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: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $849 in Penang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,356 in Penang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $1,863 in Penang.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 72% more expensive than in Penang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Penang is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$3.14 MYR 12.85

316.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$21.56 MYR 88.2

149.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$4.18 MYR 17.10

131.58%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$2.95 MYR 12.05

26.78%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$0.69 MYR 2.81

134.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.34 MYR 1.37

241.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$4.38 MYR 17.91

-26.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$4.54 MYR 18.59

4.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.88 MYR 7.68

-12.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$1.00 MYR 4.07

175.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$1.96 MYR 8.00

-4.59%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$2.03 MYR 8.30

23.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$17.29 MYR 70.7

-41.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$5.23 MYR 21.41

57.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$14.76 MYR 60.4

-19.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$2.79 MYR 11.40

7.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.46 MYR 5.99

23.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$2.61 MYR 10.69

-23.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$2.11 MYR 8.64

-5.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$1.18 MYR 4.81

76.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$1.16 MYR 4.74

95.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$0.91 MYR 3.72

60.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.45 MYR 1.85

140.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$4.30 MYR 17.58

1.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$19.38 MYR 79.3

-12.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$2.70 MYR 11.03

-35.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$3.41 MYR 13.94

4.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.46 MYR 1.87

-15.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$17.34 MYR 70.9

7.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$0.68 MYR 2.80

95.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$0.53 MYR 2.17

-47.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$6.89 MYR 28.19

-23.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$0.46 MYR 1.89

191.30%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$33.0K MYR 134.9K

-41.16%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$27.3K MYR 111.6K

-12.62%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$38.52 MYR 158

5.63%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$10.16 MYR 41.54

164.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$31.68 MYR 130

-3.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$32.43 MYR 133

62.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$5.57 MYR 22.80

378.46%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$4.89 MYR 20.01

33.13%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$238 MYR 973

79.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$6,317 MYR 25.8K

66.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$54.3 MYR 222

5.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$29.23 MYR 120

55.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$61.8 MYR 253

68.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$52.6 MYR 215

105.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$380 MYR 1,553

164.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$222 MYR 910

179.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$641 MYR 2,620

229.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$516 MYR 2,111

136.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$2,245 MYR 9,183

73.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$1,168 MYR 4,779

73.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$921 MYR 3,765

12.73%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Penang: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $380 in Penang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 13% 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 $22.00 in Penang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 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 72% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $849 including rent). Penang is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 13% 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $380 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 8% 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 $238 in Penang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $849 in Penang versus $1,456 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 72% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.