Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Labuan

For one person, living is cheaper in Labuan: $1,020 a month against $1,567 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
Learn more

Mexico City Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Labuan
Learn more

Labuan Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,567

/mo nomad

Labuan

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,020

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Labuan

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Labuan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,567 in Mexico City versus $1,020 in Labuan.

Mexico City $1,567
Labuan $1,020

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,450 in Mexico City versus $1,487 in Labuan.

Mexico City $2,450
Labuan $1,487

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,333 in Mexico City versus $1,953 in Labuan.

Mexico City $3,333
Labuan $1,953

Living in Mexico City is roughly 54% more expensive than in Labuan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 16% above, Labuan is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.75 MX$199

$5.52 MYR 22.53

94.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.3 MX$929

$24.16 MYR 98.6

107.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.10 MX$205

$6.66 MYR 27.19

66.67%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

$3.93 MYR 16.05

-6.36%

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

$1.65 MX$30.42

$1.06 MYR 4.34

55.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 MX$24.08

$0.45 MYR 1.83

188.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 MX$61.3

$3.72 MYR 15.19

-10.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.54 MX$102

$4.53 MYR 18.48

22.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 MX$32.68

$1.82 MYR 7.43

-2.75%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 MX$56.4

$1.04 MYR 4.26

193.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 MX$37.20

$1.49 MYR 6.07

34.90%

Eggs

$2.77 MX$51.1

$2.10 MYR 8.58

31.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.91 MX$220

$16.82 MYR 68.6

-29.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.33 MX$172

$4.42 MYR 18.03

111.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.02 MX$278

$9.50 MYR 38.76

58.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 MX$56.8

$3.17 MYR 12.95

-2.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 MX$35.97

$1.83 MYR 7.46

6.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.54

$2.39 MYR 9.75

-15.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 MX$40.92

$1.76 MYR 7.17

25.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.41

$1.39 MYR 5.68

45.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 MX$33.67

$1.03 MYR 4.20

76.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 MX$28.07

$1.18 MYR 4.81

28.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 MX$23.65

$0.54 MYR 2.20

137.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.27 MX$97.4

$5.04 MYR 20.57

4.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.12 MX$298

$16.29 MYR 66.5

-1.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 MX$36.05

$3.21 MYR 13.11

-39.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$78.6

$4.39 MYR 17.90

-3.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.82

$0.78 MYR 3.17

-60.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.85 MX$367

$10.66 MYR 43.48

86.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.93

$1.34 MYR 5.47

49.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.86

$0.48 MYR 1.97

10.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.62 MX$104

$6.48 MYR 26.43

-13.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.07

$0.88 MYR 3.58

72.73%

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

$21.0K MX$388.7K

$44.0K MYR 179.5K

-52.20%

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

$25.2K MX$465.3K

$32.5K MYR 132.7K

-22.60%

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

$62.5 MX$1,155

$48.90 MYR 199

27.79%

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

$28.77 MX$532

$9.68 MYR 39.49

197.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.45 MX$637

$27.69 MYR 113

24.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,055

$41.60 MYR 170

37.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.81 MX$458

$7.68 MYR 31.32

223.05%

Cinema Ticket

$6.67 MX$123

$4.29 MYR 17.51

55.48%

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

$431 MX$7,964

$208 MYR 849

107.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K MX$216.9K

$7,011 MYR 28.6K

67.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.8 MX$1,308

$55.8 MYR 228

26.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.8 MX$958

$30.07 MYR 123

72.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$2,011

$87.0 MYR 355

25.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 MX$2,076

$81.8 MYR 334

37.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,051 MX$19.4K

$433 MYR 1,768

142.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 MX$12.3K

$342 MYR 1,397

94.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,346 MX$43.3K

$641 MYR 2,614

266.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 MX$22.7K

$464 MYR 1,892

164.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,554 MX$65.7K

$2,282 MYR 9,308

55.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,977 MX$36.5K

$1,136 MYR 4,636

73.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$975 MX$18.0K

$374 MYR 1,525

160.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

4.06

178.33%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Last update for Labuan: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$665 42.4%

Labuan

$342 33.6% 48.5% $323

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$323 20.6%

Labuan

$264 25.9% 18.1% $59

Eating Out

Mexico City

$203 13%

Labuan

$145 14.2% 28.5% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$155 9.9%

Labuan

$115 11.2% 25.9% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 8%

Labuan

$86 8.5% 31.4% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Labuan

$50 4.9% 28.7% $20

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.6%

Labuan

$18 1.7% 32% $8.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,051 in Mexico City and $433 in Labuan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 161% 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: $50.0 in Mexico City vs $24.00 in Labuan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $323 vs $264 per month, with Labuan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇲🇾 Labuan

🕒 Local time

21:25 9:25 PM

11:25 11:25 AM

14 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

95,120

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mexico City Labuan 15,360 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Labuan

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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, eating out, and clothing. The 54% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 161% 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: $1,051 in Mexico City versus $433 in Labuan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $431 in Mexico City versus $208 in Labuan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,020 in Labuan versus $1,567 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 54% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.