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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $638 in Timika versus $1,677 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,017 in Timika versus $2,608 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,396 in Timika versus $3,540 in Mexico City.

Living in Timika costs roughly 62% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Timika is 54% below, Mexico City is 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.68 Rp 29.7K

$12.14 MX$206

-86.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.11 Rp 248.3K

$53.9 MX$914

-73.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.41 Rp 60.1K

$11.09 MX$188

-69.25%

Cappuccino

$1.57 Rp 27.6K

$4.10 MX$69.5

-61.71%

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

$0.45 Rp 7,943

$1.68 MX$28.53

-73.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 Rp 4,434

$1.39 MX$23.55

-82.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.31 Rp 40.8K

$3.33 MX$56.5

-30.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 Rp 59.2K

$5.88 MX$99.7

-42.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Rp 20.0K

$1.85 MX$31.41

-38.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 Rp 19.6K

$3.17 MX$53.8

-64.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.89 Rp 15.6K

$2.07 MX$35.13

-57.00%

Eggs

$1.49 Rp 26.1K

$2.93 MX$49.67

-49.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.17 Rp 126.2K

$12.59 MX$214

-43.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.93 Rp 51.5K

$10.11 MX$172

-71.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.86 Rp 138.4K

$16.09 MX$273

-51.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.1K

$3.39 MX$57.5

-32.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 Rp 23.4K

$2.08 MX$35.26

-36.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 Rp 31.1K

$2.12 MX$35.97

-16.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.24 Rp 21.9K

$2.41 MX$40.95

-48.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 Rp 23.3K

$2.13 MX$36.11

-38.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 Rp 34.4K

$2.01 MX$34.02

-2.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 Rp 12.9K

$1.55 MX$26.21

-52.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 Rp 7,591

$1.36 MX$23.15

-68.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.79 Rp 49.0K

$5.77 MX$97.8

-51.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.36 Rp 358.5K

$17.74 MX$301

14.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 Rp 34.2K

$2.07 MX$35.11

-6.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 Rp 51.9K

$4.61 MX$78.3

-36.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,727

$0.37 MX$6.21

-27.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.49 Rp 8,543

$2.05 MX$34.84

-76.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 Rp 5,787

$0.58 MX$9.79

-43.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 Rp 51.5K

$6.07 MX$103

-51.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.74 Rp 13.1K

$1.55 MX$26.34

-52.26%

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

$23.6K Rp 414.6M

$22.9K MX$388.1K

2.96%

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

$30.5K Rp 536.9M

$27.2K MX$462.0K

11.97%

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

$67.6 Rp 1.2M

$67.4 MX$1,144

0.27%

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

$4.51 Rp 79.5K

$30.62 MX$520

-85.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.59 Rp 344.9K

$37.24 MX$632

-47.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.49 Rp 360.8K

$61.5 MX$1,043

-66.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.54 Rp 150.3K

$27.12 MX$460

-68.51%

Cinema Ticket

$2.88 Rp 50.6K

$7.11 MX$121

-59.49%

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

$96.2 Rp 1.7M

$456 MX$7,739

-78.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,945 Rp 139.9M

$13.7K MX$232.3K

-41.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.69 Rp 786.9K

$74.2 MX$1,259

-39.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.88 Rp 526.1K

$57.0 MX$967

-47.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 Rp 1.3M

$115 MX$1,958

-35.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 Rp 1.3M

$122 MX$2,061

-40.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$222 Rp 3.9M

$1,148 MX$19.5K

-80.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$156 Rp 2.7M

$709 MX$12.0K

-78.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$565 Rp 9.9M

$2,577 MX$43.7K

-78.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$370 Rp 6.5M

$1,295 MX$22.0K

-71.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,165 Rp 20.5M

$4,005 MX$67.9K

-70.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$656 Rp 11.5M

$2,130 MX$36.1K

-69.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.46

11.3

-16.28%

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

Last update for Timika: September 8, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $222 in Timika and $1,148 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $14.00 in Timika vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $197 vs $345 per month, with Timika 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

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

Timika and Mexico City differ by about 163% in total monthly costs ($638 vs $1,677 including rent). Timika is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $956 in Timika and $2,515 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: $222 in Timika versus $1,148 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $96.2 in Timika versus $456 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 Timika – a meal for two runs $14.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $638 in Timika versus $1,677 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Timika but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Timika 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 Timika gentler on the wallet – expenses run 163% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.