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: $708 in Surabaya versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,133 in Surabaya versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,557 in Surabaya versus $3,274 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 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.52 Rp 27.4K

$13.18 MX$228

-88.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.12 Rp 218.6K

$53.9 MX$931

-77.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.13 Rp 56.4K

$9.42 MX$163

-66.77%

Cappuccino

$1.82 Rp 32.7K

$3.55 MX$61.3

-48.73%

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

$0.60 Rp 10.8K

$1.62 MX$27.95

-62.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 Rp 4,648

$1.11 MX$19.25

-76.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 Rp 43.5K

$3.12 MX$53.9

-22.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 Rp 72.4K

$4.63 MX$80.0

-13.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 Rp 25.0K

$1.70 MX$29.40

-18.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 Rp 26.3K

$2.72 MX$46.97

-46.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 Rp 16.8K

$1.91 MX$33.04

-51.31%

Eggs

$1.44 Rp 26.0K

$2.54 MX$43.82

-43.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.04 Rp 163.1K

$10.03 MX$173

-9.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.29 Rp 59.4K

$8.09 MX$140

-59.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.45 Rp 152.5K

$11.62 MX$201

-27.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.42 Rp 43.6K

$2.97 MX$51.3

-18.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 Rp 27.8K

$1.81 MX$31.21

-14.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 Rp 39.6K

$2.01 MX$34.79

8.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 Rp 25.7K

$2.03 MX$35.16

-30.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 Rp 23.8K

$2.12 MX$36.71

-37.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 Rp 32.4K

$2.27 MX$39.21

-20.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 Rp 21.4K

$1.40 MX$24.20

-15.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 Rp 7,603

$1.13 MX$19.53

-62.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.54 Rp 45.8K

$4.27 MX$73.8

-40.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.78 Rp 446.9K

$15.56 MX$269

59.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 Rp 31.8K

$1.76 MX$30.36

0.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 Rp 56.7K

$3.60 MX$62.1

-12.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.48 Rp 8,572

$0.38 MX$6.62

26.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.40 Rp 169.6K

$19.18 MX$331

-50.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,997

$1.38 MX$23.77

-68.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 Rp 5,216

$0.28 MX$4.78

3.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.77 Rp 50.0K

$5.45 MX$94.1

-49.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 Rp 15.2K

$1.30 MX$22.53

-35.38%

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

$20.6K Rp 372.2M

$18.7K MX$322.9K

10.44%

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

$35.8K Rp 645.7M

$23.1K MX$399.7K

54.79%

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

$84.9 Rp 1.5M

$40.86 MX$706

107.68%

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

$4.09 Rp 73.7K

$26.81 MX$463

-84.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.75 Rp 356.2K

$29.96 MX$518

-34.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.59 Rp 389.4K

$52.0 MX$899

-58.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.57 Rp 82.4K

$26.84 MX$464

-82.97%

Cinema Ticket

$2.85 Rp 51.4K

$6.30 MX$109

-54.76%

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

$188 Rp 3.4M

$436 MX$7,536

-57.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,556 Rp 172.3M

$10.4K MX$180.0K

-8.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.6 Rp 1.1M

$56.7 MX$979

8.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.56 Rp 695.3K

$44.38 MX$767

-13.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.8 Rp 1.4M

$103 MX$1,779

-24.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.6 Rp 1.5M

$106 MX$1,823

-20.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$242 Rp 4.4M

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-76.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$135 Rp 2.4M

$631 MX$10.9K

-78.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$762 Rp 13.7M

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-64.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 Rp 7.1M

$1,243 MX$21.5K

-68.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,209 Rp 39.8M

$3,903 MX$67.4K

-43.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,067 Rp 19.2M

$2,064 MX$35.7K

-48.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$276 Rp 5.0M

$1,115 MX$19.3K

-75.29%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $242 in Surabaya and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 305% 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 $226 vs $288 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 ($708 vs $1,467 including rent). Surabaya is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Mexico City earns 305% 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: $242 in Surabaya versus $1,022 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 104% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $188 in Surabaya versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $708 in Surabaya versus $1,467 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.