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: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $628 in Tanjung Pandan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $996 in Tanjung Pandan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $1,363 in Tanjung Pandan.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 167% more expensive than in Tanjung Pandan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, Tanjung Pandan is 54% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$205

$1.65 Rp 29.1K

635.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$911

$14.06 Rp 247.6K

283.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$187

$3.42 Rp 60.2K

224.27%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.3

$1.55 Rp 27.2K

164.52%

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

$1.68 MX$28.44

$0.42 Rp 7,461

300.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.47

$0.23 Rp 4,026

504.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.3

$2.21 Rp 38.9K

50.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.4

$3.36 Rp 59.2K

75.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.30

$1.17 Rp 20.7K

58.12%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.6

$1.06 Rp 18.7K

199.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.01

$0.88 Rp 15.5K

135.23%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.51

$1.50 Rp 26.4K

95.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$213

$7.34 Rp 129.3K

71.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$3.06 Rp 53.8K

230.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$272

$7.88 Rp 138.9K

104.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.3

$2.20 Rp 38.8K

54.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.14

$1.33 Rp 23.4K

56.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.85

$1.70 Rp 30.0K

24.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.82

$1.23 Rp 21.7K

95.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.00

$1.27 Rp 22.3K

67.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$33.90

$2.00 Rp 35.2K

0.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.13

$0.77 Rp 13.5K

101.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.08

$0.43 Rp 7,621

216.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.5

$2.76 Rp 48.7K

109.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$300

$20.57 Rp 362.3K

-13.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.00

$1.85 Rp 32.7K

11.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.0

$2.96 Rp 52.2K

55.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.19

$0.29 Rp 5,118

27.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$358

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.73

$0.52 Rp 9,181

294.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.75

$0.35 Rp 6,198

65.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$2.83 Rp 49.9K

114.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.25

$0.81 Rp 14.3K

91.36%

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

$22.9K MX$386.8K

$23.3K Rp 410.6M

-1.87%

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

$27.2K MX$460.5K

$30.6K Rp 538.8M

-10.97%

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

$67.4 MX$1,140

$67.8 Rp 1.2M

-0.63%

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

$30.62 MX$518

$4.35 Rp 76.5K

603.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$630

$19.53 Rp 344.0K

90.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,039

$20.04 Rp 353.0K

206.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$459

$8.59 Rp 151.2K

215.72%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$120

$2.88 Rp 50.7K

146.88%

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

$456 MX$7,714

$97.0 Rp 1.7M

370.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$231.5K

$7,767 Rp 136.8M

76.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,255

$43.93 Rp 773.8K

68.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$964

$29.70 Rp 523.2K

91.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,951

$72.5 Rp 1.3M

59.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,055

$72.5 Rp 1.3M

67.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.4K

$223 Rp 3.9M

415.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$157 Rp 2.8M

351.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.6K

$557 Rp 9.8M

362.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$21.9K

$363 Rp 6.4M

256.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.7K

$1,198 Rp 21.1M

234.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.0K

$660 Rp 11.6M

222.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

9.46

19.45%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Tanjung Pandan: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $223 in Tanjung Pandan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $14.00 in Tanjung Pandan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $197 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 167% in total monthly costs ($1,677 vs $628 including rent). Tanjung Pandan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,515 in Mexico City and $942 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: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $223 in Tanjung Pandan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $456 in Mexico City versus $97.0 in Tanjung Pandan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tanjung Pandan – a meal for two runs $14.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $628 in Tanjung Pandan versus $1,677 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 167% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.