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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $684 in Miri.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,094 in Miri.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $1,504 in Miri.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 115% more expensive than in Miri, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Miri is 49% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$3.23 MYR 13.20

306.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$11.75 MYR 47.99

355.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$4.02 MYR 16.43

132.09%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$2.63 MYR 10.72

40.68%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$0.70 MYR 2.87

128.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.36 MYR 1.48

211.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$2.86 MYR 11.66

9.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$3.87 MYR 15.78

25.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$1.36 MYR 5.56

21.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$1.45 MYR 5.92

86.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$0.83 MYR 3.40

130.12%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$3.28 MYR 13.41

-21.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$10.99 MYR 44.88

-10.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$4.74 MYR 19.35

77.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$12.03 MYR 49.11

-0.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$3.06 MYR 12.48

-3.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$1.14 MYR 4.66

52.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$2.31 MYR 9.44

-11.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$1.44 MYR 5.88

43.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$0.59 MYR 2.39

264.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$0.91 MYR 3.71

148.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$0.91 MYR 3.72

52.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$0.33 MYR 1.36

239.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$4.28 MYR 17.46

-1.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$19.89 MYR 81.2

-11.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$2.99 MYR 12.20

-42.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$2.26 MYR 9.25

60.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$1.36 MYR 5.55

-74.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

$8.41 MYR 34.35

129.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$1.20 MYR 4.91

15.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$0.71 MYR 2.90

-60.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$5.80 MYR 23.66

-8.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$0.46 MYR 1.88

195.65%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$59.1K MYR 241.4K

-67.69%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$28.5K MYR 116.5K

-17.26%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$31.15 MYR 127

30.11%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$9.30 MYR 37.98

194.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$33.50 MYR 137

-9.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$27.91 MYR 114

87.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

$6.03 MYR 24.62

339.14%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$4.34 MYR 17.72

42.63%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$97.9 MYR 400

334.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$5,254 MYR 21.5K

104.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$35.74 MYR 146

63.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$18.81 MYR 76.8

136.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$44.44 MYR 181

132.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$31.50 MYR 129

245.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$321 MYR 1,309

216.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$164 MYR 669

280.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$496 MYR 2,027

327.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$379 MYR 1,548

222.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

$1,233 MYR 5,034

207.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

$678 MYR 2,769

211.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

$667 MYR 2,722

57.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

3.63

212.40%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Last update for Miri: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $321 in Miri. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 58% 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 $12.00 in Miri for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $246 per month, with Miri 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 Miri: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Miri differ by about 115% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $684 including rent). Miri is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 58% 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: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $321 in Miri. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Miri runs roughly 130% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $97.9 in Miri. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $684 in Miri versus $1,472 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Miri but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Miri the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Miri 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 Miri gentler on the wallet – expenses run 115% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.