Cost of Living Comparison Between Johor Bahru and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Johor Bahru and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $966 in Johor Bahru versus $1,484 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,378 in Johor Bahru versus $2,381 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,791 in Johor Bahru versus $3,278 in Mexico City.

Living in Johor Bahru costs roughly 35% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Johor Bahru is 28% below, Mexico City is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.53 MYR 13.93

$12.98 MX$226

-72.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.69 MYR 73.8

$53.1 MX$923

-64.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.76 MYR 18.82

$9.72 MX$169

-51.03%

Cappuccino

$3.01 MYR 11.90

$3.75 MX$65.2

-19.73%

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

$0.85 MYR 3.35

$1.57 MX$27.30

-45.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 MYR 1.93

$1.13 MX$19.64

-56.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.51 MYR 13.85

$3.18 MX$55.3

10.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.76 MYR 26.71

$4.66 MX$81.1

45.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 MYR 7.11

$1.62 MX$28.21

11.11%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 MYR 3.89

$2.71 MX$47.09

-63.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 MYR 4.89

$1.88 MX$32.70

-34.04%

Eggs

$1.84 MYR 7.26

$2.51 MX$43.65

-26.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.67 MYR 42.16

$10.08 MX$175

5.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.55 MYR 14.01

$8.29 MX$144

-57.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.25 MYR 32.60

$11.94 MX$208

-30.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.66 MYR 10.51

$2.86 MX$49.77

-6.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MYR 5.76

$1.75 MX$30.45

-16.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 MYR 10.16

$2.08 MX$36.27

23.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.25 MYR 4.93

$1.97 MX$34.27

-36.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 MYR 4.51

$2.16 MX$37.58

-47.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 MYR 5.30

$2.18 MX$37.94

-38.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 MYR 3.71

$1.39 MX$24.20

-32.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 MYR 2.04

$1.12 MX$19.57

-53.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.17 MYR 16.47

$4.20 MX$73.1

-0.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.50 MYR 57.3

$14.25 MX$248

1.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.68 MYR 10.59

$1.76 MX$30.68

52.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 MYR 11.53

$3.68 MX$64.1

-20.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 MYR 2.86

$0.39 MX$6.71

84.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.81 MYR 46.65

$18.66 MX$325

-36.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.97 MYR 3.84

$1.39 MX$24.12

-30.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 MYR 4.04

$0.30 MX$5.29

240.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.09 MYR 35.92

$5.42 MX$94.3

67.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.47 MYR 1.84

$1.35 MX$23.50

-65.19%

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

$34.8K MYR 137.4K

$18.9K MX$328.6K

84.25%

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

$28.1K MYR 111.0K

$23.2K MX$402.8K

21.43%

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

$40.87 MYR 161

$40.82 MX$710

0.12%

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

$9.23 MYR 36.44

$27.50 MX$479

-66.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.64 MYR 121

$30.38 MX$529

0.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.09 MYR 139

$53.4 MX$930

-34.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.82 MYR 22.99

$26.30 MX$458

-77.87%

Cinema Ticket

$4.90 MYR 19.35

$6.27 MX$109

-21.85%

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

$191 MYR 755

$436 MX$7,588

-56.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,900 MYR 27.3K

$10.5K MX$182.1K

-34.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.07 MYR 194

$56.8 MX$988

-13.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.14 MYR 75.6

$44.79 MX$779

-57.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.2 MYR 214

$103 MX$1,789

-47.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.65 MYR 157

$108 MX$1,878

-63.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$468 MYR 1,848

$1,000 MX$17.4K

-53.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$396 MYR 1,565

$620 MX$10.8K

-36.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$843 MYR 3,331

$2,137 MX$37.2K

-60.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$599 MYR 2,366

$1,235 MX$21.5K

-51.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,090 MYR 8,254

$3,865 MX$67.3K

-45.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,190 MYR 4,700

$2,332 MX$40.6K

-48.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,155 MYR 4,562

$1,067 MX$18.6K

8.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.07

11.34

-64.11%

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

Last update for Johor Bahru: April 25, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $468 in Johor Bahru and $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Johor Bahru pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $19.00 in Johor Bahru vs $53.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $218 vs $286 per month, with Johor Bahru 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

Johor Bahru vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Johor Bahru and Mexico City differ by about 54% in total monthly costs ($966 vs $1,484 including rent). Johor Bahru is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Johor Bahru pays 8% more on average, 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: $468 in Johor Bahru versus $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Johor Bahru – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $966 per month in Johor Bahru versus $1,484 in Mexico City – a 54% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $966 in Johor Bahru versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Johor Bahru but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Johor Bahru 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.

Safety-wise, Johor Bahru and Mexico City 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 Johor Bahru gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.