Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Kota Kinabalu Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Kota Kinabalu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $921 in Kota Kinabalu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,439 in Kota Kinabalu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $1,956 in Kota Kinabalu.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 80% more expensive than in Kota Kinabalu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Kota Kinabalu is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$206

$3.65 MYR 14.89

226.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$890

$19.55 MYR 79.8

163.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$4.78 MYR 19.51

138.70%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.9

$2.61 MYR 10.64

52.87%

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

$1.66 MX$28.61

$0.60 MYR 2.43

176.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.87

$0.32 MYR 1.32

315.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.9

$2.52 MYR 10.27

37.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$3.71 MYR 15.16

59.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.36

$1.75 MYR 7.12

7.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$1.34 MYR 5.47

142.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.26

$2.36 MYR 9.65

-8.47%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.94

$3.46 MYR 14.13

-16.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$222

$27.98 MYR 114

-54.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$3.74 MYR 15.28

168.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$6.59 MYR 26.92

140.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.8

$2.18 MYR 8.89

50.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.60

$1.42 MYR 5.81

41.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.93

$1.94 MYR 7.90

13.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.63

$1.94 MYR 7.94

21.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.43

$1.76 MYR 7.17

16.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.79

$2.15 MYR 8.76

-11.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$1.01 MYR 4.14

59.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.09

$0.48 MYR 1.97

191.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.2

$4.57 MYR 18.64

19.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$16.05 MYR 65.5

9.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.44

$3.76 MYR 15.36

-45.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.8

$2.50 MYR 10.22

87.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.84

$1.94 MYR 7.92

-82.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$359

$42.86 MYR 175

-51.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.15

$1.92 MYR 7.84

9.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.64

$0.24 MYR 0.97

133.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$0.70 MYR 2.86

130.00%

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

$22.8K MX$393.8K

$42.5K MYR 173.5K

-46.26%

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

$26.8K MX$461.2K

$36.2K MYR 147.8K

-26.12%

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

$65.2 MX$1,124

$69.0 MYR 282

-5.50%

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

$30.09 MX$519

$9.64 MYR 39.35

212.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$641

$29.06 MYR 119

27.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,030

$51.2 MYR 209

16.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$458

$3.05 MYR 12.47

770.49%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$5.31 MYR 21.66

32.58%

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

$465 MX$8,012

$139 MYR 569

233.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.9K

$7,051 MYR 28.8K

88.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,308

$82.7 MYR 338

-8.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$965

$36.80 MYR 150

52.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,929

$91.3 MYR 373

22.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,078

$49.30 MYR 201

144.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$428 MYR 1,747

157.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$194 MYR 792

271.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$682 MYR 2,785

270.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$370 MYR 1,512

249.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.8K

$1,855 MYR 7,573

115.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

$1,095 MYR 4,469

90.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

$593 MYR 2,421

74.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

3.9

189.74%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Kota Kinabalu: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $428 in Kota Kinabalu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 75% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $20.00 in Kota Kinabalu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $289 per month, with Kota Kinabalu 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 Kota Kinabalu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kota Kinabalu wins on cost – living expenses run 80% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kota Kinabalu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 75% higher in Mexico City, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $428 in Kota Kinabalu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kota Kinabalu runs roughly 106% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $139 in Kota Kinabalu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $921 in Kota Kinabalu versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kota Kinabalu but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Kota Kinabalu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kota Kinabalu delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $921 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kota Kinabalu hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Kota Kinabalu 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 Kota Kinabalu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 80% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.