Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Alor Setar

For one person, living is cheaper in Alor Setar: $868 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Alor Setar
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Alor Setar Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Alor Setar

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$868

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Alor Setar

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

A single person spends $1,608 per month in Mexico City vs $868 in Alor Setar, rent included.

Mexico City $1,608
Alor Setar $868

A couple spends around $2,549 per month in Mexico City vs $1,310 in Alor Setar, rent included.

Mexico City $2,549
Alor Setar $1,310

A family of three spends $3,490 per month in Mexico City vs $1,752 in Alor Setar, rent included.

Mexico City $3,490
Alor Setar $1,752

Mexico City costs about 85% more than Alor Setar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Mexico City sits 18% above the global median, while Alor Setar is 36% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$198

$2.06 MYR 8.38

415.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$901

$12.28 MYR 50.0

293.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$193

$4.09 MYR 16.65

153.06%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$68.8

$1.92 MYR 7.84

92.19%

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

$1.67 MX$31.07

$0.54 MYR 2.18

209.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.59

$0.30 MYR 1.23

323.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.5

$4.10 MYR 16.71

-22.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$98.9

$4.52 MYR 18.42

17.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.15

$1.61 MYR 6.56

6.83%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$56.7

$0.85 MYR 3.47

257.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.19

$1.75 MYR 7.11

10.86%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$53.8

$1.53 MYR 6.22

88.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$205

$13.63 MYR 55.5

-19.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$172

$4.32 MYR 17.62

114.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$282

$8.47 MYR 34.51

78.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$56.8

$3.07 MYR 12.50

-0.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.19

$1.19 MYR 4.84

63.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.75

$2.60 MYR 10.61

-21.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.15

$1.47 MYR 5.98

57.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$37.94

$1.06 MYR 4.32

92.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.55

$1.08 MYR 4.38

66.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.58

$1.09 MYR 4.45

35.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.63

$0.57 MYR 2.33

122.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$98.9

$4.45 MYR 18.13

19.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$300

$18.90 MYR 77.0

-14.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$36.97

$2.98 MYR 12.15

-33.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.3

$5.18 MYR 21.11

-17.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.69

$0.70 MYR 2.84

-55.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$368

$12.69 MYR 51.7

55.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.25

$1.73 MYR 7.03

6.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.94

$0.41 MYR 1.66

29.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$98.7

$7.38 MYR 30.09

-28.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.16

$0.49 MYR 1.99

208.16%

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

$21.8K MX$405.5K

$45.3K MYR 184.5K

-51.96%

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

$24.0K MX$447.1K

$35.8K MYR 146.1K

-33.09%

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

$63.0 MX$1,174

$37.81 MYR 154

66.57%

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

$27.39 MX$511

$7.47 MYR 30.44

266.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$665

$21.90 MYR 89.3

62.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,099

$37.64 MYR 153

56.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$441

$6.37 MYR 25.95

271.11%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$119

$4.83 MYR 19.68

32.51%

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

$432 MX$8,045

$396 MYR 1,615

8.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$212.9K

$10.7K MYR 43.6K

6.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,272

$59.6 MYR 243

14.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$990

$35.76 MYR 146

48.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,009

$81.7 MYR 333

31.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,186

$68.9 MYR 281

70.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.8K

$421 MYR 1,713

164.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.2K

$294 MYR 1,197

141.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.2K

$653 MYR 2,660

296.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.2K

$532 MYR 2,167

164.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$67.7K

$2,256 MYR 9,193

60.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$39.8K

$1,157 MYR 4,712

84.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.6K

$1,600 MYR 6,519

-40.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

4.04

180.94%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Alor Setar: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Alor Setar

$294 33.8% 58.7% $417

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Alor Setar

$245 28.3% 23.2% $74

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Alor Setar

$85 9.8% 57.4% $114

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Alor Setar

$111 12.8% 29% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Alor Setar

$67 7.7% 46.7% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Alor Setar

$47 5.5% 34.1% $24

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Alor Setar

$19 2.2% 24.4% $6.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,113 in Mexico City versus $421 in Alor Setar. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 69% higher in Alor Setar, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Mexico City versus $12 in Alor Setar. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $320 vs $245 – making Alor Setar the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇲🇾 Alor Setar

🕒 Local time

16:58 4:58 PM

06:58 6:58 AM

14 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

423,868

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4.07 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.54 MYR (1 MYR = 0.22 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Alor Setar 16,460 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Alor Setar

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

Mexico City vs Alor Setar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City costs about 85% more than Alor Setar, 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 $2,412 per month in Mexico City and $1,303 in Alor Setar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Alor Setar, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $421 there versus $1,113 in Mexico City.

Kindergarten costs $432 per month in Mexico City and $396 in Alor Setar. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 30% more in Mexico City, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,608 in Mexico City and $868 in Alor Setar. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

For expats, Alor Setar is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 46% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.