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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $777 in Kuching.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,228 in Kuching.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $1,678 in Kuching.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 89% more expensive than in Kuching, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Kuching is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$229

$2.80 MYR 11.43

369.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$934

$20.41 MYR 83.4

162.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$163

$4.59 MYR 18.77

103.27%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.5

$2.58 MYR 10.53

43.41%

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

$1.60 MX$27.98

$0.71 MYR 2.90

125.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.49

$0.30 MYR 1.21

273.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$2.88 MYR 11.77

9.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$84.5

$3.74 MYR 15.29

29.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.84

$1.89 MYR 7.72

-12.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.34

$1.08 MYR 4.42

150.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.29

$1.05 MYR 4.31

81.90%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$45.17

$2.19 MYR 8.95

18.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$171

$9.58 MYR 39.17

2.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$3.84 MYR 15.71

119.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$208

$8.22 MYR 33.60

45.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.5

$2.98 MYR 12.19

-1.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.35

$1.15 MYR 4.69

51.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.66

$2.62 MYR 10.71

-22.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.93

$1.77 MYR 7.24

16.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.49

$1.15 MYR 4.71

86.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.33

$1.24 MYR 5.08

82.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.17

$1.71 MYR 6.98

-18.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.47

$0.52 MYR 2.13

115.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.6

$4.19 MYR 17.12

0.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$305

$20.46 MYR 83.6

-14.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.82

$3.88 MYR 15.86

-55.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$63.4

$3.41 MYR 13.93

6.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.15

$0.23 MYR 0.94

52.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$337

$11.80 MYR 48.21

63.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$24.00

$0.96 MYR 3.94

43.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.81

$1.13 MYR 4.62

-75.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$92.0

$1.90 MYR 7.78

177.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.69

$0.50 MYR 2.05

172.00%

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

$19.1K MX$333.2K

$45.9K MYR 187.6K

-58.38%

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

$23.6K MX$411.7K

$37.2K MYR 152.2K

-36.62%

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

$40.53 MX$707

$41.82 MYR 171

-3.08%

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

$27.38 MX$478

$9.22 MYR 37.70

196.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$530

$25.53 MYR 104

19.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$911

$29.85 MYR 122

74.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$462

$9.81 MYR 40.08

169.93%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$108

$4.64 MYR 18.94

33.41%

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

$425 MX$7,414

$143 MYR 586

196.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$187.2K

$6,166 MYR 25.2K

74.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,017

$66.3 MYR 271

-12.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$777

$31.34 MYR 128

42.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,805

$87.5 MYR 358

18.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,897

$71.7 MYR 293

51.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.7K

$284 MYR 1,160

257.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

$201 MYR 820

210.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$37.0K

$569 MYR 2,326

272.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.3K

$387 MYR 1,583

215.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$66.1K

$2,088 MYR 8,535

81.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.8K

$1,510 MYR 6,172

39.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.4K

$530 MYR 2,167

98.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

4.27

165.57%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Last update for Kuching: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $284 in Kuching. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 98% 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 $20.00 in Kuching for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $243 per month, with Kuching 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 Kuching: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kuching is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 89% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 98% 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: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $284 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 $20.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,472 per month in Mexico City versus $777 in Kuching – a 89% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $777 in Kuching versus $1,472 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 89% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.