Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuernavaca and Kuala Lumpur Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuernavaca and Kuala Lumpur

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $987 in Cuernavaca versus $1,082 in Kuala Lumpur.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,692 in Cuernavaca versus $1,632 in Kuala Lumpur.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,398 in Cuernavaca versus $2,182 in Kuala Lumpur.

Living in Cuernavaca costs roughly 9% less than in Kuala Lumpur, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cuernavaca 26% lower, Kuala Lumpur 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.38 MX$162

$4.81 MYR 19.06

95.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.39 MX$629

$27.80 MYR 110

30.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.99 MX$121

$4.85 MYR 19.22

44.12%

Cappuccino

$2.32 MX$40.10

$3.12 MYR 12.37

-25.64%

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

$1.25 MX$21.64

$0.84 MYR 3.32

48.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 MX$12.47

$0.50 MYR 1.97

44.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 MX$37.82

$4.31 MYR 17.09

-49.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 MX$53.8

$5.97 MYR 23.65

-47.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 MX$26.96

$1.99 MYR 7.90

-21.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 MX$30.18

$1.01 MYR 4.01

73.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 MX$24.13

$1.71 MYR 6.77

-18.71%

Eggs

$1.80 MX$31.19

$2.28 MYR 9.05

-21.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$14.58 MYR 57.8

-42.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.27 MX$108

$4.76 MYR 18.87

31.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.96 MX$224

$9.50 MYR 37.66

36.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.29

$2.96 MYR 11.75

-27.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 MX$23.15

$1.64 MYR 6.49

-18.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.66

$2.68 MYR 10.63

-33.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.83

$1.52 MYR 6.04

5.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 MX$29.39

$1.23 MYR 4.89

38.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 MX$31.98

$1.34 MYR 5.32

38.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.97 MX$16.85

$1.16 MYR 4.61

-16.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 MX$13.37

$0.63 MYR 2.48

22.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$72.6

$4.31 MYR 17.09

-2.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.85 MX$153

$19.29 MYR 76.5

-54.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$3.29 MYR 13.05

-66.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 MX$51.5

$4.22 MYR 16.74

-29.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.57

$0.73 MYR 2.90

-24.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.70 MX$462

$11.82 MYR 46.87

125.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.83 MX$31.68

$1.15 MYR 4.56

59.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 MX$20.79

$1.10 MYR 4.38

9.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.08 MX$157

$4.79 MYR 18.99

89.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 MX$22.24

$0.48 MYR 1.89

168.75%

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

$18.6K MX$321.4K

$39.8K MYR 157.9K

-53.35%

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

$20.8K MX$359.8K

$32.3K MYR 128.0K

-35.58%

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

$60.9 MX$1,054

$65.0 MYR 258

-6.17%

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

$22.81 MX$394

$11.46 MYR 45.44

99.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$496

$25.42 MYR 101

12.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.12 MX$400

$46.84 MYR 186

-50.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.17 MX$280

$7.85 MYR 31.13

105.99%

Cinema Ticket

$5.44 MX$94.0

$5.05 MYR 20.03

7.72%

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

$213 MX$3,677

$268 MYR 1,064

-20.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,852 MX$83.9K

$9,519 MYR 37.7K

-49.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.28 MX$818

$59.9 MYR 238

-21.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.11 MX$694

$36.97 MYR 147

8.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 MX$1,737

$86.4 MYR 343

16.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.7 MX$1,430

$81.6 MYR 323

1.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$375 MX$6,483

$561 MYR 2,224

-33.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$321 MX$5,556

$369 MYR 1,465

-13.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$897 MX$15.5K

$1,057 MYR 4,189

-15.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$786 MX$13.6K

$646 MYR 2,563

21.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$905 MX$15.7K

$4,233 MYR 16.8K

-78.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$634 MX$11.0K

$1,524 MYR 6,044

-58.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$694 MX$12.0K

$1,785 MYR 7,077

-61.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.33

4.47

153.47%

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

Last update for Cuernavaca: May 31, 2026

Last update for Kuala Lumpur: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $375 in Cuernavaca and $561 in Kuala Lumpur. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kuala Lumpur pays 157% 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: $36.00 in Cuernavaca vs $28.00 in Kuala Lumpur. Groceries flip the comparison at $226 vs $267, with Cuernavaca cheaper for home cooking.

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

Cuernavaca vs Kuala Lumpur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cuernavaca is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Kuala Lumpur earns 157% 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: $375 in Cuernavaca versus $561 in Kuala Lumpur. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Kuala Lumpur. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Cuernavaca – a meal for two runs $36.00 versus $28.00 in Kuala Lumpur. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $987 in Cuernavaca versus $1,082 in Kuala Lumpur, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cuernavaca but tight or insufficient in Kuala Lumpur. The gap between the two cities makes Cuernavaca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cuernavaca is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Kuala Lumpur, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cuernavaca and Kuala Lumpur are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Cuernavaca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Kuala Lumpur. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.