwokerto versus $1,608 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Purwokerto but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Purwokerto the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Mexico City and Purwokerto?
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 Purwokerto?
Expats usually find Purwokerto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 69% 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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