Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Bintulu Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Bintulu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $843 in Bintulu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,334 in Bintulu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $1,824 in Bintulu.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 97% more expensive than in Bintulu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Bintulu is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$205

$3.89 MYR 15.88

206.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$889

$18.53 MYR 75.6

178.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$5.78 MYR 23.57

97.40%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.8

$2.96 MYR 12.09

34.80%

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

$1.66 MX$28.57

$0.64 MYR 2.62

159.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.84

$0.37 MYR 1.53

259.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.8

$2.93 MYR 11.94

18.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$5.13 MYR 20.93

15.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.31

$2.16 MYR 8.80

-12.96%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.0

$1.37 MYR 5.61

137.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.21

$1.32 MYR 5.39

63.64%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.87

$2.18 MYR 8.90

33.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$221

$16.92 MYR 69.0

-24.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$3.46 MYR 14.12

190.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$5.93 MYR 24.20

167.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.7

$1.67 MYR 6.82

97.01%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.55

$1.01 MYR 4.11

99.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$1.67 MYR 6.82

31.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.57

$1.16 MYR 4.75

103.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.38

$0.52 MYR 2.10

294.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.75

$1.20 MYR 4.89

58.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.64

$0.76 MYR 3.09

111.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.05

$0.44 MYR 1.81

218.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.1

$4.20 MYR 17.13

30.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$19.38 MYR 79.1

-8.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.39

$2.90 MYR 11.85

-28.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.7

$1.93 MYR 7.87

142.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.83

$1.20 MYR 4.88

-71.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$358

$16.15 MYR 65.9

28.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.11

$1.00 MYR 4.07

110.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.63

$0.89 MYR 3.64

-37.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$2.40 MYR 9.77

142.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$0.59 MYR 2.40

172.88%

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

$22.8K MX$393.3K

$45.0K MYR 183.6K

-49.25%

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

$26.8K MX$460.6K

$38.8K MYR 158.5K

-31.13%

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

$65.2 MX$1,122

$59.7 MYR 244

9.18%

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

$30.09 MX$518

$31.36 MYR 128

-4.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$640

$31.26 MYR 128

18.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,029

$68.8 MYR 281

-13.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$457

$12.31 MYR 50.2

115.68%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$4.47 MYR 18.22

57.49%

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

$465 MX$8,001

$129 MYR 528

259.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.6K

$7,469 MYR 30.5K

77.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,307

$66.1 MYR 270

14.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$963

$35.14 MYR 143

59.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,926

$79.7 MYR 325

40.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,075

$91.7 MYR 374

31.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$219 MYR 892

404.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$155 MYR 632

365.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$487 MYR 1,988

419.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$338 MYR 1,378

282.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.7K

$1,724 MYR 7,035

131.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

$1,139 MYR 4,646

83.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

$603 MYR 2,458

72.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

4.5

151.11%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Bintulu: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $219 in Bintulu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 72% 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: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $19.00 in Bintulu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $232 per month, with Bintulu cheaper across the board.

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 Bintulu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bintulu wins on cost – living expenses run 97% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bintulu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 72% higher in Mexico City, 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: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $219 in Bintulu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,660 per month in Mexico City versus $843 in Bintulu – a 97% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bintulu runs roughly 29% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $843 in Bintulu versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bintulu but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Bintulu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bintulu delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $843 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bintulu hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Bintulu 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 Bintulu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 97% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.