Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Penang

For one person, living is cheaper in Penang: $839 a month against $1,561 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Penang
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Penang Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,561

/mo nomad

Penang

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,561 in Mexico City versus $839 in Penang.

Mexico City $1,561
Penang $839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,440 in Mexico City versus $1,314 in Penang.

Mexico City $2,440
Penang $1,314

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,319 in Mexico City versus $1,790 in Penang.

Mexico City $3,319
Penang $1,790

Living in Mexico City is roughly 86% more expensive than in Penang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 16% above, Penang is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.12 MX$202

$3.58 MYR 14.65

210.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.99 MX$891

$19.84 MYR 81.1

146.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.23 MX$204

$4.58 MYR 18.71

145.20%

Cappuccino

$3.76 MX$68.4

$3.04 MYR 12.42

23.68%

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

$1.65 MX$30.05

$0.73 MYR 2.98

126.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 MX$23.27

$0.39 MYR 1.59

228.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 MX$59.2

$4.18 MYR 17.07

-22.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.66 MX$103

$4.32 MYR 17.65

31.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 MX$32.92

$1.89 MYR 7.72

-4.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 MX$53.5

$1.08 MYR 4.42

172.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 MX$37.27

$1.77 MYR 7.24

15.82%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$53.2

$2.23 MYR 9.11

31.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.95 MX$217

$13.69 MYR 56.0

-12.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.51 MX$173

$4.29 MYR 17.53

121.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.84 MX$270

$8.60 MYR 35.16

72.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 MX$57.2

$3.04 MYR 12.43

3.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$36.65

$1.71 MYR 6.97

17.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$37.75

$2.67 MYR 10.91

-22.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.22 MX$40.35

$1.47 MYR 6.01

51.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$37.47

$1.09 MYR 4.47

88.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 MX$34.14

$1.07 MYR 4.39

75.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$26.93

$1.14 MYR 4.67

29.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$24.47

$0.57 MYR 2.31

136.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.41 MX$98.4

$4.62 MYR 18.89

17.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.86 MX$307

$19.29 MYR 78.9

-12.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$36.09

$2.93 MYR 11.96

-32.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 MX$78.7

$5.37 MYR 21.95

-19.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.27

$0.51 MYR 2.08

-33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.23 MX$368

$12.30 MYR 50.3

64.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$38.11

$1.75 MYR 7.17

20.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.65

$0.37 MYR 1.52

43.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$98.3

$7.27 MYR 29.72

-25.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$27.65

$0.94 MYR 3.86

61.70%

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

$21.7K MX$395.3K

$41.0K MYR 167.4K

-46.94%

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

$24.8K MX$451.4K

$34.9K MYR 142.6K

-28.85%

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

$63.0 MX$1,145

$36.55 MYR 149

72.28%

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

$28.88 MX$525

$9.97 MYR 40.75

189.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.93 MX$617

$29.32 MYR 120

15.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 MX$1,015

$38.81 MYR 159

43.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.90 MX$453

$4.98 MYR 20.35

400.00%

Cinema Ticket

$6.77 MX$123

$4.87 MYR 19.92

39.01%

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

$428 MX$7,781

$430 MYR 1,757

-0.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K MX$216.0K

$10.8K MYR 44.2K

9.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 MX$1,274

$60.3 MYR 246

16.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.7 MX$977

$35.26 MYR 144

52.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 MX$1,997

$83.5 MYR 341

31.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 MX$2,096

$69.8 MYR 285

64.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 MX$19.3K

$402 MYR 1,643

164.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 MX$12.2K

$232 MYR 950

188.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,379 MX$43.3K

$621 MYR 2,537

283.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 MX$22.9K

$410 MYR 1,678

207.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,716 MX$67.6K

$2,212 MYR 9,045

67.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,976 MX$35.9K

$1,057 MYR 4,323

86.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$997 MX$18.1K

$943 MYR 3,855

5.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

4.04

179.70%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 6, 2026

Last update for Penang: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$671 42.4%

Penang

$232 27.1% 65.4% $438

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$327 20.7%

Penang

$258 30.1% 21% $69

Eating Out

Mexico City

$207 13.1%

Penang

$113 13.2% 45.5% $94

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$157 9.9%

Penang

$112 13.1% 28.6% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 8%

Penang

$76 8.8% 39.7% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$69 4.4%

Penang

$49 5.7% 30% $21

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Penang

$18 2.1% 31.9% $8.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Mexico City and $402 in Penang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 6% 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: $49.00 in Mexico City vs $20.00 in Penang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $327 vs $258 per month, with Penang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇲🇾 Penang

🕒 Local time

23:36 11:36 PM

13:36 1:36 PM

14 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

158,336

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.5 USD

100 MXN = 4.9 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 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 October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.19 MXN (100 MXN = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20.4 MXN (100 MXN = 4.9 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.09 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Penang 16,540 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Penang

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 Penang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Penang differ by about 86% in total monthly costs ($1,561 vs $839 including rent). Penang is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 6% 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: $1,062 in Mexico City versus $402 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 64% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $430 in Penang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $839 in Penang versus $1,561 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 86% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.