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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $661 in Pontianak versus $1,466 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,020 in Pontianak versus $2,325 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,379 in Pontianak versus $3,184 in Mexico City.

Living in Pontianak costs roughly 55% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Pontianak is 51% below, Mexico City is 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.45 Rp 25.0K

$13.30 MX$231

-89.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.20 Rp 209.7K

$53.8 MX$932

-77.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.32 Rp 57.0K

$9.42 MX$163

-64.76%

Cappuccino

$1.67 Rp 28.7K

$3.59 MX$62.3

-53.48%

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

$0.51 Rp 8,849

$1.62 MX$28.13

-68.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 Rp 4,836

$1.12 MX$19.49

-75.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 Rp 53.6K

$3.25 MX$56.3

-4.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 Rp 41.2K

$4.65 MX$80.6

-48.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 Rp 20.2K

$1.64 MX$28.37

-28.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 Rp 20.3K

$2.65 MX$46.00

-55.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 Rp 15.9K

$1.96 MX$33.99

-52.55%

Eggs

$1.60 Rp 27.6K

$2.54 MX$44.08

-37.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.88 Rp 135.5K

$9.97 MX$173

-20.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.13 Rp 53.8K

$8.39 MX$145

-62.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.98 Rp 137.2K

$11.83 MX$205

-32.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.42 Rp 41.5K

$2.86 MX$49.62

-15.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 Rp 24.5K

$1.73 MX$30.05

-17.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 Rp 32.1K

$1.99 MX$34.50

-6.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 Rp 25.9K

$2.05 MX$35.51

-26.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 Rp 22.9K

$2.06 MX$35.64

-35.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 Rp 33.3K

$2.28 MX$39.54

-14.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 Rp 16.2K

$1.45 MX$25.05

-35.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 Rp 7,656

$1.09 MX$18.83

-58.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.80 Rp 30.9K

$4.27 MX$73.9

-57.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.63 Rp 388.8K

$14.67 MX$254

54.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 Rp 34.9K

$1.76 MX$30.58

15.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 Rp 55.7K

$3.57 MX$61.8

-9.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 Rp 5,080

$0.38 MX$6.67

-21.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.80 Rp 168.4K

$18.73 MX$325

-47.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.53 Rp 9,027

$1.39 MX$24.09

-61.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 Rp 6,379

$0.30 MX$5.26

23.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.88 Rp 49.5K

$5.41 MX$93.8

-46.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 Rp 14.4K

$1.34 MX$23.22

-37.31%

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

$24.3K Rp 417.5M

$18.9K MX$326.7K

28.88%

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

$27.8K Rp 477.2M

$23.2K MX$402.0K

19.70%

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

$70.1 Rp 1.2M

$40.30 MX$698

74.00%

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

$4.32 Rp 74.3K

$27.15 MX$471

-84.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.55 Rp 387.6K

$29.46 MX$510

-23.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.69 Rp 390.0K

$52.7 MX$914

-56.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.02 Rp 103.4K

$26.17 MX$454

-77.00%

Cinema Ticket

$3.01 Rp 51.7K

$6.18 MX$107

-51.29%

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

$92.2 Rp 1.6M

$441 MX$7,637

-79.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,613 Rp 130.8M

$10.7K MX$185.4K

-28.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.22 Rp 725.6K

$57.2 MX$992

-26.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.31 Rp 538.0K

$45.04 MX$781

-30.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.9 Rp 1.2M

$103 MX$1,793

-34.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.8 Rp 1.3M

$109 MX$1,884

-32.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$255 Rp 4.4M

$1,000 MX$17.3K

-74.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$160 Rp 2.7M

$632 MX$11.0K

-74.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$581 Rp 10.0M

$2,141 MX$37.1K

-72.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$333 Rp 5.7M

$1,253 MX$21.7K

-73.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,374 Rp 23.6M

$3,745 MX$64.9K

-63.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$749 Rp 12.9M

$2,381 MX$41.3K

-68.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$345 Rp 5.9M

$1,079 MX$18.7K

-68.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.15

11.34

-19.31%

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

Last update for Pontianak: April 22, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $255 in Pontianak and $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 213% 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: $12 in Pontianak vs $54 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $212 vs $286 per month, with Pontianak 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

Pontianak vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pontianak and Mexico City differ by about 122% in total monthly costs ($661 vs $1,466 including rent). Pontianak is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Mexico City earns 213% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $255 in Pontianak versus $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Pontianak runs roughly 91% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $92.2 in Pontianak versus $441 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $661 in Pontianak versus $1,466 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Pontianak but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Pontianak 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 Pontianak gentler on the wallet – expenses run 122% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.