Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Langkawi

For one person, living is cheaper in Langkawi: $531 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Mexico City, Mexico
Langkawi, Malaysia
Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,608
/mo nomad
Langkawi
🇲🇾 Malaysia
$531
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Langkawi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,608 per month in Mexico City vs $531 in Langkawi, rent included.

  • Mexico City $1,608
  • Langkawi $531

A couple spends around $2,549 per month in Mexico City vs $764 in Langkawi, rent included.

  • Mexico City $2,549
  • Langkawi $764

A family of three spends $3,490 per month in Mexico City vs $997 in Langkawi, rent included.

  • Mexico City $3,490
  • Langkawi $997

Mexico City costs about 203% more than Langkawi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mexico City sits 18% above the global median, while Langkawi is 61% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mexico City
Langkawi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.62 MX$200
$3.35 MYR 13.57
217.01%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$48.35 MX$909
$19.89 MYR 80.6
143.09%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.35 MX$194
$6.34 MYR 25.72
63.25%
Cappuccino
$3.69 MX$69.4
$1.59 MYR 6.45
132.08%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.67 MX$31.32
$0.84 MYR 3.42
98.81%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.27 MX$23.78
$0.57 MYR 2.31
122.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.19 MX$60.0
$1.72 MYR 6.99
85.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.31 MX$99.7
$2.21 MYR 8.98
140.27%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
Langkawi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.72 MX$32.41
$1.73 MYR 7.01
-0.58%
White Bread (500g)
$3.04 MX$57.1
$1.32 MYR 5.34
130.30%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.48
-
-
Eggs
$2.89 MX$54.3
$1.78 MYR 7.23
62.36%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.97 MX$206
$17.15 MYR 69.5
-36.03%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.25 MX$174
-
-
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.13 MX$284
-
-
Apples (1kg)
$3.05 MX$57.3
$2.00 MYR 8.09
52.50%
Banana (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.48
$0.95 MYR 3.84
104.21%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.03 MX$38.06
$1.76 MYR 7.14
15.34%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.31 MX$43.50
$1.70 MYR 6.88
35.88%
Potato (1kg)
$2.04 MX$38.25
-
-
Onion (1kg)
$1.80 MX$33.83
$0.70 MYR 2.82
157.14%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.48 MX$27.80
-
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 MX$23.82
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.30 MX$99.7
$3.74 MYR 15.16
41.71%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.10 MX$303
$8.48 MYR 34.36
89.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.98 MX$37.27
$0.95 MYR 3.85
108.42%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.25 MX$79.9
$1.19 MYR 4.83
257.14%
🚌 Getting Around
Mexico City
Langkawi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.31 MX$5.73
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.73 MX$371
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.84 MX$34.53
-
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 MX$10.03
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.30 MX$99.5
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.51 MX$28.39
$0.87 MYR 3.51
73.56%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.8K MX$408.8K
$24.7K MYR 100.3K
-12.05%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.0K MX$450.8K
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
Langkawi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$63.0 MX$1,184
$37.13 MYR 151
69.62%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$27.39 MX$515
-
-
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$35.67 MX$670
-
-
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
Langkawi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$58.9 MX$1,108
$24.05 MYR 97.5
145.07%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.64 MX$444
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.40 MX$120
-
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mexico City
Langkawi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$432 MX$8,111
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.4K MX$214.7K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
Langkawi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$68.2 MX$1,282
-
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$53.1 MX$999
-
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 MX$2,026
-
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$117 MX$2,204
-
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
Langkawi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,113 MX$20.9K
$305 MYR 1,237
264.93%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$710 MX$13.4K
$240 MYR 975
195.50%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,588 MX$48.6K
$361 MYR 1,463
617.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,406 MX$26.4K
$318 MYR 1,289
342.19%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,631 MX$68.2K
$1,156 MYR 4,686
214.11%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,135 MX$40.1K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mexico City
Langkawi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$946 MX$17.8K
$1,233 MYR 4,998
-23.25%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.35
0
-

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Langkawi: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
$710
Langkawi
–
Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
$320
Langkawi
–
Eating Out
Mexico City
$199
Langkawi
–
Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
$156
Langkawi
–
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
$126
Langkawi
–
Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
$72
Langkawi
–
Getting Around
Mexico City
$25
Langkawi
–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,113 in Mexico City versus $305 in Langkawi. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 30% higher in Langkawi, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Mexico City versus $20 in Langkawi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $320 vs $146 – making Langkawi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🇲🇾 Langkawi
🕒 Local time
22:10 10:10 PM
12:10 12:10 PM
14 h ahead of Mexico City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,209,944 Capital
30,212
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4.05 MYR (1 MYR = 0.247 USD). 1 EUR = 4.53 MYR (1 MYR = 0.221 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mexico City Langkawi 16,480 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mexico City
  • Langkawi

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 Langkawi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Mexico City and in Langkawi compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City, $531 in Langkawi – Langkawi comes out roughly 67% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Mexico City compared to Langkawi?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,412 per month in Mexico City and $796 in Langkawi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Mexico City and Langkawi?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Langkawi, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $305 there versus $1,113 in Mexico City.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Mexico City and $20 in Langkawi. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Mexico City or Langkawi?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,608 in Mexico City and $531 in Langkawi. That makes Langkawi about 67% cheaper.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Langkawi, where all-in costs run around $531, than in Mexico City at $1,608. In Langkawi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Mexico City and Langkawi?
It depends on your priorities. Mexico City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $531 in Langkawi to $1,608 in Mexico City. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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