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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $850 in Penang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,359 in Penang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,868 in Penang.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 73% more expensive than Penang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Penang is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$3.11 MYR 12.34

323.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$20.86 MYR 82.7

158.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$4.14 MYR 16.42

127.54%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$2.83 MYR 11.22

25.44%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$0.74 MYR 2.93

118.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.36 MYR 1.43

208.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$4.39 MYR 17.40

-28.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$4.45 MYR 17.63

4.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.90 MYR 7.53

-10.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$0.99 MYR 3.92

174.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.96 MYR 7.78

-2.55%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$2.14 MYR 8.47

18.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$17.10 MYR 67.8

-41.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$5.07 MYR 20.11

59.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$14.51 MYR 57.5

-19.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$2.77 MYR 11.00

7.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.52 MYR 6.01

19.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$2.60 MYR 10.30

-22.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$2.12 MYR 8.42

-4.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$1.13 MYR 4.47

87.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$1.21 MYR 4.80

87.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$0.95 MYR 3.78

47.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.49 MYR 1.95

130.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$4.14 MYR 16.41

3.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$19.79 MYR 78.5

-21.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$2.60 MYR 10.31

-32.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$3.51 MYR 13.94

2.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.46 MYR 1.81

-17.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$18.00 MYR 71.4

6.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$0.68 MYR 2.69

102.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.54 MYR 2.16

-48.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$6.98 MYR 27.68

-21.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$0.50 MYR 1.99

160.00%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$34.0K MYR 134.8K

-45.03%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$27.0K MYR 106.9K

-14.23%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$39.05 MYR 155

4.64%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$10.11 MYR 40.09

165.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$30.91 MYR 123

-3.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$32.17 MYR 128

61.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$5.41 MYR 21.44

396.12%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$4.92 MYR 19.49

28.05%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$240 MYR 950

81.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$6,110 MYR 24.2K

70.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$55.5 MYR 220

2.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$28.97 MYR 115

53.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$60.7 MYR 241

69.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$52.0 MYR 206

102.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$388 MYR 1,539

163.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$229 MYR 909

175.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$638 MYR 2,530

234.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$513 MYR 2,034

142.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$2,318 MYR 9,190

68.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$1,180 MYR 4,678

74.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$949 MYR 3,762

17.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

4.16

172.60%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Penang: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $388 in Penang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 18% 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 $21.00 in Penang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $285 per month, with Penang 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 Penang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Penang differ by about 73% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $850 including rent). Penang is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 18% more on average, 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $388 in Penang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Penang runs roughly 7% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $240 in Penang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $850 in Penang versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Penang but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Penang 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 Penang 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 Penang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 73% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.