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: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $955 in Johor Bahru.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,366 in Johor Bahru.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $1,776 in Johor Bahru.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 54% more expensive than in 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

$13.14 MX$227

$3.51 MYR 14.32

274.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$18.98 MYR 77.5

182.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$4.82 MYR 19.67

93.57%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$2.92 MYR 11.93

26.71%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$0.83 MYR 3.39

92.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.49 MYR 1.98

128.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$3.52 MYR 14.37

-10.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$6.47 MYR 26.43

-25.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$1.82 MYR 7.45

-9.34%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$0.93 MYR 3.80

191.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$1.26 MYR 5.14

51.59%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$1.88 MYR 7.67

37.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$10.76 MYR 43.94

-8.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$3.40 MYR 13.89

147.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$8.14 MYR 33.24

46.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$2.75 MYR 11.25

7.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$1.50 MYR 6.14

16.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$2.57 MYR 10.51

-20.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$1.22 MYR 4.98

68.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$1.14 MYR 4.66

88.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$1.40 MYR 5.71

61.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$0.96 MYR 3.93

44.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$0.57 MYR 2.31

96.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$4.16 MYR 16.99

1.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$14.34 MYR 58.5

22.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$2.80 MYR 11.42

-38.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$2.88 MYR 11.77

26.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$0.72 MYR 2.95

-51.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

$11.92 MYR 48.66

62.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$1.03 MYR 4.19

33.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$1.02 MYR 4.17

-72.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$9.48 MYR 38.71

-44.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$0.50 MYR 2.05

172.00%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$34.8K MYR 142.0K

-45.09%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$27.4K MYR 111.9K

-13.84%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$40.42 MYR 165

0.27%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$8.82 MYR 36.01

210.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$30.58 MYR 125

-0.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$35.12 MYR 143

48.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

$5.78 MYR 23.59

358.13%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$4.89 MYR 19.96

26.58%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$184 MYR 752

130.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$7,005 MYR 28.6K

53.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$49.22 MYR 201

18.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$18.59 MYR 75.9

139.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$54.9 MYR 224

88.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$39.53 MYR 161

175.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$468 MYR 1,910

116.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$400 MYR 1,633

55.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$814 MYR 3,325

160.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$609 MYR 2,488

100.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

$2,036 MYR 8,313

86.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

$1,158 MYR 4,728

82.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

$1,063 MYR 4,342

-1.06%

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Johor Bahru: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $468 in Johor Bahru. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Johor Bahru pays 1% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $19.00 in Johor Bahru for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 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 ($1,472 vs $955 including rent). Johor Bahru is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 1% 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: $1,014 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 $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,472 per month in Mexico City versus $955 in Johor Bahru – a 54% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $955 in Johor Bahru versus $1,472 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.