Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Malacca

For one person, living is cheaper in Malacca: $609 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $12,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
Learn more

Mexico City Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Malacca
Learn more

Malacca Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Malacca

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$609

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,608 per month in Mexico City vs $609 in Malacca, rent included.

Mexico City $1,608
Malacca $609

A couple spends around $2,549 per month in Mexico City vs $970 in Malacca, rent included.

Mexico City $2,549
Malacca $970

A family of three spends $3,490 per month in Mexico City vs $1,330 in Malacca, rent included.

Mexico City $3,490
Malacca $1,330

Mexico City costs about 164% more than Malacca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Mexico City sits 18% above the global median, while Malacca is 55% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$200

$3.23 MYR 13.11

228.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$909

$18.02 MYR 73.1

168.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$194

$4.80 MYR 19.46

115.63%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$69.4

$2.89 MYR 11.72

27.68%

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

$1.67 MX$31.32

$0.79 MYR 3.18

111.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.78

$0.55 MYR 2.21

130.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$60.0

$1.93 MYR 7.83

65.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$99.7

$2.90 MYR 11.77

83.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.41

$1.66 MYR 6.74

3.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$57.1

$1.05 MYR 4.27

189.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.48

$1.48 MYR 5.99

31.08%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$54.3

$1.68 MYR 6.81

72.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$206

$18.08 MYR 73.3

-39.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$174

$4.63 MYR 18.78

99.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$284

$10.55 MYR 42.76

43.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$57.3

$3.29 MYR 13.36

-7.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.48

$1.68 MYR 6.81

15.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$38.06

$2.39 MYR 9.69

-15.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.50

$1.69 MYR 6.87

36.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$38.25

$1.41 MYR 5.70

44.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.83

$1.66 MYR 6.72

8.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.80

$1.37 MYR 5.57

8.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.82

$0.55 MYR 2.25

130.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$99.7

$4.18 MYR 16.97

26.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$303

$14.21 MYR 57.6

13.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$37.27

$2.14 MYR 8.68

-7.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.9

$3.13 MYR 12.70

35.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.73

$0.48 MYR 1.93

-35.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$371

$12.40 MYR 50.3

59.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.53

$1.02 MYR 4.13

80.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$10.03

$0.71 MYR 2.87

-25.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$99.5

$12.09 MYR 49.02

-56.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.39

$0.51 MYR 2.07

196.08%

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

$21.8K MX$408.8K

$44.4K MYR 180.2K

-51.05%

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

$24.0K MX$450.8K

$36.0K MYR 145.9K

-33.33%

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

$63.0 MX$1,184

$52.4 MYR 212

20.24%

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

$27.39 MX$515

$11.33 MYR 45.93

141.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$670

$28.13 MYR 114

26.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,108

$21.87 MYR 88.7

169.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$444

$11.78 MYR 47.74

100.68%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$120

$4.92 MYR 19.94

30.08%

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

$432 MX$8,111

$237 MYR 961

82.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$214.7K

$4,388 MYR 17.8K

160.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,282

$54.1 MYR 219

26.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$999

$16.83 MYR 68.2

215.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,026

$81.9 MYR 332

31.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,204

$96.7 MYR 392

21.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.9K

$193 MYR 782

477.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$68.2K

$1,179 MYR 4,780

207.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$40.1K

$794 MYR 3,218

168.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.8K

$416 MYR 1,686

127.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

4.06

179.56%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Malacca: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Malacca

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Malacca

$258 42.4% 19.1% $61

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Malacca

$96 15.7% 51.8% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Malacca

$112 18.5% 27.9% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Malacca

$92 15.1% 27.1% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Malacca

$32 5.2% 55.8% $40

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Malacca

$19 3.1% 25.9% $6.6

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,113 in Mexico City versus $193 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 in Mexico City are about 2.3 times higher, 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 $48 in Mexico City versus $18 in Malacca. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $320 vs $258 – making Malacca the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇲🇾 Malacca

🕒 Local time

22:14 10:14 PM

12:14 12:14 PM

14 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

579,000

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1 MYR = 0.247 USD

1 MYR = 0.221 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 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).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mexico City Malacca 16,660 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Malacca

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 Malacca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City, $609 in Malacca – Malacca comes out roughly 62% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,412 per month in Mexico City and $913 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $193 there versus $1,113 in Mexico City.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Mexico City and $18 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 $1,608 in Mexico City and $609 in Malacca. That makes Malacca about 62% cheaper.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Malacca, where all-in costs run around $609, than in Mexico City at $1,608. 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 $609 in Malacca to $1,608 in Mexico City. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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