Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Kedah

For one person, living is cheaper in Kedah: $877 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Kedah
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Kedah Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Kedah

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$877

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Kedah

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Kedah actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $877 in Kedah.

Mexico City $1,608
Kedah $877

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $1,399 in Kedah.

Mexico City $2,549
Kedah $1,399

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $1,920 in Kedah.

Mexico City $3,490
Kedah $1,920

Living in Mexico City is roughly 83% more expensive than in Kedah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 18% above, Kedah is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$199

$3.72 MYR 15.13

185.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$906

$12.32 MYR 50.2

292.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$194

$4.56 MYR 18.57

126.97%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$69.2

$2.91 MYR 11.86

26.80%

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

$1.67 MX$31.23

$0.77 MYR 3.14

116.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.71

$0.39 MYR 1.59

225.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.8

$4.24 MYR 17.24

-24.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$99.5

$4.36 MYR 17.73

21.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.32

$1.88 MYR 7.65

-8.51%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$57.0

$1.06 MYR 4.31

186.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.38

$1.72 MYR 6.98

12.79%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$54.1

$2.19 MYR 8.90

31.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$206

$13.55 MYR 55.1

-19.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$173

$4.34 MYR 17.68

113.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$283

$8.84 MYR 35.99

71.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$57.1

$2.94 MYR 11.97

3.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.38

$1.63 MYR 6.65

19.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.95

$2.75 MYR 11.19

-26.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.38

$1.45 MYR 5.92

59.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$38.14

$1.10 MYR 4.48

85.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.73

$1.09 MYR 4.43

65.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.72

$1.13 MYR 4.61

30.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.75

$0.57 MYR 2.33

122.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$99.4

$4.62 MYR 18.81

14.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$302

$18.76 MYR 76.4

-14.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$37.16

$2.98 MYR 12.14

-33.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.7

$5.33 MYR 21.70

-20.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.72

$0.76 MYR 3.10

-59.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$370

$12.85 MYR 52.3

53.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.44

$1.66 MYR 6.75

10.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$10.00

$0.38 MYR 1.54

39.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$99.2

$7.29 MYR 29.67

-27.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.31

$0.60 MYR 2.46

151.67%

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

$21.8K MX$407.7K

$45.6K MYR 185.8K

-52.33%

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

$24.0K MX$449.5K

$35.8K MYR 145.9K

-33.09%

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

$63.0 MX$1,180

$36.47 MYR 148

72.69%

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

$27.39 MX$513

$9.66 MYR 39.31

183.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$668

$29.48 MYR 120

21.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,105

$34.63 MYR 141

70.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$443

$6.85 MYR 27.89

245.11%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$120

$4.79 MYR 19.51

33.61%

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

$432 MX$8,088

$388 MYR 1,578

11.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$214.1K

$10.7K MYR 43.4K

7.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,278

$58.9 MYR 240

15.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$996

$34.76 MYR 141

52.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,020

$81.6 MYR 332

32.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,198

$70.7 MYR 288

65.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.9K

$358 MYR 1,456

211.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.3K

$258 MYR 1,050

175.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.5K

$712 MYR 2,899

263.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.3K

$607 MYR 2,469

131.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$68.0K

$1,930 MYR 7,857

88.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$40.0K

$1,258 MYR 5,119

69.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.7K

$1,339 MYR 5,451

-29.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

4.04

180.94%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Kedah: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Kedah

$258 29.4% 63.7% $453

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Kedah

$257 29.3% 19.7% $63

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Kedah

$113 12.9% 43.2% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Kedah

$111 12.6% 29% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Kedah

$76 8.6% 40% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Kedah

$44 5% 38.4% $28

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Kedah

$19 2.2% 23.6% $6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Mexico City and $358 in Kedah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kedah pays 42% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48 in Mexico City vs $12 in Kedah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $257 per month, with Kedah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇲🇾 Kedah

🕒 Local time

11:36 11:36 AM

01:36 1:36 AM

14 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

417,800

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.34 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 EUR

1 MYR = 0.246 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 20.91 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4.07 MYR (1 MYR = 0.246 USD). 1 EUR = 4.54 MYR (1 MYR = 0.22 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Mexico City Kedah 16,460 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Kedah

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Kedah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,608 in Mexico City and $877 in Kedah, so Kedah is about 45% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 29% lower in Mexico City. 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: $1,113 in Mexico City versus $358 in Kedah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $432 in Mexico City versus $388 in Kedah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $877 in Kedah versus $1,608 in Mexico City, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Kedah but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Kedah 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.

Expats usually find Kedah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.