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: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $863 in Kedah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,326 in Kedah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $1,790 in Kedah.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 71% more expensive than in Kedah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Kedah is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$228

$2.98 MYR 12.17

340.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$927

$21.22 MYR 86.7

152.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$162

$4.13 MYR 16.85

125.91%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.1

$2.83 MYR 11.55

30.74%

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

$1.60 MX$27.80

$0.68 MYR 2.77

135.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.37

$0.34 MYR 1.38

229.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.4

$4.44 MYR 18.12

-29.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$84.0

$4.51 MYR 18.42

7.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.65

$1.87 MYR 7.65

-11.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.02

$0.95 MYR 3.90

185.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.20 MYR 4.92

59.17%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.87

$2.12 MYR 8.66

22.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$15.11 MYR 61.7

-35.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$5.18 MYR 21.15

62.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$207

$14.66 MYR 59.9

-18.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.2

$2.91 MYR 11.90

1.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.15

$1.19 MYR 4.88

46.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.43

$2.69 MYR 11.00

-24.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.69

$2.09 MYR 8.55

-1.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.25

$1.13 MYR 4.61

90.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.08

$1.18 MYR 4.81

91.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.01

$0.95 MYR 3.88

46.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.45 MYR 1.83

148.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.1

$4.23 MYR 17.26

-0.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$21.23 MYR 86.7

-17.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.62

$2.64 MYR 10.77

-35.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.9

$3.41 MYR 13.94

6.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.11

$0.68 MYR 2.78

-48.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$335

$11.81 MYR 48.24

63.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$0.72 MYR 2.95

91.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.50 MYR 2.06

-44.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.4

$6.89 MYR 28.15

-23.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.53

$0.50 MYR 2.05

172.00%

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

$19.1K MX$331.0K

$33.7K MYR 137.6K

-43.30%

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

$23.6K MX$409.0K

$27.9K MYR 114.0K

-15.46%

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

$40.53 MX$702

$39.27 MYR 160

3.21%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$10.03 MYR 40.95

172.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$11.86 MYR 48.45

156.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$905

$36.69 MYR 150

42.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$459

$5.81 MYR 23.71

355.77%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$2.80 MYR 11.44

121.07%

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

$425 MX$7,365

$235 MYR 961

80.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$186.0K

$6,259 MYR 25.6K

71.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,010

$55.4 MYR 226

5.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$772

$29.00 MYR 118

53.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,793

$62.2 MYR 254

66.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,884

$52.2 MYR 213

108.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.6K

$386 MYR 1,575

162.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$265 MYR 1,084

134.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$632 MYR 2,580

235.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$465 MYR 1,899

163.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.7K

$2,134 MYR 8,714

77.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.6K

$1,171 MYR 4,781

80.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

$1,310 MYR 5,350

-19.69%

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Kedah: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $386 in Kedah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kedah pays 25% 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 $21.00 in Kedah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $277 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 71% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $863 including rent). Kedah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 25% lower in Kedah. 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 $386 in Kedah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $235 in Kedah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $863 in Kedah versus $1,472 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 71% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.