Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Kuching

For one person, living is cheaper in Kuching: $887 a month against $1,561 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Kuching
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Kuching Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,561

/mo nomad

Kuching

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$887

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Kuching

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Kuching actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,561 in Mexico City versus $887 in Kuching.

Mexico City $1,561
Kuching $887

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,440 in Mexico City versus $1,389 in Kuching.

Mexico City $2,440
Kuching $1,389

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,319 in Mexico City versus $1,892 in Kuching.

Mexico City $3,319
Kuching $1,892

Living in Mexico City is roughly 76% more expensive than in Kuching, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 16% above, Kuching is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.12 MX$204

$3.33 MYR 13.60

233.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.99 MX$900

$24.53 MYR 100

99.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.23 MX$206

$4.87 MYR 19.89

130.60%

Cappuccino

$3.76 MX$69.0

$3.17 MYR 12.93

18.61%

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

$1.65 MX$30.34

$0.74 MYR 3.04

122.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 MX$23.48

$0.36 MYR 1.47

255.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 MX$59.8

$4.51 MYR 18.43

-27.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.66 MX$104

$6.16 MYR 25.15

-8.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 MX$33.23

$2.31 MYR 9.42

-21.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 MX$54.0

$1.26 MYR 5.16

133.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 MX$37.62

$1.15 MYR 4.68

78.26%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$53.7

$2.46 MYR 10.03

19.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.95 MX$219

$10.95 MYR 44.72

9.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.51 MX$175

$4.45 MYR 18.17

113.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.84 MX$273

$9.90 MYR 40.42

49.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 MX$57.7

$3.17 MYR 12.93

-0.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$36.99

$1.37 MYR 5.59

46.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$38.10

$2.40 MYR 9.80

-13.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.22 MX$40.72

$1.82 MYR 7.42

21.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$37.82

$1.41 MYR 5.75

46.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 MX$34.46

$1.19 MYR 4.86

57.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.18

$1.56 MYR 6.35

-5.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$24.70

$0.54 MYR 2.22

150.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.41 MX$99.3

$4.51 MYR 18.41

19.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.86 MX$310

$21.59 MYR 88.2

-21.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$36.43

$4.06 MYR 16.58

-51.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 MX$79.4

$5.19 MYR 21.19

-16.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.33

$0.58 MYR 2.37

-41.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.23 MX$371

$12.36 MYR 50.5

63.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$38.47

$1.00 MYR 4.09

110.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.74

$1.24 MYR 5.06

-57.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$99.3

$8.32 MYR 33.99

-34.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$27.91

$0.90 MYR 3.68

68.89%

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

$21.7K MX$399.0K

$40.9K MYR 167.2K

-46.93%

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

$24.8K MX$455.6K

$36.1K MYR 147.4K

-31.28%

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

$63.0 MX$1,156

$35.18 MYR 144

78.99%

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

$28.88 MX$530

$9.95 MYR 40.63

190.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.93 MX$623

$25.26 MYR 103

34.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 MX$1,024

$30.24 MYR 123

84.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.90 MX$457

$12.38 MYR 50.6

101.13%

Cinema Ticket

$6.77 MX$124

$4.83 MYR 19.72

40.17%

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

$428 MX$7,854

$135 MYR 551

216.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K MX$218.0K

$7,000 MYR 28.6K

69.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 MX$1,286

$63.3 MYR 258

10.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.7 MX$986

$37.67 MYR 154

42.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 MX$2,016

$90.2 MYR 368

21.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 MX$2,115

$65.8 MYR 269

75.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 MX$19.5K

$360 MYR 1,471

194.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 MX$12.3K

$245 MYR 1,001

173.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,379 MX$43.7K

$647 MYR 2,642

267.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 MX$23.1K

$478 MYR 1,953

163.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,716 MX$68.2K

$2,073 MYR 8,464

79.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,976 MX$36.3K

$1,508 MYR 6,157

31.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$997 MX$18.3K

$530 MYR 2,165

88.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

4.37

158.58%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 6, 2026

Last update for Kuching: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$671 42.4%

Kuching

$245 27.8% 63.4% $426

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$327 20.7%

Kuching

$271 30.7% 17.1% $56

Eating Out

Mexico City

$207 13.1%

Kuching

$119 13.4% 42.7% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$157 9.9%

Kuching

$116 13.1% 26.4% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 8%

Kuching

$70 8% 44% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$69 4.4%

Kuching

$40 4.5% 42.4% $29

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Kuching

$22 2.5% 17% $4.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Mexico City and $360 in Kuching. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 88% 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: $49.00 in Mexico City vs $25.00 in Kuching for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $327 vs $271 per month, with Kuching cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇲🇾 Kuching

🕒 Local time

00:21 12:21 AM

14:21 2:21 PM

14 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

349,147

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.59 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.58 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Kuching 16,040 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Kuching

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Kuching: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kuching is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 76% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 88% 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: $1,062 in Mexico City versus $360 in Kuching. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Kuching – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $49.00 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,561 per month in Mexico City versus $887 in Kuching – a 76% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $887 in Kuching versus $1,561 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kuching but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Kuching the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kuching is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Mexico City, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Kuching 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 Kuching 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.