Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Bukit Mertajam Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Bukit Mertajam

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $646 in Bukit Mertajam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,207 in Bukit Mertajam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,768 in Bukit Mertajam.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 127% more expensive than Bukit Mertajam, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Bukit Mertajam is 52% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$1.92 MYR 7.61

586.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$19.84 MYR 78.7

171.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$3.73 MYR 14.79

152.55%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$2.34 MYR 9.29

51.71%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$0.69 MYR 2.73

134.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.34 MYR 1.34

226.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$3.08 MYR 12.19

1.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$4.64 MYR 18.39

-0.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.62 MYR 6.44

4.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$1.13 MYR 4.47

140.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$0.58 MYR 2.28

229.31%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$1.85 MYR 7.34

37.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$22.54 MYR 89.4

-55.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$4.93 MYR 19.54

64.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$10.41 MYR 41.29

11.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$3.85 MYR 15.28

-22.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.72 MYR 6.83

5.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$3.32 MYR 13.14

-39.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$2.66 MYR 10.56

-23.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$1.76 MYR 6.98

20.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$1.00 MYR 3.98

127.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$1.13 MYR 4.49

23.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.33 MYR 1.33

242.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$4.13 MYR 16.37

3.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$19.25 MYR 76.3

-19.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$4.35 MYR 17.26

-59.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$2.61 MYR 10.35

37.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.69 MYR 2.75

-44.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$11.92 MYR 47.26

60.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$1.20 MYR 4.74

15.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$1.15 MYR 4.54

-75.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$4.41 MYR 17.48

23.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$0.49 MYR 1.96

165.31%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$43.0K MYR 170.6K

-56.57%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$32.0K MYR 126.8K

-27.67%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$26.96 MYR 107

51.56%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$9.44 MYR 37.44

184.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$28.04 MYR 111

6.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$37.01 MYR 147

40.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$5.81 MYR 23.02

361.96%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$4.26 MYR 16.90

47.89%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$120 MYR 474

264.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$4,316 MYR 17.1K

141.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$11.89 MYR 47.16

376.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$62.3 MYR 247

-28.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$23.71 MYR 94.0

334.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$78.0 MYR 309

35.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$379 MYR 1,504

169.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$58.8 MYR 233

972.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$644 MYR 2,555

231.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$468 MYR 1,855

165.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$987 MYR 3,912

13.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

3.96

186.36%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Bukit Mertajam: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $379 in Bukit Mertajam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 13% 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $20.00 in Bukit Mertajam. Groceries flip the comparison at $288 vs $298, with Mexico City cheaper for home cooking.

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 Bukit Mertajam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Bukit Mertajam differ by about 127% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $646 including rent). Bukit Mertajam is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 13% 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $379 in Bukit Mertajam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Bukit Mertajam – a meal for two runs $20.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,467 per month in Mexico City versus $646 in Bukit Mertajam – a 127% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $646 in Bukit Mertajam versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bukit Mertajam but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Bukit Mertajam the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Bukit Mertajam 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 Bukit Mertajam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 127% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.