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: $955 in Johor Bahru versus $1,472 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,366 in Johor Bahru versus $2,359 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,776 in Johor Bahru versus $3,245 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

$3.51 MYR 14.34

$13.14 MX$229

-73.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.98 MYR 77.6

$53.5 MX$934

-64.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.82 MYR 19.69

$9.33 MX$163

-48.34%

Cappuccino

$2.92 MYR 11.94

$3.70 MX$64.5

-21.08%

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

$0.83 MYR 3.40

$1.60 MX$27.98

-48.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 MYR 1.98

$1.12 MX$19.49

-56.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.52 MYR 14.38

$3.14 MX$54.7

12.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.47 MYR 26.46

$4.85 MX$84.5

33.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 MYR 7.46

$1.65 MX$28.84

10.30%

White Bread (500g)

$0.93 MYR 3.80

$2.71 MX$47.34

-65.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.26 MYR 5.15

$1.91 MX$33.29

-34.03%

Eggs

$1.88 MYR 7.67

$2.59 MX$45.17

-27.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.76 MYR 43.99

$9.81 MX$171

9.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 MYR 13.90

$8.43 MX$147

-59.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.14 MYR 33.27

$11.93 MX$208

-31.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 MYR 11.26

$2.95 MX$51.5

-6.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MYR 6.14

$1.74 MX$30.35

-13.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 MYR 10.52

$2.04 MX$35.66

25.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.22 MYR 4.98

$2.06 MX$35.93

-40.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 MYR 4.67

$2.15 MX$37.49

-46.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 MYR 5.71

$2.26 MX$39.33

-38.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.96 MYR 3.93

$1.39 MX$24.17

-30.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 MYR 2.32

$1.12 MX$19.47

-49.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MYR 17.01

$4.22 MX$73.6

-1.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.34 MYR 58.6

$17.51 MX$305

-18.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 MYR 11.43

$1.71 MX$29.82

63.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MYR 11.78

$3.63 MX$63.4

-20.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 MYR 2.96

$0.35 MX$6.15

105.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.92 MYR 48.71

$19.32 MX$337

-38.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 MYR 4.19

$1.38 MX$24.00

-25.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 MYR 4.18

$0.28 MX$4.81

264.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.48 MYR 38.75

$5.28 MX$92.0

79.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.50 MYR 2.05

$1.36 MX$23.69

-63.24%

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

$34.8K MYR 142.2K

$19.1K MX$333.2K

82.10%

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

$27.4K MYR 112.0K

$23.6K MX$411.7K

16.06%

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

$40.42 MYR 165

$40.53 MX$707

-0.27%

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

$8.82 MYR 36.04

$27.38 MX$478

-67.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.58 MYR 125

$30.38 MX$530

0.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.12 MYR 144

$52.2 MX$911

-32.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.78 MYR 23.62

$26.48 MX$462

-78.17%

Cinema Ticket

$4.89 MYR 19.98

$6.19 MX$108

-21.00%

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

$184 MYR 753

$425 MX$7,414

-56.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,005 MYR 28.6K

$10.7K MX$187.2K

-34.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.22 MYR 201

$58.3 MX$1,017

-15.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.59 MYR 76.0

$44.57 MX$777

-58.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.9 MYR 225

$103 MX$1,805

-46.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.53 MYR 162

$109 MX$1,897

-63.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$468 MYR 1,912

$1,014 MX$17.7K

-53.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$400 MYR 1,635

$623 MX$10.9K

-35.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$814 MYR 3,328

$2,119 MX$37.0K

-61.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$609 MYR 2,491

$1,223 MX$21.3K

-50.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,036 MYR 8,322

$3,792 MX$66.1K

-46.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,158 MYR 4,732

$2,110 MX$36.8K

-45.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,063 MYR 4,346

$1,052 MX$18.4K

1.07%

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $468 in Johor Bahru and $1,014 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Johor Bahru pays 1% 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 $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $218 vs $293 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 ($955 vs $1,472 including rent). Johor Bahru is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1% higher in Johor Bahru, 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 $1,014 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 $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $955 per month in Johor Bahru versus $1,472 in Mexico City – a 54% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $955 in Johor Bahru versus $1,472 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.