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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $702 in Surabaya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,117 in Surabaya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $1,532 in Surabaya.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 107% more expensive than in Surabaya, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Surabaya is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$1.58 Rp 28.4K

727.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$12.11 Rp 217.6K

343.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$3.05 Rp 54.9K

217.38%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$1.80 Rp 32.4K

107.78%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$0.64 Rp 11.5K

153.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.28 Rp 5,048

314.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$2.40 Rp 43.2K

34.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$4.09 Rp 73.5K

15.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.38 Rp 24.7K

19.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$1.50 Rp 26.9K

83.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$0.94 Rp 17.0K

98.94%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$1.50 Rp 26.9K

66.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$9.24 Rp 166.1K

10.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$3.19 Rp 57.3K

158.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$8.13 Rp 146.0K

45.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$2.41 Rp 43.3K

24.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.56 Rp 28.1K

16.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$2.20 Rp 39.5K

-9.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$1.50 Rp 27.0K

33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$1.33 Rp 23.8K

56.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$1.73 Rp 31.1K

31.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$1.19 Rp 21.4K

22.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.45 Rp 8,091

140.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$2.45 Rp 44.1K

77.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$25.13 Rp 451.6K

-32.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$1.86 Rp 33.5K

-6.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$3.31 Rp 59.5K

8.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.44 Rp 7,860

-11.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$9.48 Rp 170.4K

97.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$0.48 Rp 8,592

177.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$0.31 Rp 5,615

-9.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

92.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$0.86 Rp 15.4K

55.81%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$20.5K Rp 368.6M

-5.37%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$35.0K Rp 629.7M

-31.99%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$83.0 Rp 1.5M

-50.95%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$4.31 Rp 77.5K

523.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$19.61 Rp 352.5K

55.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$21.82 Rp 392.2K

141.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$4.59 Rp 82.6K

480.61%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$2.87 Rp 51.7K

126.83%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$186 Rp 3.3M

130.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$9,556 Rp 171.7M

9.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$62.9 Rp 1.1M

-8.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$38.85 Rp 698.2K

17.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$77.8 Rp 1.4M

33.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$83.1 Rp 1.5M

29.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$244 Rp 4.4M

310.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$136 Rp 2.4M

358.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$792 Rp 14.2M

166.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$399 Rp 7.2M

205.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$2,202 Rp 39.6M

76.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$1,045 Rp 18.8M

94.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$269 Rp 4.8M

285.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

8.33

36.13%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Surabaya: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $244 in Surabaya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 286% 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $12.00 in Surabaya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $228 per month, with Surabaya 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 Surabaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Surabaya differ by about 107% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $702 including rent). Surabaya is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 286% higher in Mexico City, 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $244 in Surabaya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Surabaya runs roughly 97% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $186 in Surabaya. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $702 in Surabaya versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Surabaya but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Surabaya 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 Surabaya gentler on the wallet – expenses run 107% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.