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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,677 per month in Mexico City vs $973 in Kulim, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,608 per month in Mexico City vs $1,404 in Kulim, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,540 per month in Mexico City vs $1,836 in Kulim, rent included.

Mexico City costs about 72% more than Kulim, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Mexico City sits 22% above the global median, while Kulim is 29% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$3.37 MYR 13.72

260.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$914

$15.11 MYR 61.5

256.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$5.04 MYR 20.50

120.04%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.5

$2.77 MYR 11.28

48.01%

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

$1.68 MX$28.53

$0.99 MYR 4.01

69.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.55

$0.35 MYR 1.43

297.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.5

$2.50 MYR 10.16

33.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.7

$4.34 MYR 17.65

35.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.41

$2.50 MYR 10.16

-26.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$1.32 MYR 5.35

140.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.13

$1.69 MYR 6.89

22.49%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.67

$2.63 MYR 10.70

11.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$15.98 MYR 65.0

-21.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$4.94 MYR 20.09

104.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$10.12 MYR 41.17

58.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$2.34 MYR 9.51

44.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.26

$1.47 MYR 5.98

41.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.97

$2.29 MYR 9.32

-7.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.95

$1.25 MYR 5.10

92.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.11

$0.95 MYR 3.87

124.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.02

$0.81 MYR 3.31

148.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.21

$0.71 MYR 2.87

118.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.15

$0.69 MYR 2.80

97.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.8

$4.65 MYR 18.93

24.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$21.75 MYR 88.5

-18.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.11

$2.41 MYR 9.80

-14.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.3

$3.80 MYR 15.45

21.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

$0.75 MYR 3.07

-50.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

$12.53 MYR 51.0

69.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.84

$1.22 MYR 4.98

68.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.79

$0.49 MYR 1.99

18.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$6.63 MYR 26.96

-8.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.34

$0.83 MYR 3.36

86.75%

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

$22.9K MX$388.1K

$42.6K MYR 173.2K

-46.26%

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

$27.2K MX$462.0K

$28.2K MYR 114.6K

-3.29%

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

$67.4 MX$1,144

$50.6 MYR 206

33.20%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$8.30 MYR 33.77

268.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$632

$32.18 MYR 131

15.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,043

$41.17 MYR 167

49.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

$6.48 MYR 26.37

318.52%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$4.85 MYR 19.71

46.60%

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

$456 MX$7,739

$173 MYR 704

163.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.3K

$4,925 MYR 20.0K

178.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,259

$53.6 MYR 218

38.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$967

$35.11 MYR 143

62.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,958

$74.2 MYR 302

55.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,061

$70.7 MYR 287

71.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$430 MYR 1,747

167.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$325 MYR 1,323

118.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.7K

$708 MYR 2,880

263.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

$489 MYR 1,991

164.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

$2,030 MYR 8,257

97.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

$1,147 MYR 4,665

85.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

4.43

155.08%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Kulim: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,148 in Mexico City versus $430 in Kulim. 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 $54.0 in Mexico City versus $15.00 in Kulim. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $345 vs $273 – making Kulim 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 Kulim: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City costs about 72% more than Kulim, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,515 per month in Mexico City and $1,459 in Kulim. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kulim, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 26% more in Mexico City, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54.0 in Mexico City and $15.00 in Kulim. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kulim, where all-in costs run around $973, than in Mexico City at $1,677. In Kulim it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kulim costs $973 versus $1,677 in Mexico City. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Kulim. 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.