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: $937 in Kota Kinabalu versus $1,646 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,460 in Kota Kinabalu versus $2,613 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,983 in Kota Kinabalu versus $3,580 in Mexico City.

Living in Kota Kinabalu costs roughly 43% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kota Kinabalu is 32% below, Mexico City is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.64 MYR 14.72

$12.11 MX$206

-69.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.15 MYR 81.5

$52.2 MX$887

-61.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.03 MYR 20.35

$10.90 MX$185

-53.85%

Cappuccino

$2.76 MYR 11.16

$4.05 MX$68.8

-31.85%

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

$0.56 MYR 2.25

$1.72 MX$29.13

-67.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 MYR 1.35

$1.38 MX$23.40

-76.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.50 MYR 10.10

$3.47 MX$58.9

-27.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 MYR 14.85

$5.81 MX$98.7

-36.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 MYR 7.46

$1.85 MX$31.48

-0.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 MYR 5.49

$3.22 MX$54.7

-57.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 MYR 9.34

$2.09 MX$35.42

10.53%

Eggs

$3.60 MYR 14.56

$2.91 MX$49.41

23.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.42 MYR 115

$12.49 MX$212

127.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 MYR 14.69

$10.11 MX$172

-64.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.78 MYR 27.42

$15.89 MX$270

-57.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 MYR 9.25

$3.31 MX$56.3

-30.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 MYR 5.61

$2.13 MX$36.12

-34.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 MYR 7.81

$2.19 MX$37.20

-11.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MYR 8.19

$2.45 MX$41.57

-17.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MYR 7.18

$2.19 MX$37.18

-18.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 MYR 8.72

$1.90 MX$32.35

13.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MYR 4.19

$1.62 MX$27.44

-35.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 MYR 1.77

$1.35 MX$22.92

-67.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.78 MYR 19.31

$5.43 MX$92.1

-11.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.33 MYR 66.0

$17.59 MX$299

-7.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.69 MYR 14.91

$2.07 MX$35.12

78.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MYR 10.21

$4.75 MX$80.6

-46.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 MYR 7.90

$0.34 MX$5.77

473.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.28 MYR 171

$21.58 MX$366

95.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.95 MYR 7.89

$2.04 MX$34.65

-4.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 MYR 0.97

$0.58 MX$9.82

-58.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 MX$101

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.70 MYR 2.83

$1.62 MX$27.44

-56.79%

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

$41.7K MYR 168.8K

$22.8K MX$387.4K

82.99%

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

$35.6K MYR 143.8K

$26.7K MX$452.8K

33.45%

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

$68.8 MYR 278

$65.2 MX$1,108

5.38%

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

$9.77 MYR 39.48

$29.87 MX$507

-67.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.19 MYR 130

$36.55 MX$621

-11.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 MYR 213

$61.0 MX$1,036

-13.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.06 MYR 12.37

$26.70 MX$453

-88.54%

Cinema Ticket

$5.41 MYR 21.86

$6.85 MX$116

-21.02%

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

$144 MYR 581

$453 MX$7,700

-68.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,144 MYR 28.9K

$13.4K MX$227.1K

-46.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.5 MYR 342

$75.0 MX$1,273

12.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 MYR 152

$55.3 MX$939

-32.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.5 MYR 382

$114 MX$1,929

-16.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.80 MYR 197

$123 MX$2,083

-60.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$429 MYR 1,733

$1,134 MX$19.3K

-62.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$195 MYR 788

$712 MX$12.1K

-72.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$680 MYR 2,750

$2,571 MX$43.7K

-73.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$378 MYR 1,529

$1,311 MX$22.3K

-71.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,845 MYR 7,458

$3,993 MX$67.8K

-53.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,092 MYR 4,417

$2,095 MX$35.6K

-47.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$582 MYR 2,354

$1,047 MX$17.8K

-44.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.9

11.3

-65.49%

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

Last update for Kota Kinabalu: August 30, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $429 in Kota Kinabalu and $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 80% 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: $20.00 in Kota Kinabalu vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $345 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 76% 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 80% 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: $429 in Kota Kinabalu versus $1,134 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 96% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $144 in Kota Kinabalu versus $453 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $937 in Kota Kinabalu versus $1,646 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 $937 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 76% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.