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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $600 in Sibolga versus $1,447 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $943 in Sibolga versus $2,310 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,285 in Sibolga versus $3,174 in Mexico City.

Living in Sibolga costs roughly 59% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sibolga is 55% below, Mexico City is 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.52 Rp 27.3K

$12.98 MX$223

-88.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.25 Rp 219.4K

$52.6 MX$903

-76.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.34 Rp 59.8K

$9.43 MX$162

-64.58%

Cappuccino

$1.70 Rp 30.5K

$3.57 MX$61.3

-52.38%

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

$0.55 Rp 9,781

$1.61 MX$27.55

-65.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 Rp 4,610

$1.15 MX$19.81

-77.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.02 Rp 54.0K

$3.15 MX$54.0

-4.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 Rp 46.5K

$4.86 MX$83.4

-46.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 Rp 20.9K

$1.70 MX$29.17

-31.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 Rp 20.0K

$2.64 MX$45.23

-57.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 Rp 16.5K

$1.90 MX$32.67

-51.58%

Eggs

$1.58 Rp 28.4K

$2.54 MX$43.62

-37.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.94 Rp 142.2K

$10.08 MX$173

-21.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.32 Rp 41.5K

$8.29 MX$142

-72.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.04 Rp 162.0K

$11.57 MX$199

-21.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 41.4K

$3.03 MX$52.0

-23.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 Rp 26.0K

$1.71 MX$29.35

-15.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 Rp 33.3K

$2.05 MX$35.16

-9.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 Rp 26.7K

$2.06 MX$35.36

-27.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 Rp 12.7K

$2.06 MX$35.43

-65.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 Rp 27.5K

$2.17 MX$37.25

-29.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 Rp 16.3K

$1.40 MX$24.08

-35.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.33 Rp 5,840

$1.12 MX$19.26

-70.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.79 Rp 32.1K

$4.29 MX$73.7

-58.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.67 Rp 334.5K

$15.41 MX$265

21.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 Rp 40.7K

$1.67 MX$28.74

35.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 Rp 40.1K

$3.69 MX$63.3

-39.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.45 Rp 8,016

$0.38 MX$6.55

18.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.91 Rp 177.6K

$19.06 MX$327

-48.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.57 Rp 10.2K

$1.38 MX$23.70

-58.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 Rp 6,764

$0.28 MX$4.74

35.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.86 Rp 51.3K

$5.42 MX$92.9

-47.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 Rp 18.3K

$1.28 MX$21.98

-20.31%

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

$24.5K Rp 439.2M

$19.0K MX$325.8K

29.16%

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

$27.6K Rp 495.0M

$23.5K MX$402.7K

17.77%

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

$26.42 Rp 473.3K

$41.02 MX$704

-35.59%

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

$4.27 Rp 76.4K

$26.92 MX$462

-84.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.51 Rp 403.2K

$29.69 MX$510

-24.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.14 Rp 414.5K

$52.3 MX$898

-55.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.33 Rp 113.5K

$26.23 MX$450

-75.87%

Cinema Ticket

$3.14 Rp 56.2K

$6.18 MX$106

-49.19%

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

$24.08 Rp 431.5K

$427 MX$7,331

-94.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,714 Rp 138.2M

$10.7K MX$183.6K

-27.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.47 Rp 277.2K

$56.8 MX$975

-72.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.47 Rp 330.9K

$44.83 MX$769

-58.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.7 Rp 1.2M

$105 MX$1,794

-37.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.9 Rp 1.3M

$106 MX$1,819

-30.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$261 Rp 4.7M

$995 MX$17.1K

-73.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$156 Rp 2.8M

$621 MX$10.7K

-74.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$593 Rp 10.6M

$2,126 MX$36.5K

-72.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$335 Rp 6.0M

$1,254 MX$21.5K

-73.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,315 Rp 23.6M

$3,903 MX$67.0K

-66.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$764 Rp 13.7M

$2,096 MX$36.0K

-63.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

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 Sibolga: June 9, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $261 in Sibolga and $995 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $12.00 in Sibolga vs $53.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $196 vs $288 per month, with Sibolga 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

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

Sibolga and Mexico City differ by about 141% in total monthly costs ($600 vs $1,447 including rent). Sibolga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $901 in Sibolga and $2,171 in Mexico City 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: $261 in Sibolga versus $995 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Sibolga runs roughly 92% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $24.08 in Sibolga versus $427 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $600 in Sibolga versus $1,447 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sibolga but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Sibolga 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 Sibolga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 141% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.