Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Tanjung Balai Karimun Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Tanjung Balai Karimun

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $671 in Tanjung Balai Karimun.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,017 in Tanjung Balai Karimun.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $1,363 in Tanjung Balai Karimun.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 121% more expensive than Tanjung Balai Karimun, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Tanjung Balai Karimun is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$1.55 Rp 26.9K

737.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$12.13 Rp 210.2K

337.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$3.40 Rp 59.0K

185.88%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$1.71 Rp 29.6K

119.30%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$0.55 Rp 9,572

185.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.28 Rp 4,873

303.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$2.43 Rp 42.1K

30.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$3.51 Rp 60.9K

32.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$1.18 Rp 20.4K

37.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$1.17 Rp 20.2K

131.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$0.88 Rp 15.3K

113.64%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$1.52 Rp 26.4K

65.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$8.21 Rp 142.3K

22.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$3.13 Rp 54.3K

164.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$8.10 Rp 140.4K

47.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$2.37 Rp 41.1K

20.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$1.45 Rp 25.1K

20.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$1.86 Rp 32.3K

11.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$1.51 Rp 26.2K

30.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$1.32 Rp 23.0K

63.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$1.95 Rp 33.9K

11.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$0.97 Rp 16.8K

43.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$0.44 Rp 7,669

154.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$2.45 Rp 42.5K

71.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$25.13 Rp 435.5K

-43.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$2.01 Rp 34.9K

-12.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$3.06 Rp 53.0K

20.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.30 Rp 5,116

30.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

$9.99 Rp 173.2K

86.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$0.57 Rp 9,881

143.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$0.38 Rp 6,505

-21.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$2.99 Rp 51.8K

81.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$0.77 Rp 13.3K

75.32%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$24.1K Rp 417.7M

-21.65%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$27.6K Rp 478.5M

-16.14%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$70.3 Rp 1.2M

-41.92%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$4.41 Rp 76.5K

523.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$22.53 Rp 390.5K

34.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$22.73 Rp 394.0K

135.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

$6.19 Rp 107.3K

324.88%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$2.99 Rp 51.8K

109.70%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$93.9 Rp 1.6M

364.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$7,730 Rp 134.0M

35.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$41.13 Rp 712.9K

38.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$30.51 Rp 528.8K

46.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$66.9 Rp 1.2M

53.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$73.8 Rp 1.3M

46.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$263 Rp 4.6M

279.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$158 Rp 2.7M

292.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$587 Rp 10.2M

263.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$338 Rp 5.9M

265.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$1,221 Rp 21.2M

216.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$771 Rp 13.4M

202.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

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 Tanjung Balai Karimun: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $263 in Tanjung Balai Karimun. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $12.00 in Tanjung Balai Karimun for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $217 per month, with Tanjung Balai Karimun 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 Tanjung Balai Karimun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Tanjung Balai Karimun differ by about 121% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $671 including rent). Tanjung Balai Karimun is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,225 in Mexico City and $1,006 in Tanjung Balai Karimun 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $263 in Tanjung Balai Karimun. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Tanjung Balai Karimun runs roughly 87% 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 $93.9 in Tanjung Balai Karimun. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $671 in Tanjung Balai Karimun versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tanjung Balai Karimun but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Tanjung Balai Karimun 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 Tanjung Balai Karimun gentler on the wallet – expenses run 121% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.