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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $693 in Samarinda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,065 in Samarinda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $1,438 in Samarinda.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 114% more expensive than Samarinda, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Samarinda is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$1.57 Rp 27.2K

726.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$12.53 Rp 217.1K

323.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$5.74 Rp 99.5K

69.34%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$1.73 Rp 30.1K

116.76%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$0.53 Rp 9,257

196.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.38 Rp 6,593

197.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$2.49 Rp 43.2K

27.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$3.51 Rp 60.8K

32.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$1.22 Rp 21.2K

32.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$0.99 Rp 17.1K

173.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$0.79 Rp 13.6K

137.97%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$1.53 Rp 26.5K

64.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$8.04 Rp 139.4K

25.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$3.98 Rp 69.0K

108.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$10.79 Rp 187.1K

10.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$5.64 Rp 97.8K

-49.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$1.22 Rp 21.1K

43.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$1.20 Rp 20.8K

73.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$1.57 Rp 27.2K

25.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$1.44 Rp 25.0K

50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$1.98 Rp 34.3K

10.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$0.95 Rp 16.4K

46.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$0.61 Rp 10.5K

83.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$2.18 Rp 37.7K

92.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$21.90 Rp 379.6K

-34.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$2.05 Rp 35.5K

-14.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$3.12 Rp 54.0K

17.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.32 Rp 5,575

21.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

$9.65 Rp 167.2K

93.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$0.89 Rp 15.4K

56.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$0.35 Rp 6,051

-14.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$2.84 Rp 49.2K

90.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$0.59 Rp 10.3K

128.81%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$24.3K Rp 421.9M

-22.42%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$27.5K Rp 476.0M

-15.69%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$69.3 Rp 1.2M

-41.07%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$4.18 Rp 72.4K

557.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$22.79 Rp 395.0K

33.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$23.00 Rp 398.7K

132.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

$5.97 Rp 103.5K

340.54%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$3.11 Rp 53.9K

101.61%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$92.0 Rp 1.6M

373.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$7,437 Rp 128.9M

40.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$42.08 Rp 729.3K

34.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$30.65 Rp 531.2K

46.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$66.5 Rp 1.2M

54.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$74.3 Rp 1.3M

45.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$262 Rp 4.5M

282.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$156 Rp 2.7M

296.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$584 Rp 10.1M

265.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$329 Rp 5.7M

275.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$1,140 Rp 19.8M

239.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$877 Rp 15.2M

165.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

$343 Rp 5.9M

211.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

9.15

23.93%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Last update for Samarinda: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $262 in Samarinda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 211% 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: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $13.00 in Samarinda for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $236 per month, with Samarinda 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 Samarinda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Samarinda differ by about 114% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $693 including rent). Samarinda is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 211% 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $262 in Samarinda. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Samarinda runs roughly 93% 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 $92.0 in Samarinda. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $693 in Samarinda versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Samarinda but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Samarinda 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 Samarinda gentler on the wallet – expenses run 114% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.