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: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $781 in Bintulu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,224 in Bintulu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $1,667 in Bintulu.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 90% more expensive than Bintulu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Bintulu is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$3.71 MYR 14.66

249.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$17.73 MYR 70.0

199.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$5.67 MYR 22.40

71.43%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$2.80 MYR 11.07

33.93%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$0.62 MYR 2.44

153.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.39 MYR 1.55

189.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$2.80 MYR 11.05

13.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$4.89 MYR 19.33

-4.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$1.74 MYR 6.88

-6.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$1.38 MYR 5.45

96.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$1.32 MYR 5.21

42.42%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$2.11 MYR 8.34

18.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$16.62 MYR 65.7

-39.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$3.33 MYR 13.17

148.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$5.77 MYR 22.79

106.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$1.61 MYR 6.36

77.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$0.90 MYR 3.57

94.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$1.63 MYR 6.44

27.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$1.11 MYR 4.38

77.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$0.49 MYR 1.95

340.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$1.20 MYR 4.76

81.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$0.73 MYR 2.88

90.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$0.42 MYR 1.66

166.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$4.08 MYR 16.12

2.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$19.12 MYR 75.5

-25.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$2.79 MYR 11.01

-36.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$1.91 MYR 7.53

92.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$1.21 MYR 4.79

-67.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

$15.86 MYR 62.6

17.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$0.92 MYR 3.63

51.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$0.88 MYR 3.46

-65.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$2.39 MYR 9.46

126.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$0.51 MYR 2.03

164.71%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$42.8K MYR 168.9K

-55.84%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$38.2K MYR 151.0K

-39.42%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$57.9 MYR 229

-29.45%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$9.27 MYR 36.61

196.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$29.53 MYR 117

2.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$65.7 MYR 259

-18.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

$6.00 MYR 23.71

338.33%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$4.26 MYR 16.84

47.18%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$122 MYR 483

256.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$7,059 MYR 27.9K

48.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$63.3 MYR 250

-10.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$33.69 MYR 133

32.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$76.8 MYR 303

33.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$89.5 MYR 353

20.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$213 MYR 843

368.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$151 MYR 597

310.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$467 MYR 1,845

357.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$316 MYR 1,248

290.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$1,831 MYR 7,234

111.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$1,198 MYR 4,732

94.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

$639 MYR 2,525

66.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

4.5

152.00%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Last update for Bintulu: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $213 in Bintulu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 67% 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: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $18.00 in Bintulu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $222 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 90% 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.

Mexico City pays 67% 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $213 in Bintulu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,484 per month in Mexico City versus $781 in Bintulu – a 90% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bintulu runs roughly 18% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $781 in Bintulu versus $1,484 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 $781 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 90% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.