Cost of Living Comparison Between Kota Kinabalu and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Kota Kinabalu and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $848 in Kota Kinabalu versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,331 in Kota Kinabalu versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,814 in Kota Kinabalu versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

Living in Kota Kinabalu costs roughly 42% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kota Kinabalu is 36% below, Mexico City is 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.52 MYR 14.41

$13.07 MX$229

-73.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.53 MYR 75.8

$53.8 MX$943

-65.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.62 MYR 18.88

$9.68 MX$170

-52.27%

Cappuccino

$2.70 MYR 11.04

$3.74 MX$65.6

-27.81%

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

$0.65 MYR 2.64

$1.62 MX$28.34

-59.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.60

$1.16 MX$20.37

-66.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 MYR 9.80

$3.23 MX$56.6

-25.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 MYR 14.42

$4.74 MX$83.1

-25.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 MYR 7.19

$1.65 MX$28.89

6.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 MYR 4.95

$2.75 MX$48.30

-56.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 MYR 7.17

$1.87 MX$32.87

-6.42%

Eggs

$2.78 MYR 11.35

$2.50 MX$43.86

11.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.05 MYR 107

$10.20 MX$179

155.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.61 MYR 14.77

$8.25 MX$145

-56.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.06 MYR 28.87

$11.82 MX$207

-40.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.52 MYR 10.29

$3.01 MX$52.8

-16.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 MYR 4.76

$1.81 MX$31.77

-35.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.20 MYR 13.07

$2.00 MX$35.07

60.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 MYR 8.10

$2.00 MX$35.00

-1.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 MYR 6.17

$2.08 MX$36.56

-27.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 MYR 7.26

$2.27 MX$39.85

-22.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 MYR 4.63

$1.46 MX$25.55

-22.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 MYR 2.07

$1.08 MX$18.88

-52.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.17 MYR 17.07

$4.35 MX$76.3

-4.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.66 MYR 64.0

$16.99 MX$298

-7.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 MYR 7.84

$1.73 MX$30.40

10.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 MYR 6.62

$3.58 MX$62.7

-54.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.56 MYR 6.36

$0.39 MX$6.79

300.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.74 MYR 167

$18.69 MX$328

117.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.86 MYR 7.60

$1.33 MX$23.25

39.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 MYR 1.90

$0.28 MX$4.91

67.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MYR 23.61

$5.25 MX$92.1

9.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.46 MYR 1.89

$1.34 MX$23.44

-65.67%

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

$29.4K MYR 120.0K

$19.4K MX$340.5K

51.21%

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

$27.2K MYR 111.4K

$23.8K MX$418.0K

14.26%

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

$52.5 MYR 215

$40.69 MX$714

28.93%

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

$9.29 MYR 38.00

$26.87 MX$471

-65.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.03 MYR 135

$30.51 MX$535

8.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.88 MYR 179

$52.8 MX$926

-16.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.99 MYR 12.22

$26.65 MX$467

-88.78%

Cinema Ticket

$4.56 MYR 18.63

$6.51 MX$114

-29.95%

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

$128 MYR 525

$428 MX$7,508

-70.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,486 MYR 18.3K

$10.5K MX$184.2K

-57.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.4 MYR 243

$57.3 MX$1,004

3.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.13 MYR 94.6

$45.50 MX$798

-49.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.8 MYR 290

$104 MX$1,825

-31.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.8 MYR 384

$108 MX$1,891

-13.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$378 MYR 1,546

$1,003 MX$17.6K

-62.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$168 MYR 687

$623 MX$10.9K

-73.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$650 MYR 2,658

$2,109 MX$37.0K

-69.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$362 MYR 1,483

$1,218 MX$21.4K

-70.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,793 MYR 7,334

$3,885 MX$68.1K

-53.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,086 MYR 4,440

$2,033 MX$35.7K

-46.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 MYR 2,432

$1,038 MX$18.2K

-42.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

11.34

-66.49%

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

Last update for Kota Kinabalu: July 12, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $378 in Kota Kinabalu and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 75% 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: $19.00 in Kota Kinabalu vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $270 vs $292 per month, with Kota Kinabalu 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

Kota Kinabalu vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kota Kinabalu wins on cost – living expenses run 72% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kota Kinabalu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 75% lower in Mexico City. 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: $378 in Kota Kinabalu versus $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kota Kinabalu runs roughly 118% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $128 in Kota Kinabalu versus $428 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $848 in Kota Kinabalu versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kota Kinabalu but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Kota Kinabalu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kota Kinabalu delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $848 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kota Kinabalu hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Kota Kinabalu 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 Kota Kinabalu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 72% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.