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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,484 per month in Mexico City vs $762 in Malacca, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,381 per month in Mexico City vs $1,165 in Malacca, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,278 per month in Mexico City vs $1,568 in Malacca, rent included.

Mexico City costs about 95% more than Malacca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Mexico City sits 11% above the global median, while Malacca is 43% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$226

$3.57 MYR 14.11

263.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$923

$18.93 MYR 74.8

180.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$169

$4.73 MYR 18.69

105.50%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.2

$2.86 MYR 11.28

31.12%

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

$1.57 MX$27.30

$0.80 MYR 3.15

96.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.64

$0.48 MYR 1.90

135.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.3

$2.17 MYR 8.58

46.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.1

$3.22 MYR 12.72

44.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.21

$1.44 MYR 5.70

12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.09

$1.00 MYR 3.93

171.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.70

$1.29 MYR 5.08

45.74%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.65

$1.80 MYR 7.10

39.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$175

$15.58 MYR 61.5

-35.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$5.03 MYR 19.85

64.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$208

$11.40 MYR 45.04

4.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$49.77

$3.58 MYR 14.14

-20.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.45

$1.51 MYR 5.96

15.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.27

$2.66 MYR 10.49

-21.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.27

$2.02 MYR 7.98

-2.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.58

$1.46 MYR 5.75

47.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.94

$1.82 MYR 7.18

19.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.20

$1.26 MYR 4.99

10.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.57

$0.55 MYR 2.19

103.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.1

$4.32 MYR 17.07

-2.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$248

$14.35 MYR 56.7

-0.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.68

$2.00 MYR 7.90

-12.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.1

$2.98 MYR 11.78

23.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.71

$0.48 MYR 1.90

-18.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$325

$11.90 MYR 47.00

56.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.12

$1.42 MYR 5.62

-2.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.29

$0.99 MYR 3.92

-69.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.3

$5.91 MYR 23.36

-8.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.50

$0.47 MYR 1.85

187.23%

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

$18.9K MX$328.6K

$34.7K MYR 137.0K

-45.55%

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

$23.2K MX$402.8K

$39.0K MYR 154.2K

-40.70%

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

$40.82 MX$710

$44.96 MYR 178

-9.21%

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

$27.50 MX$479

$8.97 MYR 35.45

206.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$529

$31.14 MYR 123

-2.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$930

$16.33 MYR 64.5

227.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$458

$11.70 MYR 46.20

124.79%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$109

$4.98 MYR 19.67

25.90%

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

$436 MX$7,588

$190 MYR 749

129.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.1K

$6,904 MYR 27.3K

51.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$988

$65.1 MYR 257

-12.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$779

$18.55 MYR 73.3

141.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,789

$72.5 MYR 286

41.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$40.69 MYR 161

165.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.4K

$331 MYR 1,306

202.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.8K

$185 MYR 733

234.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.2K

$705 MYR 2,786

203.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.5K

$285 MYR 1,124

334.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.3K

$1,216 MYR 4,803

217.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.6K

$811 MYR 3,202

187.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.6K

$954 MYR 3,766

11.93%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Malacca: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,000 in Mexico City versus $331 in Malacca. 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 12% higher in Mexico City, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $53.0 in Mexico City versus $19.00 in Malacca. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $286 vs $255 – making Malacca the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Malacca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,484 in Mexico City, $762 in Malacca – roughly 95% apart. Mexico City costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,225 per month in Mexico City and $1,143 in Malacca. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Malacca, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $53.0 in Mexico City and $19.00 in Malacca. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,484 in Mexico City and $762 in Malacca. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Malacca, where all-in costs run around $762, than in Mexico City at $1,484. In Malacca it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Mexico City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $762 in Malacca to $1,484 in Mexico City. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Malacca. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.