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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $897 in Labuan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,368 in Labuan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,838 in Labuan.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 64% more expensive than Labuan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Labuan is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$5.15 MYR 20.43

155.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$23.23 MYR 92.1

132.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$6.52 MYR 25.85

44.48%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$3.83 MYR 15.18

-7.31%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$1.06 MYR 4.22

52.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.43 MYR 1.70

158.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$3.61 MYR 14.30

-13.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$4.99 MYR 19.77

-7.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.66 MYR 6.59

2.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$1.01 MYR 3.99

169.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.25 MYR 4.95

52.80%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$2.06 MYR 8.16

23.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$14.75 MYR 58.5

-32.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$4.23 MYR 16.79

91.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$9.67 MYR 38.33

20.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$2.85 MYR 11.30

4.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.52 MYR 6.04

19.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$2.62 MYR 10.38

-23.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$1.37 MYR 5.45

48.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$1.24 MYR 4.93

70.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$1.32 MYR 5.25

71.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$1.03 MYR 4.10

35.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.56 MYR 2.23

101.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$4.34 MYR 17.22

-1.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$18.93 MYR 75.1

-17.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$2.81 MYR 11.15

-37.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$2.92 MYR 11.57

23.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.69 MYR 2.75

-44.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$11.90 MYR 47.20

61.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$1.15 MYR 4.54

20.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$1.04 MYR 4.10

-73.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$5.95 MYR 23.60

-8.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$0.50 MYR 1.97

160.00%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$34.8K MYR 138.1K

-46.34%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$31.9K MYR 126.3K

-27.41%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$43.79 MYR 174

-6.69%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$9.31 MYR 36.93

187.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$28.94 MYR 115

3.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$37.15 MYR 147

40.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$5.80 MYR 22.99

362.76%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$4.97 MYR 19.69

26.76%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$190 MYR 753

129.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$6,898 MYR 27.4K

51.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$61.9 MYR 245

-8.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$27.83 MYR 110

59.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$73.2 MYR 290

40.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$50.8 MYR 201

107.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$386 MYR 1,529

165.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$265 MYR 1,053

137.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$656 MYR 2,600

225.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$468 MYR 1,854

165.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$1,705 MYR 6,761

128.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$891 MYR 3,532

131.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$382 MYR 1,514

192.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

4.07

178.62%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Labuan: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $386 in Labuan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 192% 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 $23.00 in Labuan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $250 per month, with Labuan 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 Labuan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Labuan is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 64% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Mexico City pays 192% 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 $386 in Labuan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $190 in Labuan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $897 in Labuan versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Labuan but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Labuan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Labuan 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 Labuan 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 Labuan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 64% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.