Cost of Living Comparison Between Kedah and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Kedah and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $863 in Kedah versus $1,472 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,326 in Kedah versus $2,359 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,790 in Kedah versus $3,245 in Mexico City.

Living in Kedah costs roughly 41% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kedah is 35% below, Mexico City is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.98 MYR 12.17

$13.14 MX$228

-77.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.22 MYR 86.7

$53.5 MX$927

-60.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.13 MYR 16.85

$9.33 MX$162

-55.73%

Cappuccino

$2.83 MYR 11.55

$3.70 MX$64.1

-23.51%

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

$0.68 MYR 2.77

$1.60 MX$27.80

-57.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 MYR 1.38

$1.12 MX$19.37

-69.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.44 MYR 18.12

$3.14 MX$54.4

41.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MYR 18.42

$4.85 MX$84.0

-7.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 MYR 7.65

$1.65 MX$28.65

13.33%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 MYR 3.90

$2.71 MX$47.02

-64.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 MYR 4.92

$1.91 MX$33.07

-37.17%

Eggs

$2.12 MYR 8.66

$2.59 MX$44.87

-18.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.11 MYR 61.7

$9.81 MX$170

54.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.18 MYR 21.15

$8.43 MX$146

-38.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.66 MYR 59.9

$11.93 MX$207

22.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 MYR 11.90

$2.95 MX$51.2

-1.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 MYR 4.88

$1.74 MX$30.15

-31.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 MYR 11.00

$2.04 MX$35.43

31.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MYR 8.55

$2.06 MX$35.69

1.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 MYR 4.61

$2.15 MX$37.25

-47.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 MYR 4.81

$2.26 MX$39.08

-47.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 MYR 3.88

$1.39 MX$24.01

-31.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 MYR 1.83

$1.12 MX$19.34

-59.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 MYR 17.26

$4.22 MX$73.1

0.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.23 MYR 86.7

$17.51 MX$303

21.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 MYR 10.77

$1.71 MX$29.62

54.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 MYR 13.94

$3.63 MX$62.9

-6.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 MYR 2.78

$0.35 MX$6.11

94.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.81 MYR 48.24

$19.32 MX$335

-38.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.72 MYR 2.95

$1.38 MX$23.84

-47.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.50 MYR 2.06

$0.28 MX$4.78

78.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.89 MYR 28.15

$5.28 MX$91.4

30.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.50 MYR 2.05

$1.36 MX$23.53

-63.24%

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

$33.7K MYR 137.6K

$19.1K MX$331.0K

76.36%

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

$27.9K MYR 114.0K

$23.6K MX$409.0K

18.28%

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

$39.27 MYR 160

$40.53 MX$702

-3.11%

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

$10.03 MYR 40.95

$27.38 MX$474

-63.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.86 MYR 48.45

$30.38 MX$526

-60.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.69 MYR 150

$52.2 MX$905

-29.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.81 MYR 23.71

$26.48 MX$459

-78.06%

Cinema Ticket

$2.80 MYR 11.44

$6.19 MX$107

-54.77%

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

$235 MYR 961

$425 MX$7,365

-44.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,259 MYR 25.6K

$10.7K MX$186.0K

-41.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 MYR 226

$58.3 MX$1,010

-4.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.00 MYR 118

$44.57 MX$772

-34.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.2 MYR 254

$103 MX$1,793

-39.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.2 MYR 213

$109 MX$1,884

-52.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$386 MYR 1,575

$1,014 MX$17.6K

-61.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$265 MYR 1,084

$623 MX$10.8K

-57.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$632 MYR 2,580

$2,119 MX$36.7K

-70.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MYR 1,899

$1,223 MX$21.2K

-61.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,134 MYR 8,714

$3,792 MX$65.7K

-43.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,171 MYR 4,781

$2,110 MX$36.6K

-44.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,310 MYR 5,350

$1,052 MX$18.2K

24.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.16

11.34

-63.32%

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

Last update for Kedah: July 25, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $386 in Kedah and $1,014 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kedah pays 25% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $21.00 in Kedah vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $293 per month, with Kedah 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

Kedah vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kedah and Mexico City differ by about 71% in total monthly costs ($863 vs $1,472 including rent). Kedah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 25% higher in Kedah, 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: $386 in Kedah versus $1,014 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $235 in Kedah versus $425 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $863 in Kedah versus $1,472 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kedah but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Kedah 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, Kedah 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 Kedah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 71% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.