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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $654 in Timika.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,006 in Timika.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $1,359 in Timika.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 125% more expensive than in Timika, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Timika is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$229

$1.55 Rp 28.1K

747.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$934

$12.09 Rp 218.5K

342.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$163

$3.32 Rp 60.1K

181.02%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.5

$1.65 Rp 29.8K

124.24%

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

$1.60 MX$27.98

$0.51 Rp 9,212

213.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.49

$0.28 Rp 5,125

300.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$2.40 Rp 43.4K

30.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$84.5

$3.54 Rp 64.0K

37.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.84

$1.18 Rp 21.3K

39.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.34

$1.17 Rp 21.2K

131.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.29

$0.93 Rp 16.8K

105.38%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$45.17

$1.58 Rp 28.5K

63.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$171

$7.97 Rp 144.2K

23.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$3.14 Rp 56.8K

168.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$208

$7.82 Rp 141.3K

52.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.5

$2.37 Rp 42.9K

24.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.35

$1.51 Rp 27.3K

15.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.66

$1.80 Rp 32.6K

13.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.93

$1.55 Rp 28.0K

32.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.49

$1.38 Rp 24.9K

55.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.33

$1.91 Rp 34.5K

18.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.17

$0.90 Rp 16.3K

54.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.47

$0.45 Rp 8,091

148.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.6

$2.46 Rp 44.4K

71.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$305

$19.41 Rp 351.0K

-9.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.82

$2.11 Rp 38.1K

-18.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$63.4

$3.06 Rp 55.4K

18.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.15

$0.30 Rp 5,365

16.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$337

$9.72 Rp 175.8K

98.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$24.00

$0.57 Rp 10.2K

142.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.81

$0.37 Rp 6,779

-24.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$92.0

$2.90 Rp 52.4K

82.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.69

$0.83 Rp 15.1K

63.86%

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

$19.1K MX$333.2K

$24.6K Rp 444.8M

-22.35%

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

$23.6K MX$411.7K

$28.0K Rp 506.2M

-15.67%

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

$40.53 MX$707

$69.6 Rp 1.3M

-41.75%

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

$27.38 MX$478

$4.34 Rp 78.5K

530.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$530

$22.55 Rp 407.8K

34.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$911

$23.18 Rp 419.2K

125.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$462

$6.20 Rp 112.1K

327.10%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$108

$3.02 Rp 54.6K

104.97%

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

$425 MX$7,414

$93.3 Rp 1.7M

355.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$187.2K

$7,621 Rp 137.8M

40.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,017

$41.17 Rp 744.4K

41.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$777

$30.46 Rp 550.7K

46.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,805

$67.2 Rp 1.2M

53.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,897

$72.5 Rp 1.3M

50.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.7K

$260 Rp 4.7M

290.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

$158 Rp 2.9M

293.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$37.0K

$594 Rp 10.7M

257.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.3K

$332 Rp 6.0M

268.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$66.1K

$1,194 Rp 21.6M

217.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.8K

$709 Rp 12.8M

197.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.4K

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 25, 2026

Last update for Timika: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $260 in Timika. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $12.00 in Timika for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $205 per month, with Timika 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 Timika: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Timika differ by about 125% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $654 including rent). Timika is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,208 in Mexico City and $982 in Timika 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: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $260 in Timika. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Timika runs roughly 99% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $93.3 in Timika. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $654 in Timika versus $1,472 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Timika but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Timika 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 Timika gentler on the wallet – expenses run 125% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.