Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Johor Bahru Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Johor Bahru

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $1,048 in Johor Bahru.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,549 in Johor Bahru.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $2,050 in Johor Bahru.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 58% more expensive than in Johor Bahru, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Johor Bahru is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$205

$3.68 MYR 15.05

223.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$886

$21.22 MYR 86.9

143.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$196

$4.89 MYR 20.01

133.33%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.6

$2.93 MYR 12.01

36.18%

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

$1.66 MX$28.48

$0.84 MYR 3.44

97.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.77

$0.52 MYR 2.11

155.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.6

$4.39 MYR 17.97

-20.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$101

$6.32 MYR 25.88

-6.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.21

$1.67 MYR 6.83

12.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$55.9

$1.11 MYR 4.53

192.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.10

$1.43 MYR 5.86

51.05%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.72

$1.68 MYR 6.89

72.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$221

$18.49 MYR 75.7

-30.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$4.67 MYR 19.13

115.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$272

$10.73 MYR 43.91

47.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.6

$3.29 MYR 13.48

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.44

$1.76 MYR 7.21

14.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.76

$3.75 MYR 15.34

-41.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.44

$1.68 MYR 6.86

40.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.27

$1.41 MYR 5.79

45.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.64

$1.67 MYR 6.82

13.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.55

$1.38 MYR 5.64

16.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$23.98

$0.54 MYR 2.22

159.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$93.8

$4.23 MYR 17.32

29.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$303

$14.40 MYR 58.9

22.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.28

$2.96 MYR 12.11

-30.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.4

$3.08 MYR 12.63

51.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.81

$0.72 MYR 2.93

-52.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$357

$12.16 MYR 49.79

71.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$35.99

$1.43 MYR 5.84

46.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.60

$0.75 MYR 3.09

-25.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$99.8

$9.99 MYR 40.88

-41.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.56

$0.82 MYR 3.36

96.34%

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

$22.8K MX$392.1K

$42.6K MYR 174.3K

-46.35%

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

$26.8K MX$459.2K

$35.7K MYR 146.2K

-25.09%

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

$65.2 MX$1,119

$53.6 MYR 219

21.70%

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

$30.09 MX$517

$11.39 MYR 46.60

164.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$638

$28.27 MYR 116

31.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,026

$40.40 MYR 165

47.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$456

$5.79 MYR 23.72

358.55%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$4.79 MYR 19.61

46.97%

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

$465 MX$7,976

$161 MYR 658

189.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$227.8K

$4,523 MYR 18.5K

193.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,303

$53.7 MYR 220

41.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$960

$16.30 MYR 66.7

243.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,920

$83.2 MYR 340

34.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,068

$98.1 MYR 401

22.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$18.9K

$515 MYR 2,108

114.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$397 MYR 1,625

81.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.4K

$905 MYR 3,702

179.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.2K

$639 MYR 2,615

102.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.5K

$2,058 MYR 8,423

93.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$35.9K

$1,177 MYR 4,818

77.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.8K

$1,090 MYR 4,460

-4.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

4.06

178.33%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Johor Bahru: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $515 in Johor Bahru. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Johor Bahru pays 5% 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 $21.00 in Johor Bahru for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $271 per month, with Johor Bahru 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 Johor Bahru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Johor Bahru differ by about 58% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $1,048 including rent). Johor Bahru is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 5% lower in Johor Bahru. 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 $515 in Johor Bahru. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Johor Bahru – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,660 per month in Mexico City versus $1,048 in Johor Bahru – a 58% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,048 in Johor Bahru versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Johor Bahru but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Johor Bahru 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 Johor Bahru 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 Johor Bahru gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.