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 $1,660 per month in Mexico City vs $909 in Kemaman, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,565 per month in Mexico City vs $1,334 in Kemaman, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,470 per month in Mexico City vs $1,760 in Kemaman, rent included.

Mexico City costs about 83% more than Kemaman, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Mexico City sits 21% above the global median, while Kemaman is 34% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$205

$2.73 MYR 11.18

336.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$886

$14.83 MYR 60.7

247.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$196

$4.33 MYR 17.73

163.51%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.6

$3.13 MYR 12.82

27.48%

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

$1.66 MX$28.48

$0.48 MYR 1.96

245.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.77

$0.39 MYR 1.58

241.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.6

$3.42 MYR 13.98

1.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$101

$5.79 MYR 23.71

1.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.21

$1.89 MYR 7.72

-0.53%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$55.9

$1.05 MYR 4.28

209.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.10

$1.00 MYR 4.09

116.00%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.72

$1.15 MYR 4.70

152.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$221

$10.11 MYR 41.39

27.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$3.23 MYR 13.21

211.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$272

$9.43 MYR 38.61

68.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.6

$3.57 MYR 14.59

-7.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.44

$1.91 MYR 7.82

5.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.76

$2.79 MYR 11.41

-21.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.44

$1.77 MYR 7.26

33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.27

$2.15 MYR 8.82

-4.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.64

$2.02 MYR 8.28

-5.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.55

$1.44 MYR 5.88

11.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$23.98

$0.51 MYR 2.08

174.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$93.8

$4.44 MYR 18.15

22.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$303

$18.95 MYR 77.6

-6.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.28

$2.68 MYR 10.99

-23.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.4

$4.61 MYR 18.86

1.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.81

$0.71 MYR 2.90

-52.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$357

$11.71 MYR 47.94

77.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$35.99

$1.22 MYR 4.98

72.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.60

$0.36 MYR 1.46

55.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$99.8

$9.25 MYR 37.85

-37.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.56

$0.49 MYR 2.00

228.57%

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

$22.8K MX$392.1K

$42.2K MYR 172.5K

-45.81%

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

$26.8K MX$459.2K

$33.0K MYR 134.9K

-18.81%

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

$65.2 MX$1,119

$49.20 MYR 201

32.48%

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

$30.09 MX$517

$8.44 MYR 34.55

256.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$638

$26.89 MYR 110

38.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,026

$35.26 MYR 144

69.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$456

$7.08 MYR 29.00

275.00%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$4.84 MYR 19.82

45.45%

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

$465 MX$7,976

$123 MYR 503

278.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$227.8K

$10.6K MYR 43.2K

25.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,303

$51.2 MYR 209

48.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$960

$30.30 MYR 124

84.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,920

$79.2 MYR 324

41.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,068

$86.5 MYR 354

39.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$18.9K

$402 MYR 1,645

174.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$335 MYR 1,372

115.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.4K

$671 MYR 2,746

277.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.2K

$535 MYR 2,189

141.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.5K

$2,067 MYR 8,461

93.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$35.9K

$1,025 MYR 4,194

103.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

4.51

150.55%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Kemaman: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,103 in Mexico City versus $402 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 $52.0 in Mexico City versus $15.00 in Kemaman. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $345 vs $245 – 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 83%, 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 $2,489 per month in Mexico City and $1,363 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 $52.0 in Mexico City and $15.00 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 $1,660 in Mexico City and $909 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 $909, than in Mexico City at $1,660. 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.