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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,472 per month in Mexico City vs $846 in Butterworth, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,359 per month in Mexico City vs $1,306 in Butterworth, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,245 per month in Mexico City vs $1,766 in Butterworth, rent included.

Mexico City costs about 74% more than Butterworth, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Mexico City sits 11% above the global median, while Butterworth is 36% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$228

$3.08 MYR 12.58

326.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$927

$20.93 MYR 85.5

155.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$162

$4.68 MYR 19.11

99.36%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.1

$2.85 MYR 11.65

29.82%

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

$1.60 MX$27.80

$0.72 MYR 2.96

122.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.37

$0.34 MYR 1.38

229.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.4

$4.29 MYR 17.53

-26.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$84.0

$4.35 MYR 17.78

11.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.65

$1.80 MYR 7.36

-8.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.02

$1.03 MYR 4.21

163.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.67 MYR 6.83

14.37%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.87

$2.12 MYR 8.66

22.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$14.62 MYR 59.7

-32.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$4.71 MYR 19.25

78.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$207

$9.92 MYR 40.52

20.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.2

$2.80 MYR 11.43

5.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.15

$1.47 MYR 6.00

18.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.43

$2.68 MYR 10.96

-23.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.69

$1.52 MYR 6.21

35.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.25

$1.14 MYR 4.67

88.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.08

$1.17 MYR 4.77

93.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.01

$0.90 MYR 3.68

54.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.45 MYR 1.85

148.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.1

$4.37 MYR 17.83

-3.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$18.14 MYR 74.1

-3.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.62

$2.70 MYR 11.02

-36.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.9

$3.47 MYR 14.19

4.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.11

$0.72 MYR 2.95

-51.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$335

$11.55 MYR 47.16

67.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$0.68 MYR 2.77

102.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.50 MYR 2.03

-44.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.4

$4.62 MYR 18.86

14.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.53

$0.49 MYR 2.01

177.55%

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

$19.1K MX$331.0K

$33.5K MYR 136.8K

-42.98%

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

$23.6K MX$409.0K

$27.6K MYR 112.5K

-14.33%

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

$40.53 MX$702

$39.20 MYR 160

3.39%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$10.29 MYR 42.00

166.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$25.61 MYR 105

18.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$905

$36.45 MYR 149

43.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$459

$5.96 MYR 24.33

344.30%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$4.93 MYR 20.13

25.56%

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

$425 MX$7,365

$239 MYR 975

78.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$186.0K

$6,139 MYR 25.1K

74.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,010

$54.5 MYR 222

7.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$772

$29.06 MYR 119

53.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,793

$60.7 MYR 248

70.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,884

$52.9 MYR 216

105.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.6K

$381 MYR 1,556

166.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$274 MYR 1,118

127.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$648 MYR 2,646

227.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$475 MYR 1,940

157.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.7K

$2,072 MYR 8,459

83.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.6K

$1,150 MYR 4,698

83.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

4.16

172.60%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Last update for Butterworth: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,014 in Mexico City versus $381 in Butterworth. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54.0 in Mexico City versus $21.00 in Butterworth. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $253 – making Butterworth the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Butterworth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,472 in Mexico City, $846 in Butterworth – roughly 74% apart. Mexico City costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,208 per month in Mexico City and $1,268 in Butterworth. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Butterworth, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,472 in Mexico City and $846 in Butterworth. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 67% less in Butterworth. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Butterworth, where all-in costs run around $846, than in Mexico City at $1,472. In Butterworth it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Mexico City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $846 in Butterworth to $1,472 in Mexico City. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Butterworth. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.