Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Semarang

For one person, living is cheaper in Semarang: $593 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Semarang
Learn more

Semarang Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Semarang

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$593

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $593 in Semarang.

Mexico City $1,608
Semarang $593

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $938 in Semarang.

Mexico City $2,549
Semarang $938

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $1,282 in Semarang.

Mexico City $3,490
Semarang $1,282

Living in Mexico City is roughly 171% more expensive than in Semarang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 18% above, Semarang is 56% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$198

$1.34 Rp 24.4K

692.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$901

$10.53 Rp 191.4K

359.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$193

$3.04 Rp 55.4K

240.46%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$68.7

$1.28 Rp 23.2K

188.28%

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

$1.67 MX$31.05

$0.43 Rp 7,812

288.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.58

$0.16 Rp 2,848

693.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.5

$1.64 Rp 29.8K

94.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$98.9

$3.25 Rp 59.1K

63.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.13

$1.05 Rp 19.0K

63.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$56.6

$0.92 Rp 16.7K

230.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.17

$0.79 Rp 14.4K

145.57%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$53.8

$1.18 Rp 21.4K

144.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$204

$3.86 Rp 70.2K

184.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$172

$2.33 Rp 42.4K

297.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$282

$7.55 Rp 137.3K

100.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$56.8

$1.96 Rp 35.7K

55.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.17

$1.28 Rp 23.3K

51.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.73

$1.80 Rp 32.8K

12.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.12

$1.47 Rp 26.7K

57.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$37.91

$1.28 Rp 23.3K

59.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.53

$1.89 Rp 34.4K

-4.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.56

$0.93 Rp 17.0K

59.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.62

$0.40 Rp 7,362

217.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$98.8

$1.87 Rp 34.1K

183.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$300

$25.05 Rp 455.4K

-35.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$36.95

$1.64 Rp 29.8K

20.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.2

$1.95 Rp 35.4K

117.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.68

$0.21 Rp 3,818

47.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$368

$13.93 Rp 253.2K

41.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.23

$0.50 Rp 9,132

268.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.94

$0.29 Rp 5,334

82.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$98.7

$2.69 Rp 48.9K

97.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.14

$0.77 Rp 14.1K

96.10%

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

$21.8K MX$405.3K

$24.5K Rp 446.2M

-11.35%

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

$24.0K MX$446.9K

$32.2K Rp 585.8M

-25.54%

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

$63.0 MX$1,173

$86.1 Rp 1.6M

-26.88%

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

$27.39 MX$510

$2.67 Rp 48.5K

925.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$664

$18.96 Rp 344.8K

88.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,098

$20.30 Rp 369.1K

190.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$441

$4.49 Rp 81.6K

426.50%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$119

$2.25 Rp 40.9K

184.44%

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

$432 MX$8,041

$49.33 Rp 897.0K

774.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$212.8K

$2,076 Rp 37.7M

450.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,271

$34.61 Rp 629.4K

97.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$990

$29.31 Rp 532.9K

81.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,008

$56.4 Rp 1.0M

91.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,185

$38.07 Rp 692.2K

208.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.7K

$226 Rp 4.1M

392.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.2K

$136 Rp 2.5M

420.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.2K

$477 Rp 8.7M

442.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.2K

$380 Rp 6.9M

270.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$67.6K

$1,223 Rp 22.2M

196.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$39.8K

$833 Rp 15.2M

156.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.6K

$186 Rp 3.4M

409.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

8.82

28.68%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Semarang: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Semarang

$136 23% 80.8% $574

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Semarang

$184 31% 42.5% $136

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Semarang

$52 8.8% 73.7% $146

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Semarang

$71 12% 54.3% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Semarang

$108 18.2% 14.5% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Semarang

$25 4.2% 65.4% $47

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Semarang

$17 2.8% 34.2% $8.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Mexico City and $226 in Semarang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays about 5.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $48 in Mexico City vs $11 in Semarang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $184 per month, with Semarang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇮🇩 Semarang

🕒 Local time

18:13 6:13 PM

07:13 7:13 AM

13 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

1,555,984

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.63 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.74 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18,183 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20,242 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Semarang 16,540 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Semarang

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 Semarang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,608 in Mexico City and $593 in Semarang, so Semarang is about 63% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Mexico City is about 5.1 times higher, 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: $1,113 in Mexico City versus $226 in Semarang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Semarang runs roughly 29% less than in Mexico City. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $432 in Mexico City versus $49 in Semarang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $593 in Semarang versus $1,608 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Semarang but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Semarang 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 Semarang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 63% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.