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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $840 in Kota Kinabalu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,352 in Kota Kinabalu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,865 in Kota Kinabalu.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 75% more expensive than Kota Kinabalu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Kota Kinabalu is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$3.50 MYR 13.89

276.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$19.05 MYR 75.6

182.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$4.67 MYR 18.53

101.71%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$2.60 MYR 10.32

36.54%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$0.69 MYR 2.72

134.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.37 MYR 1.46

200.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$2.38 MYR 9.45

31.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$3.51 MYR 13.91

31.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.68 MYR 6.66

1.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$1.24 MYR 4.91

119.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.70 MYR 6.72

12.35%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$2.89 MYR 11.47

-12.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$25.74 MYR 102

-61.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$3.44 MYR 13.65

135.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$7.43 MYR 29.45

56.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$2.56 MYR 10.16

16.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.16 MYR 4.62

56.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$3.14 MYR 12.46

-35.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$1.91 MYR 7.58

6.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$1.52 MYR 6.02

39.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$1.71 MYR 6.79

32.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$1.13 MYR 4.49

23.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.47 MYR 1.88

140.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$4.23 MYR 16.79

0.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$16.30 MYR 64.6

-4.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$1.85 MYR 7.35

-4.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$1.61 MYR 6.37

123.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$1.51 MYR 6.00

-74.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$41.03 MYR 163

-53.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$1.90 MYR 7.54

-27.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.46 MYR 1.84

-39.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$5.75 MYR 22.80

-5.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$0.46 MYR 1.82

182.61%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$29.6K MYR 117.2K

-36.79%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$27.1K MYR 107.6K

-14.79%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$51.6 MYR 205

-20.88%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$9.22 MYR 36.55

190.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$32.25 MYR 128

-7.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$43.54 MYR 173

19.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$2.99 MYR 11.87

797.66%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$4.73 MYR 18.76

33.19%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$132 MYR 523

230.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$4,506 MYR 17.9K

131.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$60.6 MYR 240

-6.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$22.99 MYR 91.2

93.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$71.4 MYR 283

44.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$94.5 MYR 375

11.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$372 MYR 1,473

175.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$168 MYR 667

274.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$641 MYR 2,540

233.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$368 MYR 1,461

237.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$1,889 MYR 7,492

106.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$1,133 MYR 4,492

82.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$598 MYR 2,370

86.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

3.8

198.42%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Kota Kinabalu: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $372 in Kota Kinabalu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 87% 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $19.00 in Kota Kinabalu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $269 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 75% 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.

Mexico City pays 87% more on average, 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $372 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 114% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $132 in Kota Kinabalu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $840 in Kota Kinabalu versus $1,467 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 $840 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 75% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.