Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Kedah Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Kedah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $868 in Kedah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $1,344 in Kedah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $1,819 in Kedah.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 67% more expensive than Kedah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 8% above, Kedah is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$223

$3.02 MYR 12.24

329.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$903

$21.42 MYR 86.9

145.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$162

$4.28 MYR 17.34

120.33%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$61.3

$2.95 MYR 11.95

21.02%

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

$1.61 MX$27.55

$0.74 MYR 3.02

117.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.81

$0.37 MYR 1.48

210.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$54.0

$4.40 MYR 17.83

-28.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$83.4

$4.48 MYR 18.18

8.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.17

$1.81 MYR 7.34

-6.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.23

$0.91 MYR 3.67

190.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.67

$1.21 MYR 4.91

57.02%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.62

$2.11 MYR 8.58

20.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$173

$15.33 MYR 62.2

-34.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$142

$5.00 MYR 20.26

65.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$199

$14.66 MYR 59.5

-21.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.0

$2.88 MYR 11.69

5.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.35

$1.19 MYR 4.83

43.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.16

$2.61 MYR 10.59

-21.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.36

$2.17 MYR 8.81

-5.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.43

$1.19 MYR 4.83

73.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.25

$1.16 MYR 4.71

87.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.08

$0.97 MYR 3.92

44.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.26

$0.48 MYR 1.95

133.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$73.7

$4.13 MYR 16.75

3.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$265

$19.59 MYR 79.5

-21.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.74

$2.64 MYR 10.69

-36.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$63.3

$3.37 MYR 13.66

9.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.55

$0.68 MYR 2.77

-44.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

$11.77 MYR 47.71

61.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.70

$0.69 MYR 2.82

100.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.74

$0.47 MYR 1.92

-40.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$92.9

$6.98 MYR 28.32

-22.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$21.98

$0.49 MYR 2.00

161.22%

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

$19.0K MX$325.8K

$33.5K MYR 135.8K

-43.31%

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

$23.5K MX$402.7K

$27.4K MYR 110.9K

-14.24%

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

$41.02 MX$704

$38.49 MYR 156

6.57%

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

$26.92 MX$462

$9.99 MYR 40.49

169.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$510

$11.96 MYR 48.51

148.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$898

$36.49 MYR 148

43.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

$5.85 MYR 23.74

348.38%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$106

$2.81 MYR 11.40

119.93%

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

$427 MX$7,331

$238 MYR 963

79.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$183.6K

$6,215 MYR 25.2K

72.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$975

$55.4 MYR 225

2.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$769

$28.32 MYR 115

58.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,794

$62.0 MYR 251

68.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,819

$52.5 MYR 213

101.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.1K

$380 MYR 1,540

161.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.7K

$270 MYR 1,093

130.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$36.5K

$646 MYR 2,620

229.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.5K

$465 MYR 1,885

169.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

$1,964 MYR 7,963

98.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

$957 MYR 3,880

119.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

$1,322 MYR 5,359

-16.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

4.16

172.60%

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

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Last update for Kedah: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Mexico City and $380 in Kedah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kedah pays 19% 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 $21.00 in Kedah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $273 per month, with Kedah 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 Kedah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Kedah differ by about 67% in total monthly costs ($1,447 vs $868 including rent). Kedah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Kedah earns 19% 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: $995 in Mexico City versus $380 in Kedah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $238 in Kedah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $868 in Kedah versus $1,447 in Mexico City, a $2,000 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.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Kedah 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 Kedah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.