Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kulim and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Kulim: $891 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Kulim
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Kulim Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Kulim

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$891

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kulim and in Mexico City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Kulim and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $891 per month in Kulim vs $1,608 in Mexico City, rent included.

Kulim $891
Mexico City $1,608

A couple spends around $1,374 per month in Kulim vs $2,549 in Mexico City, rent included.

Kulim $1,374
Mexico City $2,549

A family of three spends $1,857 per month in Kulim vs $3,490 in Mexico City, rent included.

Kulim $1,857
Mexico City $3,490

Kulim is about 45% cheaper than Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Kulim sits 35% below the global median, while Mexico City is 18% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.72 MYR 15.21

$10.62 MX$199

-64.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.45 MYR 79.5

$48.35 MX$904

-59.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.53 MYR 18.50

$10.35 MX$193

-56.23%

Cappuccino

$2.89 MYR 11.80

$3.69 MX$69.0

-21.68%

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

$0.78 MYR 3.20

$1.67 MX$31.14

-53.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 MYR 1.71

$1.27 MX$23.65

-66.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.90 MYR 15.95

$3.19 MX$59.7

22.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MYR 18.82

$5.31 MX$99.2

-13.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 MYR 7.99

$1.72 MX$32.23

13.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 MYR 5.02

$3.04 MX$56.8

-59.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 MYR 5.31

$1.94 MX$36.27

-32.99%

Eggs

$2.23 MYR 9.10

$2.89 MX$54.0

-22.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.68 MYR 51.8

$10.97 MX$205

15.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.85 MYR 15.75

$9.25 MX$173

-58.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.72 MYR 43.82

$15.13 MX$283

-29.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MYR 12.46

$3.05 MX$57.0

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 MYR 7.71

$1.94 MX$36.27

-2.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MYR 10.40

$2.03 MX$37.85

25.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.44 MYR 5.90

$2.31 MX$43.25

-37.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 MYR 4.85

$2.04 MX$38.03

-41.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 MYR 5.55

$1.80 MX$33.63

-24.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MYR 4.42

$1.48 MX$27.64

-27.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 MYR 2.16

$1.27 MX$23.69

-58.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.47 MYR 18.28

$5.30 MX$99.1

-15.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.05 MYR 86.1

$16.10 MX$301

30.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.07 MYR 12.53

$1.98 MX$37.06

55.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 MYR 15.95

$4.25 MX$79.5

-8.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 MYR 3.06

$0.31 MX$5.70

141.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 MYR 51.7

$19.73 MX$369

-35.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.04 MYR 4.24

$1.84 MX$34.34

-43.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MYR 2.29

$0.53 MX$9.97

5.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.26 MYR 33.75

$5.30 MX$99.0

55.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.74 MYR 3.01

$1.51 MX$28.23

-50.99%

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

$48.9K MYR 199.7K

$21.8K MX$406.5K

124.66%

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

$30.9K MYR 126.3K

$24.0K MX$448.2K

28.87%

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

$45.19 MYR 185

$63.0 MX$1,177

-28.25%

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

$8.70 MYR 35.55

$27.39 MX$512

-68.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.83 MYR 106

$35.67 MX$666

-27.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.10 MYR 148

$58.9 MX$1,101

-38.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.37 MYR 30.13

$23.64 MX$442

-68.82%

Cinema Ticket

$4.46 MYR 18.22

$6.40 MX$120

-30.31%

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

$268 MYR 1,094

$432 MX$8,065

-37.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,096 MYR 29.0K

$11.4K MX$213.5K

-37.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.2 MYR 254

$68.2 MX$1,275

-8.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.78 MYR 126

$53.1 MX$993

-42.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.2 MYR 315

$108 MX$2,014

-28.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.8 MYR 290

$117 MX$2,191

-39.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$419 MYR 1,713

$1,113 MX$20.8K

-62.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$265 MYR 1,082

$710 MX$13.3K

-62.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 MYR 3,119

$2,588 MX$48.4K

-70.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$497 MYR 2,032

$1,406 MX$26.3K

-64.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,141 MYR 8,749

$3,631 MX$67.8K

-41.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,272 MYR 5,200

$2,135 MX$39.9K

-40.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

11.35

-64.23%

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

Last update for Kulim: October 26, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Kulim

$265 29.7%

Mexico City

$710 44.2% 168% $446

Groceries & Markets

Kulim

$262 29.4%

Mexico City

$320 19.9% 22.2% $58

Eating Out

Kulim

$112 12.5%

Mexico City

$199 12.4% 78.1% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Kulim

$108 12.2%

Mexico City

$156 9.7% 43.8% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kulim

$80 9%

Mexico City

$126 7.8% 58.1% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Kulim

$45 5.1%

Mexico City

$72 4.5% 59.4% $27

Getting Around

Kulim

$19 2.2%

Mexico City

$25 1.6% 30.7% $6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $419 in Kulim versus $1,113 in Mexico City. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Kulim versus $48 in Mexico City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $262 vs $320 – making Kulim the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kulim

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

19:18 7:18 PM

05:18 5:18 AM

14 h behind Kulim

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

319,056

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4.09 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.55 MYR (1 MYR = 0.22 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.69 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 20.8 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Kulim Mexico City 16,520 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Kulim
Mexico City

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

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

Mexico City costs about 81% more than Kulim, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,336 per month in Kulim and $2,412 in Mexico City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kulim, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $419 there versus $1,113 in Mexico City.

Groceries cost about 22% more in Mexico City, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Kulim and $48 in Mexico City. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $891 in Kulim and $1,608 in Mexico City. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Kulim – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Kulim is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 81% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.