Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Labuan and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Labuan: $1,020 a month against $1,567 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

48

Cost of Living Index in Labuan
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Labuan Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Labuan

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,020

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,567

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Labuan 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 Labuan and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,020 in Labuan versus $1,567 in Mexico City.

Labuan $1,020
Mexico City $1,567

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,487 in Labuan versus $2,450 in Mexico City.

Labuan $1,487
Mexico City $2,450

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,953 in Labuan versus $3,333 in Mexico City.

Labuan $1,953
Mexico City $3,333

Living in Labuan costs roughly 35% less than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Labuan is 24% below, Mexico City is 16% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.52 MYR 22.53

$10.75 MX$199

-48.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.16 MYR 98.6

$50.3 MX$929

-51.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.66 MYR 27.19

$11.10 MX$205

-40.00%

Cappuccino

$3.93 MYR 16.05

$3.68 MX$68.1

6.79%

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

$1.06 MYR 4.34

$1.65 MX$30.42

-35.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 MYR 1.83

$1.30 MX$24.08

-65.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.72 MYR 15.19

$3.32 MX$61.3

12.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 MYR 18.48

$5.54 MX$102

-18.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 MYR 7.43

$1.77 MX$32.68

2.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 MYR 4.26

$3.05 MX$56.4

-65.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 MYR 6.07

$2.01 MX$37.20

-25.87%

Eggs

$2.10 MYR 8.58

$2.77 MX$51.1

-24.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.82 MYR 68.6

$11.91 MX$220

41.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.42 MYR 18.03

$9.33 MX$172

-52.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.50 MYR 38.76

$15.02 MX$278

-36.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 MYR 12.95

$3.08 MX$56.8

2.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 MYR 7.46

$1.95 MX$35.97

-6.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 MYR 9.75

$2.03 MX$37.54

17.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 MYR 7.17

$2.21 MX$40.92

-20.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 MYR 5.68

$2.02 MX$37.41

-31.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 MYR 4.20

$1.82 MX$33.67

-43.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MYR 4.81

$1.52 MX$28.07

-22.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MYR 2.20

$1.28 MX$23.65

-57.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.04 MYR 20.57

$5.27 MX$97.4

-4.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.29 MYR 66.5

$16.12 MX$298

1.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.21 MYR 13.11

$1.95 MX$36.05

64.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 MYR 17.90

$4.25 MX$78.6

3.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.78 MYR 3.17

$0.31 MX$5.82

151.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.66 MYR 43.48

$19.85 MX$367

-46.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.34 MYR 5.47

$2.00 MX$36.93

-33.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.48 MYR 1.97

$0.53 MX$9.86

-9.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.48 MYR 26.43

$5.62 MX$104

15.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 MYR 3.58

$1.52 MX$28.07

-42.11%

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

$44.0K MYR 179.5K

$21.0K MX$388.7K

109.20%

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

$32.5K MYR 132.7K

$25.2K MX$465.3K

29.19%

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

$48.90 MYR 199

$62.5 MX$1,155

-21.75%

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

$9.68 MYR 39.49

$28.77 MX$532

-66.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.69 MYR 113

$34.45 MX$637

-19.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.60 MYR 170

$57.1 MX$1,055

-27.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.68 MYR 31.32

$24.81 MX$458

-69.04%

Cinema Ticket

$4.29 MYR 17.51

$6.67 MX$123

-35.68%

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

$208 MYR 849

$431 MX$7,964

-51.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,011 MYR 28.6K

$11.7K MX$216.9K

-40.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 MYR 228

$70.8 MX$1,308

-21.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.07 MYR 123

$51.8 MX$958

-41.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 MYR 355

$109 MX$2,011

-20.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.8 MYR 334

$112 MX$2,076

-27.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$433 MYR 1,768

$1,051 MX$19.4K

-58.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$342 MYR 1,397

$665 MX$12.3K

-48.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$641 MYR 2,614

$2,346 MX$43.3K

-72.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$464 MYR 1,892

$1,227 MX$22.7K

-62.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,282 MYR 9,308

$3,554 MX$65.7K

-35.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,136 MYR 4,636

$1,977 MX$36.5K

-42.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$374 MYR 1,525

$975 MX$18.0K

-61.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

11.3

-64.07%

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

Last update for Labuan: October 12, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Labuan

$342 33.6%

Mexico City

$665 42.4% 94.2% $323

Groceries & Markets

Labuan

$264 25.9%

Mexico City

$323 20.6% 22.2% $59

Eating Out

Labuan

$145 14.2%

Mexico City

$203 13% 39.9% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Labuan

$115 11.2%

Mexico City

$155 9.9% 35% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Labuan

$86 8.5%

Mexico City

$126 8% 45.7% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Labuan

$50 4.9%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 40.3% $20

Getting Around

Labuan

$18 1.7%

Mexico City

$26 1.6% 47.1% $8.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $433 in Labuan and $1,051 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 161% 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: $24.00 in Labuan vs $50.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $264 vs $323 per month, with Labuan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Labuan

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

09:03 9:03 AM

19:03 7:03 PM

14 h behind Labuan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

95,120

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Labuan Mexico City 15,360 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Labuan
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

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

Labuan is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 54% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 161% 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: $433 in Labuan versus $1,051 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $208 in Labuan versus $431 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,020 in Labuan versus $1,567 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Labuan but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Labuan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Labuan 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 Labuan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.