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: $620 in Sibolga versus $1,682 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $972 in Sibolga versus $2,599 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,324 in Sibolga versus $3,516 in Mexico City.

Living in Sibolga costs roughly 63% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sibolga is 55% below, Mexico City is 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.32 Rp 23.5K

$11.83 MX$200

-88.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.56 Rp 205.5K

$52.2 MX$884

-77.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.45 Rp 61.2K

$10.87 MX$184

-68.26%

Cappuccino

$1.35 Rp 24.1K

$4.03 MX$68.2

-66.50%

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

$0.39 Rp 6,847

$1.71 MX$28.99

-77.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 Rp 4,472

$1.34 MX$22.70

-81.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.33 Rp 41.4K

$3.39 MX$57.5

-31.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 Rp 64.4K

$5.74 MX$97.3

-36.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 Rp 23.0K

$1.89 MX$31.99

-31.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 Rp 19.9K

$3.17 MX$53.8

-64.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 Rp 14.5K

$2.05 MX$34.74

-60.49%

Eggs

$1.55 Rp 27.5K

$3.01 MX$51.1

-48.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.04 Rp 142.9K

$12.61 MX$214

-36.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.56 Rp 45.5K

$9.94 MX$169

-74.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 Rp 159.4K

$16.00 MX$271

-43.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.6K

$3.28 MX$55.6

-30.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.12 Rp 19.8K

$2.06 MX$34.87

-45.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 Rp 30.5K

$2.09 MX$35.36

-17.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.32 Rp 23.4K

$2.50 MX$42.44

-47.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.44 Rp 25.6K

$2.05 MX$34.76

-29.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 Rp 32.2K

$1.87 MX$31.70

-3.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 Rp 16.0K

$1.57 MX$26.66

-42.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 Rp 7,140

$1.39 MX$23.64

-71.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.81 Rp 50.0K

$5.38 MX$91.2

-47.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.98 Rp 319.7K

$17.95 MX$304

0.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 Rp 31.1K

$2.02 MX$34.31

-13.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 Rp 51.3K

$4.76 MX$80.7

-39.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 Rp 5,476

$0.36 MX$6.13

-13.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.80 MX$353

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,086

$2.06 MX$34.92

-78.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 Rp 5,830

$0.56 MX$9.55

-41.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.83 Rp 50.3K

$5.82 MX$98.6

-51.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.67 Rp 11.9K

$1.54 MX$26.05

-56.49%

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

$25.5K Rp 452.6M

$22.5K MX$380.6K

13.38%

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

$35.3K Rp 626.7M

$26.5K MX$448.7K

33.16%

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

$65.5 Rp 1.2M

$66.0 MX$1,118

-0.70%

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

$4.97 Rp 88.4K

$30.98 MX$525

-83.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.79 Rp 387.3K

$36.20 MX$613

-39.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.91 Rp 318.3K

$57.5 MX$975

-68.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.44 Rp 150.1K

$26.75 MX$453

-68.45%

Cinema Ticket

$3.14 Rp 55.9K

$7.13 MX$121

-55.96%

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

$82.6 Rp 1.5M

$457 MX$7,738

-81.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,811 Rp 138.8M

$13.2K MX$224.5K

-41.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.73 Rp 652.8K

$75.8 MX$1,285

-51.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.90 Rp 495.9K

$54.1 MX$917

-48.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.6 Rp 1.1M

$116 MX$1,974

-46.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.3 Rp 1.1M

$122 MX$2,063

-49.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$209 Rp 3.7M

$1,147 MX$19.4K

-81.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$145 Rp 2.6M

$726 MX$12.3K

-79.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$508 Rp 9.0M

$2,503 MX$42.4K

-79.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$326 Rp 5.8M

$1,331 MX$22.6K

-75.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,236 Rp 22.0M

$3,895 MX$66.0K

-68.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$619 Rp 11.0M

$2,149 MX$36.4K

-71.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.67

11.35

-14.80%

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

Last update for Sibolga: August 15, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $209 in Sibolga and $1,147 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $12.00 in Sibolga vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $196 vs $344 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 171% in total monthly costs ($620 vs $1,682 including rent). Sibolga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $930 in Sibolga and $2,523 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: $209 in Sibolga versus $1,147 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $82.6 in Sibolga versus $457 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Sibolga – a meal for two runs $12.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $620 in Sibolga versus $1,682 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 171% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.