Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and George Town Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and George Town

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $969 in George Town.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,614 in George Town.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $2,259 in George Town.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 71% more expensive than in George Town, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, George Town is 29% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$206

$3.36 MYR 13.72

254.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$890

$15.02 MYR 61.3

243.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$4.75 MYR 19.39

140.21%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.9

$2.78 MYR 11.35

43.53%

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

$1.66 MX$28.61

$0.77 MYR 3.14

115.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.87

$0.32 MYR 1.32

315.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.9

$2.44 MYR 9.96

42.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$4.36 MYR 17.78

35.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.36

$1.80 MYR 7.36

4.44%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$1.09 MYR 4.45

198.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.26

$1.69 MYR 6.89

27.81%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.94

$2.22 MYR 9.06

30.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$222

$12.99 MYR 53.0

-1.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$4.30 MYR 17.55

133.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$8.63 MYR 35.22

83.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.8

$2.43 MYR 9.93

35.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.60

$1.48 MYR 6.05

35.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.93

$2.24 MYR 9.13

-1.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.63

$1.22 MYR 4.96

93.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.43

$0.92 MYR 3.77

122.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.79

$0.85 MYR 3.49

123.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$0.77 MYR 3.15

109.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.09

$0.54 MYR 2.21

159.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.2

$4.62 MYR 18.84

18.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$19.06 MYR 77.8

-7.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.44

$2.51 MYR 10.26

-17.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.8

$3.59 MYR 14.65

30.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.84

$0.47 MYR 1.90

-27.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$359

$10.93 MYR 44.63

90.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.15

$1.20 MYR 4.92

75.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.64

$0.47 MYR 1.94

19.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$6.71 MYR 27.41

-13.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$0.76 MYR 3.10

111.84%

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

$22.8K MX$393.8K

$42.6K MYR 173.7K

-46.33%

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

$26.8K MX$461.2K

$28.7K MYR 117.1K

-6.72%

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

$65.2 MX$1,124

$36.69 MYR 150

77.65%

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

$30.09 MX$519

$8.25 MYR 33.68

264.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$641

$29.93 MYR 122

24.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,030

$41.24 MYR 168

44.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$458

$4.77 MYR 19.49

456.60%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$4.71 MYR 19.23

49.47%

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

$465 MX$8,012

$175 MYR 715

165.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.9K

$4,966 MYR 20.3K

167.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,308

$55.0 MYR 225

37.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$965

$34.40 MYR 140

62.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,929

$73.1 MYR 298

53.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,078

$71.2 MYR 291

69.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$498 MYR 2,034

121.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$373 MYR 1,524

93.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$919 MYR 3,750

175.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$980 MYR 4,001

31.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

$1,081 MYR 4,414

-4.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

4.24

166.51%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for George Town: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $498 in George Town. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

George Town pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $15.00 in George Town for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $239 per month, with George Town 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 George Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

George Town is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 71% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 4% lower in George Town. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $498 in George Town. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in George Town runs roughly 90% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $175 in George Town. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $969 in George Town versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in George Town but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes George Town the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, George Town is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Mexico City, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and George Town 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 George Town gentler on the wallet – expenses run 71% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.