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: $1,072 in Cuernavaca versus $1,096 in Kuala Lumpur.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,801 in Cuernavaca versus $1,700 in Kuala Lumpur.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,530 in Cuernavaca versus $2,303 in Kuala Lumpur.

Living in Cuernavaca costs roughly 2% less than in Kuala Lumpur, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cuernavaca 22% lower, Kuala Lumpur 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.96 MX$152

$4.88 MYR 19.72

83.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.50 MX$688

$30.14 MYR 122

34.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.68 MX$130

$4.84 MYR 19.57

58.68%

Cappuccino

$2.68 MX$45.47

$3.22 MYR 13.00

-16.77%

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

$1.37 MX$23.26

$0.87 MYR 3.50

57.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 MX$12.05

$0.50 MYR 2.00

42.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 MX$43.85

$4.36 MYR 17.63

-40.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$61.7

$6.03 MYR 24.38

-39.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 MX$30.50

$2.12 MYR 8.57

-15.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 MX$40.69

$1.08 MYR 4.35

122.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 MX$27.10

$2.11 MYR 8.54

-24.17%

Eggs

$2.09 MX$35.51

$2.49 MYR 10.05

-16.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.72 MX$148

$15.64 MYR 63.3

-44.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.20 MX$88.4

$4.95 MYR 20.03

5.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.94 MX$254

$9.90 MYR 40.04

50.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 MX$40.57

$3.36 MYR 13.57

-28.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.28

$1.87 MYR 7.57

-20.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 MX$38.89

$2.39 MYR 9.66

-4.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.04

$1.66 MYR 6.71

3.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$31.43

$1.39 MYR 5.60

33.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 MX$31.85

$1.38 MYR 5.58

36.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.65 MX$28.10

$1.18 MYR 4.77

39.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.39

$0.72 MYR 2.89

34.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.75 MX$80.6

$4.39 MYR 17.75

8.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.73 MX$148

$19.40 MYR 78.4

-55.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$21.61

$3.56 MYR 14.37

-64.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 MX$58.7

$5.06 MYR 20.44

-31.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 MX$10.48

$0.77 MYR 3.11

-19.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.67 MX$504

$12.34 MYR 49.90

140.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 MX$34.68

$1.22 MYR 4.94

67.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.78 MX$47.15

$1.26 MYR 5.09

120.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.81 MX$201

$5.03 MYR 20.35

134.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$24.42

$0.78 MYR 3.16

84.62%

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

$22.5K MX$381.7K

$41.9K MYR 169.5K

-46.39%

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

$26.0K MX$441.7K

$34.7K MYR 140.3K

-25.06%

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

$64.5 MX$1,095

$63.5 MYR 257

1.53%

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

$20.04 MX$340

$9.29 MYR 37.57

115.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.35 MX$448

$26.35 MYR 107

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.48 MX$484

$48.81 MYR 197

-41.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.73 MYR 31.23

Cinema Ticket

$5.80 MX$98.5

$5.48 MYR 22.17

5.84%

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

$231 MX$3,929

$302 MYR 1,222

-23.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,321 MX$90.4K

$12.6K MYR 51.1K

-57.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.98 MX$764

$73.2 MYR 296

-38.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.15 MX$597

$42.36 MYR 171

-17.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 MX$1,705

$90.0 MYR 364

11.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 MX$1,787

$101 MYR 407

4.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$418 MX$7,104

$601 MYR 2,431

-30.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$348 MX$5,911

$368 MYR 1,487

-5.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 MX$17.4K

$1,235 MYR 4,994

-16.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$878 MX$14.9K

$630 MYR 2,549

39.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$931 MX$15.8K

$4,098 MYR 16.6K

-77.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$654 MX$11.1K

$1,546 MYR 6,249

-57.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$718 MX$12.2K

$1,575 MYR 6,366

-54.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.4

4.2

171.43%

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

Last update for Cuernavaca: September 1, 2026

Last update for Kuala Lumpur: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $418 in Cuernavaca and $601 in Kuala Lumpur. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kuala Lumpur pays 119% 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: $40.00 in Cuernavaca vs $30.00 in Kuala Lumpur. Groceries flip the comparison at $250 vs $285, 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, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 119% lower in Kuala Lumpur. 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: $418 in Cuernavaca versus $601 in Kuala Lumpur. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% 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 $40.00 versus $30.00 in Kuala Lumpur. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,072 in Cuernavaca versus $1,096 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 2% less than in Kuala Lumpur. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.