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: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $944 in Kedah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,399 in Kedah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $1,853 in Kedah.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 76% more expensive than in Kedah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Kedah is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$205

$3.51 MYR 14.38

239.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$886

$12.36 MYR 50.6

317.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$196

$5.03 MYR 20.58

126.84%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.6

$2.66 MYR 10.91

50.00%

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

$1.66 MX$28.48

$0.91 MYR 3.74

82.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.77

$0.33 MYR 1.34

303.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.6

$2.41 MYR 9.87

43.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$101

$4.29 MYR 17.56

37.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.21

$2.43 MYR 9.95

-22.63%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$55.9

$1.36 MYR 5.57

138.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.10

$1.76 MYR 7.20

22.73%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.72

$2.62 MYR 10.71

10.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$221

$15.65 MYR 64.0

-17.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$4.90 MYR 20.07

105.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$272

$9.56 MYR 39.14

65.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.6

$2.36 MYR 9.65

39.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.44

$1.45 MYR 5.92

38.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.76

$2.28 MYR 9.32

-3.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.44

$1.25 MYR 5.13

88.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.27

$0.91 MYR 3.74

125.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.64

$0.79 MYR 3.23

140.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.55

$0.77 MYR 3.17

109.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$23.98

$0.65 MYR 2.66

115.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$93.8

$4.66 MYR 19.08

17.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$303

$21.25 MYR 87.0

-16.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.28

$2.49 MYR 10.18

-17.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.4

$3.63 MYR 14.85

28.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.81

$0.74 MYR 3.04

-54.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$357

$11.77 MYR 48.18

76.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$35.99

$1.22 MYR 4.99

72.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.60

$0.50 MYR 2.06

12.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$99.8

$6.64 MYR 27.19

-12.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.56

$0.60 MYR 2.45

168.33%

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

$22.8K MX$392.1K

$41.8K MYR 171.1K

-45.37%

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

$26.8K MX$459.2K

$28.8K MYR 117.7K

-6.97%

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

$65.2 MX$1,119

$50.7 MYR 207

28.69%

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

$30.09 MX$517

$7.98 MYR 32.64

277.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$638

$32.15 MYR 132

15.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,026

$39.87 MYR 163

49.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$456

$5.78 MYR 23.67

359.34%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$4.81 MYR 19.69

46.36%

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

$465 MX$7,976

$171 MYR 698

172.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$227.8K

$4,987 MYR 20.4K

166.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,303

$54.5 MYR 223

39.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$960

$35.20 MYR 144

58.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,920

$72.3 MYR 296

54.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,068

$69.5 MYR 284

73.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$18.9K

$416 MYR 1,701

165.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$320 MYR 1,311

124.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.4K

$693 MYR 2,837

264.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.2K

$451 MYR 1,847

186.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.5K

$1,745 MYR 7,141

128.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$35.9K

$1,006 MYR 4,117

107.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.8K

$1,329 MYR 5,440

-21.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

4.43

155.08%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Kedah: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $416 in Kedah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kedah pays 28% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $12.00 in Kedah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $269 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 76% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $944 including rent). Kedah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 28% 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: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $416 in Kedah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $171 in Kedah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $944 in Kedah versus $1,660 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 76% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.