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: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $913 in Labuan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,403 in Labuan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $1,893 in Labuan.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 59% more expensive than in Labuan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Labuan is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$229

$5.41 MYR 22.13

141.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$943

$23.81 MYR 97.4

125.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$170

$6.55 MYR 26.77

47.79%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.6

$3.72 MYR 15.21

0.54%

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

$1.62 MX$28.34

$1.06 MYR 4.35

52.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.37

$0.39 MYR 1.60

197.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$3.51 MYR 14.35

-7.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$83.1

$4.98 MYR 20.39

-4.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.89

$1.67 MYR 6.84

-1.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$48.30

$1.01 MYR 4.13

172.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.87

$1.28 MYR 5.24

46.09%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.86

$2.11 MYR 8.64

18.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$179

$14.92 MYR 61.0

-31.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$145

$4.42 MYR 18.08

86.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$207

$9.66 MYR 39.51

22.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.8

$3.00 MYR 12.25

0.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.77

$1.53 MYR 6.25

18.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$35.07

$2.59 MYR 10.61

-22.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$35.00

$1.38 MYR 5.64

44.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.56

$1.20 MYR 4.90

73.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.85

$1.28 MYR 5.23

77.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.55

$1.03 MYR 4.23

41.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.88

$0.51 MYR 2.11

111.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$76.3

$4.29 MYR 17.53

1.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$298

$16.63 MYR 68.0

2.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.40

$2.85 MYR 11.68

-39.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.7

$3.00 MYR 12.28

19.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.79

$0.70 MYR 2.85

-44.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$328

$11.76 MYR 48.10

58.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.25

$1.15 MYR 4.72

15.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.91

$1.04 MYR 4.25

-73.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$92.1

$6.05 MYR 24.76

-13.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.44

$0.46 MYR 1.88

191.30%

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

$19.4K MX$340.5K

$34.9K MYR 142.6K

-44.32%

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

$23.8K MX$418.0K

$31.9K MYR 130.5K

-25.33%

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

$40.69 MX$714

$44.09 MYR 180

-7.71%

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

$26.87 MX$471

$8.95 MYR 36.59

200.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$535

$28.98 MYR 119

5.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$926

$36.71 MYR 150

43.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$467

$5.80 MYR 23.70

359.48%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$114

$4.91 MYR 20.09

32.59%

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

$428 MX$7,508

$191 MYR 782

123.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$184.2K

$6,796 MYR 27.8K

54.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$1,004

$59.8 MYR 245

-4.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$798

$27.52 MYR 113

65.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,825

$72.8 MYR 298

42.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,891

$51.6 MYR 211

108.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.6K

$381 MYR 1,558

163.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

$272 MYR 1,113

128.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$37.0K

$641 MYR 2,622

229.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.4K

$469 MYR 1,916

159.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$68.1K

$1,970 MYR 8,058

97.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.7K

$1,287 MYR 5,265

57.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.2K

$371 MYR 1,516

179.95%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Labuan: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $381 in Labuan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 180% 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 $24.00 in Labuan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $248 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 59% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 180% 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $381 in Labuan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $191 in Labuan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $913 in Labuan versus $1,456 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 59% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.