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: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $966 in Johor Bahru.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,378 in Johor Bahru.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $1,791 in Johor Bahru.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 54% more expensive than Johor Bahru, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Johor Bahru is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$3.53 MYR 13.93

267.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$18.69 MYR 73.8

183.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$4.76 MYR 18.82

104.20%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$3.01 MYR 11.90

24.58%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$0.85 MYR 3.35

84.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.49 MYR 1.93

130.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$3.51 MYR 13.85

-9.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$6.76 MYR 26.71

-31.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$1.80 MYR 7.11

-10.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$0.98 MYR 3.89

176.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$1.24 MYR 4.89

51.61%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$1.84 MYR 7.26

36.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$10.67 MYR 42.16

-5.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$3.55 MYR 14.01

133.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$8.25 MYR 32.60

44.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$2.66 MYR 10.51

7.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$1.46 MYR 5.76

19.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$2.57 MYR 10.16

-19.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$1.25 MYR 4.93

57.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$1.14 MYR 4.51

89.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$1.34 MYR 5.30

62.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$0.94 MYR 3.71

47.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$0.52 MYR 2.04

115.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$4.17 MYR 16.47

0.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$14.50 MYR 57.3

-1.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$2.68 MYR 10.59

-34.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$2.92 MYR 11.53

26.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.72 MYR 2.86

-45.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

$11.81 MYR 46.65

58.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$0.97 MYR 3.84

43.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$1.02 MYR 4.04

-70.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$9.09 MYR 35.92

-40.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$0.47 MYR 1.84

187.23%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$34.8K MYR 137.4K

-45.73%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$28.1K MYR 111.0K

-17.65%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$40.87 MYR 161

-0.12%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$9.23 MYR 36.44

197.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$30.64 MYR 121

-0.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$35.09 MYR 139

52.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

$5.82 MYR 22.99

351.89%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$4.90 MYR 19.35

27.96%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$191 MYR 755

128.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$6,900 MYR 27.3K

51.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$49.07 MYR 194

15.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$19.14 MYR 75.6

134.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$54.2 MYR 214

89.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$39.65 MYR 157

172.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$468 MYR 1,848

113.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$396 MYR 1,565

56.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$843 MYR 3,331

153.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$599 MYR 2,366

106.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$2,090 MYR 8,254

84.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$1,190 MYR 4,700

96.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

$1,155 MYR 4,562

-7.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

4.07

178.62%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Last update for Johor Bahru: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $468 in Johor Bahru. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Johor Bahru pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $19.00 in Johor Bahru for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $218 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 54% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $966 including rent). Johor Bahru is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Johor Bahru earns 8% less. 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $468 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 $19.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,484 per month in Mexico City versus $966 in Johor Bahru – a 54% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $966 in Johor Bahru versus $1,484 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 54% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.