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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $788 in Tangerang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,285 in Tangerang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,783 in Tangerang.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 86% more expensive than Tangerang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Tangerang is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$1.53 Rp 27.3K

761.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$18.64 Rp 332.9K

189.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$3.44 Rp 61.4K

173.84%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$1.71 Rp 30.5K

107.60%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$0.56 Rp 9,957

189.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.28 Rp 5,047

296.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$2.71 Rp 48.5K

15.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$3.62 Rp 64.7K

27.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.23 Rp 21.9K

38.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$1.10 Rp 19.6K

147.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$0.87 Rp 15.5K

119.54%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$1.52 Rp 27.1K

67.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$9.36 Rp 167.1K

7.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$3.24 Rp 57.9K

149.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$7.90 Rp 141.1K

47.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$2.76 Rp 49.2K

7.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.49 Rp 26.5K

21.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$2.20 Rp 39.3K

-8.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$1.49 Rp 26.7K

36.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$1.47 Rp 26.3K

44.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$2.61 Rp 46.6K

-13.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$1.01 Rp 18.1K

38.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.46 Rp 8,203

145.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$2.72 Rp 48.5K

56.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$21.08 Rp 376.4K

-26.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$2.22 Rp 39.7K

-20.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$3.22 Rp 57.5K

11.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.30 Rp 5,298

26.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$8.13 Rp 145.2K

135.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$0.57 Rp 10.1K

142.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.46 Rp 8,234

-39.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$2.59 Rp 46.2K

110.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$0.80 Rp 14.2K

62.50%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$30.7K Rp 548.5M

-39.16%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$27.6K Rp 492.0M

-16.05%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$91.9 Rp 1.6M

-55.55%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$4.70 Rp 84.0K

470.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$22.59 Rp 403.3K

32.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$19.73 Rp 352.3K

163.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$11.60 Rp 207.2K

131.38%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$3.09 Rp 55.2K

103.88%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$104 Rp 1.9M

320.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$8,016 Rp 143.2M

29.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$41.36 Rp 738.7K

36.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$30.67 Rp 547.8K

44.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$70.4 Rp 1.3M

46.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$78.3 Rp 1.4M

34.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$497 Rp 8.9M

105.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$250 Rp 4.5M

152.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$1,061 Rp 18.9M

101.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$642 Rp 11.5M

93.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$1,320 Rp 23.6M

195.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$514 Rp 9.2M

301.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$280 Rp 5.0M

298.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

9.59

18.25%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Tangerang: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $497 in Tangerang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 298% 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 $19.00 in Tangerang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $219 per month, with Tangerang 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 Tangerang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Tangerang differ by about 86% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $788 including rent). Tangerang is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 298% 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $497 in Tangerang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Tangerang runs roughly 136% 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 $104 in Tangerang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $788 in Tangerang versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tangerang but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Tangerang 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 Tangerang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 86% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.