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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,472 per month in Mexico City vs $965 in Kemaman, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,359 per month in Mexico City vs $1,413 in Kemaman, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,245 per month in Mexico City vs $1,861 in Kemaman, rent included.

Mexico City costs about 53% more than Kemaman, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Mexico City sits 11% above the global median, while Kemaman is 27% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$228

$2.61 MYR 10.64

403.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$927

$14.15 MYR 57.8

278.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$162

$3.67 MYR 15.00

154.22%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.1

$2.33 MYR 9.51

58.80%

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

$1.60 MX$27.80

$0.46 MYR 1.86

247.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.37

$0.34 MYR 1.39

229.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.4

$4.32 MYR 17.64

-27.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$84.0

$5.46 MYR 22.29

-11.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.65

$1.82 MYR 7.44

-9.34%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.02

$0.97 MYR 3.98

179.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$0.91 MYR 3.73

109.89%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.87

$1.15 MYR 4.71

125.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$13.96 MYR 57.0

-29.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$3.75 MYR 15.33

124.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$207

$9.68 MYR 39.53

23.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.2

$4.01 MYR 16.37

-26.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.15

$1.77 MYR 7.22

-1.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.43

$3.35 MYR 13.67

-39.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.69

$2.61 MYR 10.66

-21.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.25

$1.75 MYR 7.13

22.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.08

$0.99 MYR 4.06

128.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.01

$1.08 MYR 4.41

28.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.46 MYR 1.87

143.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.1

$4.14 MYR 16.90

1.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$19.53 MYR 79.8

-10.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.62

$4.30 MYR 17.54

-60.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.9

$5.48 MYR 22.38

-33.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.11

$0.69 MYR 2.83

-49.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$335

$11.61 MYR 47.40

66.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$1.20 MYR 4.90

15.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$1.09 MYR 4.45

-74.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.4

$4.35 MYR 17.75

21.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.53

$0.46 MYR 1.88

195.65%

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

$19.1K MX$331.0K

$42.9K MYR 175.3K

-55.50%

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

$23.6K MX$409.0K

$31.6K MYR 128.9K

-25.24%

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

$40.53 MX$702

$73.8 MYR 301

-45.09%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$9.71 MYR 39.65

181.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$28.92 MYR 118

5.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$905

$36.88 MYR 151

41.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$459

$5.82 MYR 23.78

354.98%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$5.51 MYR 22.48

12.34%

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

$425 MX$7,365

$120 MYR 490

254.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$186.0K

$4,311 MYR 17.6K

149.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,010

$108 MYR 440

-45.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$772

$27.82 MYR 114

60.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,793

$74.5 MYR 304

38.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,884

$78.9 MYR 322

37.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.6K

$380 MYR 1,553

166.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$264 MYR 1,080

135.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$651 MYR 2,658

225.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$470 MYR 1,918

160.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.7K

$2,013 MYR 8,220

88.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.6K

$1,152 MYR 4,705

83.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

3.96

186.36%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Last update for Kemaman: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,014 in Mexico City versus $380 in Kemaman. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54.0 in Mexico City versus $14.00 in Kemaman. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $272 – making Kemaman the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Kemaman: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mexico City is pricier by about 53%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,208 per month in Mexico City and $1,448 in Kemaman. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kemaman, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54.0 in Mexico City and $14.00 in Kemaman. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,472 in Mexico City and $965 in Kemaman. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kemaman, where all-in costs run around $965, than in Mexico City at $1,472. In Kemaman it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kemaman – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Kemaman. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.