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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $645 in Sidoarjo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $987 in Sidoarjo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $1,329 in Sidoarjo.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 157% more expensive than in Sidoarjo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Sidoarjo is 53% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$206

$1.66 Rp 29.3K

618.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$890

$11.30 Rp 200.1K

356.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$3.26 Rp 57.7K

250.00%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.9

$0.55 Rp 9,770

625.45%

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

$1.66 MX$28.61

$0.46 Rp 8,157

260.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.87

$0.26 Rp 4,571

411.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.9

$2.22 Rp 39.3K

56.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$4.13 Rp 73.2K

42.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.36

$1.22 Rp 21.7K

54.10%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$1.03 Rp 18.3K

215.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.26

$0.85 Rp 15.0K

154.12%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.94

$1.22 Rp 21.6K

137.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$222

$7.99 Rp 141.5K

60.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$1.99 Rp 35.2K

405.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$5.51 Rp 97.5K

187.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.8

$0.90 Rp 15.9K

265.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.60

$0.59 Rp 10.4K

240.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.93

$0.72 Rp 12.8K

205.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.63

$0.58 Rp 10.3K

306.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.43

$0.71 Rp 12.6K

188.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.79

$1.04 Rp 18.5K

82.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$0.29 Rp 5,159

455.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.09

$0.40 Rp 7,170

250.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.2

$1.92 Rp 34.0K

184.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$25.00 Rp 442.7K

-29.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.44

$1.69 Rp 29.9K

21.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.8

$2.97 Rp 52.5K

57.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.84

$0.31 Rp 5,437

9.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$359

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.15

$0.45 Rp 7,892

366.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.64

$0.38 Rp 6,794

47.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$1.15 Rp 20.3K

405.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$0.80 Rp 14.2K

101.25%

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

$22.8K MX$393.8K

$25.4K Rp 449.3M

-9.98%

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

$26.8K MX$461.2K

$32.9K Rp 581.7M

-18.57%

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

$65.2 MX$1,124

$86.9 Rp 1.5M

-24.95%

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

$30.09 MX$519

$4.81 Rp 85.2K

525.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$641

$11.28 Rp 199.7K

229.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,030

$18.85 Rp 333.8K

217.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$458

$8.75 Rp 155.0K

203.43%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$2.72 Rp 48.2K

158.82%

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

$465 MX$8,012

$95.8 Rp 1.7M

385.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.9K

$9,789 Rp 173.3M

35.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,308

$72.1 Rp 1.3M

5.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$965

$40.05 Rp 709.2K

39.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,929

$83.8 Rp 1.5M

33.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,078

$74.0 Rp 1.3M

62.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$229 Rp 4.1M

380.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$155 Rp 2.7M

366.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$569 Rp 10.1M

344.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$361 Rp 6.4M

258.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.8K

$1,212 Rp 21.5M

229.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

$677 Rp 12.0M

208.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

7.5

50.67%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Sidoarjo: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $229 in Sidoarjo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $11.00 in Sidoarjo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $170 per month, with Sidoarjo 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 Sidoarjo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Sidoarjo differ by about 157% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $645 including rent). Sidoarjo 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 $968 in Sidoarjo 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 $229 in Sidoarjo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $95.8 in Sidoarjo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Sidoarjo – a meal for two runs $11.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $645 in Sidoarjo versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sidoarjo but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Sidoarjo 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 Sidoarjo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 157% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.