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: $1,448 in Mexico City versus $954 in Johor Bahru.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,354 in Mexico City versus $1,384 in Johor Bahru.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,260 in Mexico City versus $1,813 in Johor Bahru.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 52% more expensive than Johor Bahru, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Johor Bahru is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.96 MX$223

$3.63 MYR 14.74

257.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.3 MX$900

$18.70 MYR 76.0

179.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.69 MX$167

$4.62 MYR 18.79

109.74%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$64.6

$2.99 MYR 12.16

25.42%

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

$1.56 MX$26.91

$0.80 MYR 3.26

95.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$19.93

$0.49 MYR 2.00

136.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 MX$55.8

$3.50 MYR 14.23

-7.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 MX$84.3

$6.63 MYR 26.97

-26.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.29

$1.86 MYR 7.56

-8.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 MX$45.90

$1.00 MYR 4.07

167.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.49

$1.30 MYR 5.29

45.38%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$43.37

$1.89 MYR 7.67

33.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.02 MX$172

$10.72 MYR 43.57

-6.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.53 MX$147

$3.56 MYR 14.46

139.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$205

$8.06 MYR 32.75

48.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.1

$2.78 MYR 11.29

6.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 MX$30.88

$1.45 MYR 5.91

23.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.40

$2.56 MYR 10.40

-21.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.74

$1.22 MYR 4.95

60.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.21

$1.15 MYR 4.66

87.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.04

$1.33 MYR 5.40

70.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.14

$0.94 MYR 3.83

48.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.18

$0.55 MYR 2.25

101.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$72.2

$4.35 MYR 17.67

-3.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.54 MX$285

$14.43 MYR 58.7

14.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.94

$2.65 MYR 10.79

-36.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 MX$61.8

$3.02 MYR 12.30

18.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.65

$0.69 MYR 2.80

-43.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.19 MX$330

$11.59 MYR 47.13

65.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.77

$1.02 MYR 4.15

35.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.19

$1.03 MYR 4.18

-70.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.7

$9.50 MYR 38.62

-43.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 MX$22.13

$0.50 MYR 2.04

158.00%

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

$18.9K MX$325.1K

$35.9K MYR 145.9K

-47.36%

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

$23.8K MX$409.5K

$27.8K MYR 113.1K

-14.44%

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

$39.86 MX$686

$41.78 MYR 170

-4.60%

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

$27.83 MX$479

$9.07 MYR 36.86

206.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.77 MX$512

$31.16 MYR 127

-4.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$894

$35.11 MYR 143

47.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.22 MX$451

$5.93 MYR 24.11

342.16%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$108

$4.87 MYR 19.81

28.75%

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

$433 MX$7,443

$189 MYR 768

128.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$181.3K

$6,837 MYR 27.8K

54.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 MX$981

$49.34 MYR 201

15.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.33 MX$780

$19.13 MYR 77.8

136.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 MX$1,753

$53.8 MYR 219

89.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,867

$39.40 MYR 160

175.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 MX$17.1K

$460 MYR 1,869

116.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$617 MX$10.6K

$407 MYR 1,655

51.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,086 MX$35.9K

$819 MYR 3,329

154.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 MX$21.6K

$599 MYR 2,433

109.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,936 MX$67.7K

$2,021 MYR 8,215

94.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,089 MX$35.9K

$1,158 MYR 4,709

80.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,131 MX$19.5K

$1,096 MYR 4,457

3.19%

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: June 14, 2026

Last update for Johor Bahru: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $994 in Mexico City and $460 in Johor Bahru. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 3% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $19.00 in Johor Bahru for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $219 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 52% in total monthly costs ($1,448 vs $954 including rent). Johor Bahru is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 3% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $994 in Mexico City versus $460 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 $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,448 per month in Mexico City versus $954 in Johor Bahru – a 52% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $954 in Johor Bahru versus $1,448 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 52% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.