Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between George Town, Malaysia and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in George Town: $952 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in George Town
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George Town Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

Jump to prices

George Town

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$952

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in George Town and in Mexico City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in George Town and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $952 in George Town versus $1,608 in Mexico City.

George Town $952
Mexico City $1,608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,558 in George Town versus $2,549 in Mexico City.

George Town $1,558
Mexico City $2,549

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,164 in George Town versus $3,490 in Mexico City.

George Town $2,164
Mexico City $3,490

Living in George Town costs roughly 41% less than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: George Town is 30% below, Mexico City is 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.46 MYR 14.01

$10.62 MX$200

-67.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.45 MYR 62.6

$48.35 MX$909

-68.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.68 MYR 18.97

$10.35 MX$194

-54.78%

Cappuccino

$2.75 MYR 11.15

$3.69 MX$69.4

-25.47%

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

$0.70 MYR 2.85

$1.67 MX$31.32

-58.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 MYR 1.42

$1.27 MX$23.78

-72.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 MYR 10.03

$3.19 MX$60.0

-22.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.42 MYR 17.93

$5.31 MX$99.7

-16.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 MYR 7.58

$1.72 MX$32.41

8.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 MYR 4.25

$3.04 MX$57.1

-65.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 MYR 7.01

$1.94 MX$36.48

-10.82%

Eggs

$2.22 MYR 8.99

$2.89 MX$54.3

-23.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 MYR 55.4

$10.97 MX$206

24.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.48 MYR 18.14

$9.25 MX$174

-51.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.70 MYR 35.26

$15.13 MX$284

-42.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 MYR 9.48

$3.05 MX$57.3

-23.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MYR 5.91

$1.94 MX$36.48

-24.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MYR 9.00

$2.03 MX$38.06

9.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 MYR 4.87

$2.31 MX$43.50

-48.05%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 MYR 3.71

$2.04 MX$38.25

-54.90%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 MYR 3.45

$1.80 MX$33.83

-52.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 MYR 3.02

$1.48 MX$27.80

-50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 MYR 2.38

$1.27 MX$23.82

-53.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.58 MYR 18.55

$5.30 MX$99.7

-13.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.84 MYR 76.4

$16.10 MX$303

17.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 MYR 9.77

$1.98 MX$37.27

21.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 MYR 14.45

$4.25 MX$79.9

-16.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 MYR 1.92

$0.31 MX$5.73

51.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.01 MYR 48.70

$19.73 MX$371

-39.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 MYR 4.99

$1.84 MX$34.53

-33.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.51 MYR 2.05

$0.53 MX$10.03

-3.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.53 MYR 26.49

$5.30 MX$99.5

23.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 MYR 3.34

$1.51 MX$28.39

-45.70%

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

$45.5K MYR 184.6K

$21.8K MX$408.8K

109.37%

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

$34.6K MYR 140.4K

$24.0K MX$450.8K

44.37%

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

$36.85 MYR 149

$63.0 MX$1,184

-41.49%

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

$8.05 MYR 32.62

$27.39 MX$515

-70.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.38 MYR 115

$35.67 MX$670

-20.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.35 MYR 164

$58.9 MX$1,108

-31.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.03 MYR 20.38

$23.64 MX$444

-78.72%

Cinema Ticket

$4.52 MYR 18.31

$6.40 MX$120

-29.38%

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

$168 MYR 683

$432 MX$8,111

-60.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,958 MYR 20.1K

$11.4K MX$214.7K

-56.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.2 MYR 216

$68.2 MX$1,282

-22.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.86 MYR 141

$53.1 MX$999

-34.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.5 MYR 298

$108 MX$2,026

-31.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.8 MYR 287

$117 MX$2,204

-39.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$709 MYR 2,874

$1,113 MX$20.9K

-36.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$366 MYR 1,485

$710 MX$13.4K

-48.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,104 MYR 4,475

$2,588 MX$48.6K

-57.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$904 MYR 3,666

$1,406 MX$26.4K

-35.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$68.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$40.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,057 MYR 4,285

$946 MX$17.8K

11.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.04

11.35

-64.41%

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

Last update for George Town: October 26, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

George Town

$366 38.5%

Mexico City

$710 44.2% 93.9% $344

Groceries & Markets

George Town

$241 25.3%

Mexico City

$320 19.9% 32.6% $78

Clothing & Footwear

George Town

$105 11%

Mexico City

$156 9.7% 49.1% $51

Eating Out

George Town

$100 10.5%

Mexico City

$199 12.4% 98.4% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

George Town

$73 7.7%

Mexico City

$126 7.8% 72% $53

Sport & Entertainment

George Town

$49 5.2%

Mexico City

$72 4.5% 45.3% $22

Getting Around

George Town

$18 1.9%

Mexico City

$25 1.6% 44.1% $7.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $709 in George Town and $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

George Town pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $15 in George Town vs $48 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $241 vs $320 per month, with George Town cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 George Town

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

20:33 8:33 PM

06:33 6:33 AM

14 h behind George Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

794,313

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.247 USD

1 MYR = 0.221 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4.05 MYR (1 MYR = 0.247 USD). 1 EUR = 4.52 MYR (1 MYR = 0.221 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.97 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

George Town Mexico City 16,530 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

George Town
Mexico City

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

George Town vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

George Town is about 41% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 12% higher in George Town, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $709 in George Town versus $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in George Town runs roughly 39% less than in Mexico City. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $168 in George Town versus $432 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

Expats usually find George Town gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.