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 $1,447 per month in Mexico City vs $981 in Kulim, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,310 per month in Mexico City vs $1,514 in Kulim, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,174 per month in Mexico City vs $2,048 in Kulim, rent included.

Mexico City costs about 48% more than Kulim, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Mexico City sits 8% above the global median, while Kulim is 27% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$2.54 MYR 10.31

411.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$918

$23.96 MYR 97.2

119.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$165

$3.82 MYR 15.52

146.86%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$62.3

$2.26 MYR 9.17

57.96%

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

$1.61 MX$28.02

$0.74 MYR 3.00

117.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$20.14

$0.36 MYR 1.47

219.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$55.0

$4.33 MYR 17.58

-27.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$84.8

$5.27 MYR 21.37

-7.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.66

$1.91 MYR 7.77

-10.99%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.99

$1.13 MYR 4.59

133.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$33.22

$1.43 MYR 5.81

32.87%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.35

$1.85 MYR 7.50

37.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$22.18 MYR 90.0

-54.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$4.97 MYR 20.17

66.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$202

$10.66 MYR 43.25

8.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.8

$3.84 MYR 15.59

-21.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.85

$1.70 MYR 6.89

0.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.76

$3.41 MYR 13.86

-39.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.95

$2.56 MYR 10.40

-19.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$36.03

$1.76 MYR 7.14

17.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.87

$1.05 MYR 4.25

106.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.49

$1.07 MYR 4.34

30.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.58

$0.55 MYR 2.24

103.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$74.9

$4.15 MYR 16.84

3.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$269

$17.62 MYR 71.5

-12.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$29.23

$4.20 MYR 17.04

-60.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$64.3

$5.38 MYR 21.84

-31.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.66

$0.53 MYR 2.17

-28.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$333

$11.77 MYR 47.75

61.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$24.10

$1.21 MYR 4.90

14.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.82

$1.03 MYR 4.16

-72.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.5

$4.39 MYR 17.80

23.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$22.35

$0.50 MYR 2.03

156.00%

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

$19.0K MX$331.3K

$44.1K MYR 179.0K

-56.97%

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

$23.5K MX$409.5K

$31.6K MYR 128.2K

-25.73%

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

$41.02 MX$716

$73.0 MYR 296

-43.79%

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

$26.92 MX$470

$9.90 MYR 40.18

171.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$518

$28.12 MYR 114

5.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$913

$36.80 MYR 149

42.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$458

$5.71 MYR 23.19

359.37%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$108

$5.61 MYR 22.76

10.16%

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

$427 MX$7,454

$117 MYR 476

264.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$186.7K

$4,336 MYR 17.6K

146.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$992

$112 MYR 453

-49.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$782

$27.79 MYR 113

61.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,824

$74.1 MYR 301

41.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,849

$79.0 MYR 321

34.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.4K

$383 MYR 1,556

159.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.8K

$266 MYR 1,079

133.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$37.1K

$638 MYR 2,587

233.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.9K

$474 MYR 1,924

164.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$68.1K

$2,197 MYR 8,917

77.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.6K

$972 MYR 3,946

115.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

3.96

186.36%

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

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Last update for Kulim: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $995 in Mexico City versus $383 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 $53.0 in Mexico City versus $24.00 in Kulim. Groceries tell a different story – $288 in Mexico City vs $308 in Kulim – so Mexico City wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 48% 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 $2,171 per month in Mexico City and $1,471 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.

Interestingly, groceries are about 7% cheaper in Mexico City – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $53.0 in Mexico City and $24.00 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 $981, than in Mexico City at $1,447. 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 $981 versus $1,447 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.