Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuala Lumpur and Cuernavaca Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuala Lumpur and Cuernavaca

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,073 in Kuala Lumpur versus $980 in Cuernavaca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,604 in Kuala Lumpur versus $1,653 in Cuernavaca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,134 in Kuala Lumpur versus $2,326 in Cuernavaca.

Living in Kuala Lumpur is roughly 10% more expensive than in Cuernavaca, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kuala Lumpur 20% lower, Cuernavaca 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.57 MYR 18.69

$9.75 MX$171

-53.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.76 MYR 118

$37.50 MX$658

-23.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.77 MYR 19.53

$6.88 MX$121

-30.67%

Cappuccino

$2.99 MYR 12.23

$2.25 MX$39.40

32.89%

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

$0.85 MYR 3.48

$1.30 MX$22.72

-34.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 MYR 2.18

$0.78 MX$13.65

-32.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.23 MYR 17.29

$2.32 MX$40.63

82.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.73 MYR 23.42

$3.22 MX$56.4

77.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 MYR 8.12

$1.59 MX$27.92

25.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 MYR 4.25

$1.74 MX$30.45

-40.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 MYR 6.86

$1.34 MX$23.56

25.37%

Eggs

$2.18 MYR 8.93

$1.89 MX$33.19

15.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.74 MYR 60.3

$8.41 MX$148

75.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.59 MYR 18.79

$6.50 MX$114

-29.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.54 MYR 39.03

$13.15 MX$231

-27.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.84 MYR 11.61

$2.18 MX$38.17

30.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MYR 6.43

$1.28 MX$22.44

22.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.64 MYR 10.81

$1.77 MX$31.12

49.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 MYR 6.23

$1.61 MX$28.26

-5.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 MYR 5.06

$1.79 MX$31.38

-30.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 MYR 5.56

$1.83 MX$32.17

-25.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 MYR 4.95

$0.91 MX$15.88

32.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 MYR 2.78

$0.76 MX$13.30

-10.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.36 MYR 17.84

$4.31 MX$75.6

1.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.75 MYR 76.7

$8.41 MX$148

122.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.24 MYR 13.26

$1.12 MX$19.58

189.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.40 MYR 18.01

$2.90 MX$50.8

51.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 MYR 2.85

$0.51 MX$8.95

37.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.01 MYR 49.14

$26.59 MX$466

-54.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 MYR 4.72

$1.80 MX$31.55

-36.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.15 MYR 4.72

$1.19 MX$20.83

-3.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.68 MYR 19.14

$9.22 MX$162

-49.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.47 MYR 1.94

$1.23 MX$21.55

-61.79%

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

$40.7K MYR 166.5K

$18.8K MX$330.5K

116.05%

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

$32.5K MYR 132.8K

$20.6K MX$360.8K

57.81%

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

$64.5 MYR 264

$62.1 MX$1,088

3.96%

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

$11.31 MYR 46.27

$22.96 MX$403

-50.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.58 MYR 105

$28.71 MX$504

-10.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.83 MYR 192

$23.19 MX$407

101.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.89 MYR 32.26

$15.83 MX$278

-50.16%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MYR 20.75

$5.31 MX$93.2

-4.52%

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

$272 MYR 1,113

$208 MX$3,646

30.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,520 MYR 38.9K

$4,850 MX$85.1K

96.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.8 MYR 249

$47.78 MX$838

27.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.29 MYR 153

$40.16 MX$704

-7.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.2 MYR 356

$99.0 MX$1,737

-12.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.0 MYR 323

$83.7 MX$1,467

-5.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$575 MYR 2,350

$374 MX$6,560

53.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$363 MYR 1,486

$321 MX$5,632

13.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,089 MYR 4,456

$902 MX$15.8K

20.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$630 MYR 2,575

$786 MX$13.8K

-19.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,177 MYR 17.1K

$920 MX$16.1K

354.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,467 MYR 6,000

$637 MX$11.2K

130.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,521 MYR 6,222

$677 MX$11.9K

124.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

11.33

-60.55%

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

Last update for Kuala Lumpur: July 12, 2026

Last update for Cuernavaca: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $575 in Kuala Lumpur and $374 in Cuernavaca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kuala Lumpur pays 125% 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: $29.00 in Kuala Lumpur vs $38.00 in Cuernavaca. Groceries flip the comparison at $265 vs $227, with Cuernavaca cheaper for home cooking.

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

Kuala Lumpur vs Cuernavaca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cuernavaca is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 125% higher in Kuala Lumpur, 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: $575 in Kuala Lumpur versus $374 in Cuernavaca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Kuala Lumpur. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Cuernavaca – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $29.00 in Kuala Lumpur. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $980 in Cuernavaca versus $1,073 in Kuala Lumpur, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cuernavaca but tight or insufficient in Kuala Lumpur. The gap between the two cities makes Cuernavaca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cuernavaca is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Kuala Lumpur, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Kuala Lumpur and Cuernavaca 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 Cuernavaca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Kuala Lumpur. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.