Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Tanjung Pandan Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Tanjung Pandan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,481 in Mexico City versus $678 in Tanjung Pandan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,352 in Mexico City versus $1,039 in Tanjung Pandan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,222 in Mexico City versus $1,400 in Tanjung Pandan.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 119% more expensive than in Tanjung Pandan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Tanjung Pandan is 49% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.16 MX$230

$1.50 Rp 26.8K

777.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.6 MX$937

$12.44 Rp 223.1K

330.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.55 MX$167

$3.40 Rp 61.0K

180.88%

Cappuccino

$3.72 MX$65.1

$1.67 Rp 29.9K

122.75%

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

$1.57 MX$27.42

$0.55 Rp 9,928

185.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.22

$0.28 Rp 5,075

314.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$2.52 Rp 45.2K

26.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$81.1

$3.62 Rp 65.0K

27.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.83

$1.23 Rp 22.0K

39.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.62 MX$45.77

$1.13 Rp 20.3K

131.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 MX$33.04

$0.92 Rp 16.6K

105.43%

Eggs

$2.60 MX$45.40

$1.53 Rp 27.4K

69.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.91 MX$173

$8.20 Rp 147.0K

20.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.22 MX$144

$3.07 Rp 55.1K

167.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.78 MX$206

$7.68 Rp 137.7K

53.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.00 MX$52.4

$2.28 Rp 41.0K

31.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 MX$31.48

$1.50 Rp 26.8K

20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 MX$36.27

$1.87 Rp 33.5K

10.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.41

$1.56 Rp 27.9K

26.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 MX$36.24

$1.33 Rp 23.9K

55.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$38.04

$1.96 Rp 35.2K

10.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.54

$0.89 Rp 16.0K

57.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.80

$0.41 Rp 7,387

160.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 MX$72.0

$2.45 Rp 44.0K

68.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.42 MX$305

$20.83 Rp 373.7K

-16.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.31

$2.12 Rp 38.1K

-20.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 MX$63.8

$3.10 Rp 55.7K

17.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.65

$0.30 Rp 5,323

26.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.71 MX$327

$10.01 Rp 179.5K

86.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.25

$0.52 Rp 9,401

155.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.30

$0.34 Rp 6,148

-11.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.51 MX$96.4

$2.86 Rp 51.4K

92.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.84

$0.82 Rp 14.6K

59.76%

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

$19.2K MX$335.3K

$24.2K Rp 433.5M

-20.69%

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

$23.7K MX$415.4K

$27.7K Rp 496.8M

-14.26%

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

$41.14 MX$720

$70.0 Rp 1.3M

-41.24%

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

$27.74 MX$485

$4.37 Rp 78.4K

534.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.13 MX$527

$22.52 Rp 403.9K

33.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.7 MX$940

$22.74 Rp 407.8K

136.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.98 MX$454

$6.25 Rp 112.1K

315.68%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 MX$114

$3.11 Rp 55.7K

108.68%

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

$437 MX$7,638

$94.1 Rp 1.7M

363.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.9K

$7,609 Rp 136.5M

37.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,020

$42.32 Rp 758.9K

37.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.86 MX$802

$31.28 Rp 561.0K

46.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MX$1,775

$65.8 Rp 1.2M

54.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 MX$1,863

$73.4 Rp 1.3M

45.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,005 MX$17.6K

$254 Rp 4.6M

295.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$634 MX$11.1K

$157 Rp 2.8M

303.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,148 MX$37.6K

$595 Rp 10.7M

260.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,247 MX$21.8K

$337 Rp 6.0M

270.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,859 MX$67.5K

$1,323 Rp 23.7M

191.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,085 MX$36.5K

$674 Rp 12.1M

209.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,072 MX$18.8K

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: July 22, 2026

Last update for Tanjung Pandan: July 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,005 in Mexico City and $254 in Tanjung Pandan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $12.00 in Tanjung Pandan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $207 per month, with Tanjung Pandan 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 Pandan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Tanjung Pandan differ by about 119% in total monthly costs ($1,481 vs $678 including rent). Tanjung Pandan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,222 in Mexico City and $1,016 in Tanjung Pandan 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: $1,005 in Mexico City versus $254 in Tanjung Pandan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Tanjung Pandan 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 $437 in Mexico City versus $94.1 in Tanjung Pandan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $678 in Tanjung Pandan versus $1,481 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tanjung Pandan but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Tanjung Pandan 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 Pandan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 119% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.