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: $1,082 in Kuala Lumpur versus $987 in Cuernavaca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,632 in Kuala Lumpur versus $1,692 in Cuernavaca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,182 in Kuala Lumpur versus $2,398 in Cuernavaca.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Kuala Lumpur 19% lower, Cuernavaca 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.81 MYR 19.06

$9.38 MX$162

-48.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.80 MYR 110

$36.39 MX$629

-23.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.85 MYR 19.22

$6.99 MX$121

-30.62%

Cappuccino

$3.12 MYR 12.37

$2.32 MX$40.10

34.48%

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

$0.84 MYR 3.32

$1.25 MX$21.64

-32.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 MYR 1.97

$0.72 MX$12.47

-30.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.31 MYR 17.09

$2.19 MX$37.82

96.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 MYR 23.65

$3.11 MX$53.8

91.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 MYR 7.90

$1.56 MX$26.96

27.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 MYR 4.01

$1.75 MX$30.18

-42.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MYR 6.77

$1.39 MX$24.13

23.02%

Eggs

$2.28 MYR 9.05

$1.80 MX$31.19

26.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.58 MYR 57.8

$8.32 MX$144

75.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.76 MYR 18.87

$6.27 MX$108

-24.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.50 MYR 37.66

$12.96 MX$224

-26.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 MYR 11.75

$2.16 MX$37.29

37.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 MYR 6.49

$1.34 MX$23.15

22.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 MYR 10.63

$1.77 MX$30.66

51.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 MYR 6.04

$1.61 MX$27.83

-5.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 MYR 4.89

$1.70 MX$29.39

-27.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 MYR 5.32

$1.85 MX$31.98

-27.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 MYR 4.61

$0.97 MX$16.85

19.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 MYR 2.48

$0.77 MX$13.37

-18.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 MYR 17.09

$4.20 MX$72.6

2.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.29 MYR 76.5

$8.85 MX$153

117.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.29 MYR 13.05

$1.11 MX$19.27

196.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 MYR 16.74

$2.98 MX$51.5

41.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 MYR 2.90

$0.55 MX$9.57

32.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.82 MYR 46.87

$26.70 MX$462

-55.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 MYR 4.56

$1.83 MX$31.68

-37.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 MYR 4.38

$1.20 MX$20.79

-8.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.79 MYR 18.99

$9.08 MX$157

-47.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.48 MYR 1.89

$1.29 MX$22.24

-62.79%

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

$39.8K MYR 157.9K

$18.6K MX$321.4K

114.37%

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

$32.3K MYR 128.0K

$20.8K MX$359.8K

55.24%

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

$65.0 MYR 258

$60.9 MX$1,054

6.58%

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

$11.46 MYR 45.44

$22.81 MX$394

-49.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.42 MYR 101

$28.66 MX$496

-11.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.84 MYR 186

$23.12 MX$400

102.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.85 MYR 31.13

$16.17 MX$280

-51.45%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MYR 20.03

$5.44 MX$94.0

-7.17%

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

$268 MYR 1,064

$213 MX$3,677

26.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,519 MYR 37.7K

$4,852 MX$83.9K

96.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 MYR 238

$47.28 MX$818

26.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.97 MYR 147

$40.11 MX$694

-7.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 MYR 343

$100 MX$1,737

-13.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.6 MYR 323

$82.7 MX$1,430

-1.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$561 MYR 2,224

$375 MX$6,483

49.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$369 MYR 1,465

$321 MX$5,556

15.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,057 MYR 4,189

$897 MX$15.5K

17.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$646 MYR 2,563

$786 MX$13.6K

-17.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,233 MYR 16.8K

$905 MX$15.7K

367.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,524 MYR 6,044

$634 MX$11.0K

140.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,785 MYR 7,077

$694 MX$12.0K

157.32%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Cuernavaca: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $561 in Kuala Lumpur and $375 in Cuernavaca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kuala Lumpur pays 157% 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: $28.00 in Kuala Lumpur vs $36.00 in Cuernavaca. Groceries flip the comparison at $267 vs $226, 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.

Kuala Lumpur pays 157% more on average, 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: $561 in Kuala Lumpur versus $375 in Cuernavaca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% 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 $36.00 versus $28.00 in Kuala Lumpur. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $987 in Cuernavaca versus $1,082 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.