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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $702 in Surabaya versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,117 in Surabaya versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,532 in Surabaya versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

Living in Surabaya costs roughly 52% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Surabaya is 47% below, Mexico City is 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.58 Rp 28.4K

$13.07 MX$228

-87.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.11 Rp 217.6K

$53.8 MX$936

-77.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.05 Rp 54.9K

$9.68 MX$169

-68.49%

Cappuccino

$1.80 Rp 32.4K

$3.74 MX$65.1

-51.87%

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

$0.64 Rp 11.5K

$1.62 MX$28.13

-60.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 Rp 5,048

$1.16 MX$20.23

-75.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 Rp 43.2K

$3.23 MX$56.2

-25.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.09 Rp 73.5K

$4.74 MX$82.5

-13.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 Rp 24.7K

$1.65 MX$28.68

-16.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 Rp 26.9K

$2.75 MX$47.95

-45.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 Rp 17.0K

$1.87 MX$32.63

-49.73%

Eggs

$1.50 Rp 26.9K

$2.50 MX$43.54

-40.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.24 Rp 166.1K

$10.20 MX$178

-9.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.19 Rp 57.3K

$8.25 MX$144

-61.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.13 Rp 146.0K

$11.82 MX$206

-31.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.41 Rp 43.3K

$3.01 MX$52.4

-19.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 28.1K

$1.81 MX$31.54

-13.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.5K

$2.00 MX$34.81

10.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 Rp 27.0K

$2.00 MX$34.74

-25.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 Rp 23.8K

$2.08 MX$36.30

-36.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.73 Rp 31.1K

$2.27 MX$39.56

-23.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 Rp 21.4K

$1.46 MX$25.36

-18.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 Rp 8,091

$1.08 MX$18.74

-58.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.45 Rp 44.1K

$4.35 MX$75.7

-43.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$25.13 Rp 451.6K

$16.99 MX$296

47.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 Rp 33.5K

$1.73 MX$30.18

7.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 Rp 59.5K

$3.58 MX$62.3

-7.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 Rp 7,860

$0.39 MX$6.74

12.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.48 Rp 170.4K

$18.69 MX$325

-49.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,592

$1.33 MX$23.08

-63.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 Rp 5,615

$0.28 MX$4.87

10.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

$5.25 MX$91.5

-48.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 Rp 15.4K

$1.34 MX$23.27

-35.82%

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

$20.5K Rp 368.6M

$19.4K MX$338.0K

5.67%

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

$35.0K Rp 629.7M

$23.8K MX$415.0K

47.04%

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

$83.0 Rp 1.5M

$40.69 MX$709

103.88%

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

$4.31 Rp 77.5K

$26.87 MX$468

-83.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.61 Rp 352.5K

$30.51 MX$531

-35.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.82 Rp 392.2K

$52.8 MX$919

-58.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.59 Rp 82.6K

$26.65 MX$464

-82.78%

Cinema Ticket

$2.87 Rp 51.7K

$6.51 MX$113

-55.91%

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

$186 Rp 3.3M

$428 MX$7,454

-56.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,556 Rp 171.7M

$10.5K MX$182.8K

-8.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 Rp 1.1M

$57.3 MX$997

9.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.85 Rp 698.2K

$45.50 MX$792

-14.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.8 Rp 1.4M

$104 MX$1,812

-25.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.1 Rp 1.5M

$108 MX$1,878

-22.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$244 Rp 4.4M

$1,003 MX$17.5K

-75.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$136 Rp 2.4M

$623 MX$10.8K

-78.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$792 Rp 14.2M

$2,109 MX$36.7K

-62.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$399 Rp 7.2M

$1,218 MX$21.2K

-67.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,202 Rp 39.6M

$3,885 MX$67.6K

-43.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,045 Rp 18.8M

$2,033 MX$35.4K

-48.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$269 Rp 4.8M

$1,038 MX$18.1K

-74.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.33

11.34

-26.54%

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

Last update for Surabaya: July 11, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $244 in Surabaya and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 286% 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: $12.00 in Surabaya vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $228 vs $292 per month, with Surabaya 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

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

Surabaya and Mexico City differ by about 107% in total monthly costs ($702 vs $1,456 including rent). Surabaya is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 286% lower in Mexico City. 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: $244 in Surabaya versus $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Surabaya runs roughly 97% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $186 in Surabaya versus $428 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $702 in Surabaya versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Surabaya but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Surabaya 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 Surabaya gentler on the wallet – expenses run 107% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.