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: $1,646 in Mexico City versus $1,020 in Labuan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,613 in Mexico City versus $1,520 in Labuan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,580 in Mexico City versus $2,020 in Labuan.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 61% more expensive than in Labuan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 20% above, Labuan is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.11 MX$206

$5.73 MYR 23.15

111.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$887

$25.06 MYR 101

108.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$185

$6.69 MYR 27.06

62.93%

Cappuccino

$4.05 MX$68.8

$4.05 MYR 16.37

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

$1.72 MX$29.13

$1.13 MYR 4.57

52.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MX$23.40

$0.41 MYR 1.68

236.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$58.9

$4.12 MYR 16.67

-15.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 MX$98.7

$4.77 MYR 19.28

21.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.48

$1.84 MYR 7.45

0.54%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 MX$54.7

$1.06 MYR 4.29

203.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.42

$1.46 MYR 5.92

43.15%

Eggs

$2.91 MX$49.41

$1.94 MYR 7.84

50.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 MX$212

$17.49 MYR 70.7

-28.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$4.52 MYR 18.27

123.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.89 MX$270

$9.66 MYR 39.06

64.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 MX$56.3

$3.34 MYR 13.52

-0.90%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.12

$1.59 MYR 6.43

33.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.20

$2.52 MYR 10.19

-13.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$41.57

$1.72 MYR 6.96

42.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.18

$1.42 MYR 5.76

54.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.35

$1.09 MYR 4.39

74.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 MX$27.44

$1.20 MYR 4.87

35.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$22.92

$0.54 MYR 2.19

150.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.43 MX$92.1

$5.09 MYR 20.59

6.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.59 MX$299

$17.91 MYR 72.4

-1.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.12

$2.69 MYR 10.86

-23.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 MX$80.6

$4.15 MYR 16.79

14.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.77

$0.65 MYR 2.64

-47.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 MX$366

$11.40 MYR 46.08

89.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 MX$34.65

$1.21 MYR 4.89

68.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.82

$0.50 MYR 2.00

16.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 MX$101

$7.73 MYR 31.27

-22.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$27.44

$0.79 MYR 3.19

105.06%

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

$22.8K MX$387.4K

$43.3K MYR 175.1K

-47.33%

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

$26.7K MX$452.8K

$33.1K MYR 133.9K

-19.51%

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

$65.2 MX$1,108

$49.44 MYR 200

31.96%

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

$29.87 MX$507

$10.25 MYR 41.43

191.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.55 MX$621

$29.01 MYR 117

25.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 MX$1,036

$44.04 MYR 178

38.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$453

$5.76 MYR 23.27

363.54%

Cinema Ticket

$6.85 MX$116

$4.58 MYR 18.50

49.56%

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

$453 MX$7,700

$165 MYR 665

175.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MX$227.1K

$4,895 MYR 19.8K

173.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 MX$1,273

$55.1 MYR 223

36.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 MX$939

$31.19 MYR 126

77.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 MX$1,929

$73.6 MYR 298

54.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 MX$2,083

$66.8 MYR 270

83.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 MX$19.3K

$469 MYR 1,895

141.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 MX$12.1K

$329 MYR 1,329

116.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,571 MX$43.7K

$646 MYR 2,611

298.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 MX$22.3K

$462 MYR 1,869

183.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,993 MX$67.8K

$2,199 MYR 8,892

81.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,095 MX$35.6K

$1,158 MYR 4,681

80.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,047 MX$17.8K

$367 MYR 1,485

185.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

4.2

169.05%

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

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Last update for Labuan: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,134 in Mexico City and $469 in Labuan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 185% 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: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $25.00 in Labuan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $267 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 61% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 185% 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: $1,134 in Mexico City versus $469 in Labuan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $453 in Mexico City versus $165 in Labuan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,020 in Labuan versus $1,646 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 61% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.