Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Petaling Jaya Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Petaling Jaya

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $892 in Petaling Jaya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,341 in Petaling Jaya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,790 in Petaling Jaya.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 65% more expensive than Petaling Jaya, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Petaling Jaya is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$3.47 MYR 13.76

279.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$18.73 MYR 74.3

187.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$4.74 MYR 18.79

98.73%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$2.69 MYR 10.65

31.97%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$0.72 MYR 2.87

125.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.39 MYR 1.55

184.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$3.44 MYR 13.63

-9.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$5.08 MYR 20.16

-8.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.89 MYR 7.48

-10.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$0.94 MYR 3.73

189.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.77 MYR 7.04

7.91%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$2.20 MYR 8.74

15.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$10.55 MYR 41.83

-4.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$3.39 MYR 13.42

138.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$8.06 MYR 31.96

44.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$2.74 MYR 10.87

8.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.68 MYR 6.66

7.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$2.50 MYR 9.90

-19.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$1.26 MYR 4.99

61.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$1.13 MYR 4.48

87.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$1.33 MYR 5.26

70.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$0.95 MYR 3.77

47.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.63 MYR 2.50

79.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$4.35 MYR 17.24

-1.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$20.58 MYR 81.6

-24.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$2.75 MYR 10.91

-36.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$3.85 MYR 15.28

-6.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.72 MYR 2.84

-47.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$11.92 MYR 47.24

60.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$1.02 MYR 4.02

35.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.33 MYR 1.29

-15.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$9.38 MYR 37.19

-41.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$0.49 MYR 1.95

165.31%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$31.1K MYR 123.3K

-39.90%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$28.2K MYR 111.7K

-17.89%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$41.04 MYR 163

-0.44%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$8.87 MYR 35.17

202.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$22.69 MYR 90.0

32.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$37.62 MYR 149

38.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$7.54 MYR 29.91

255.97%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$4.85 MYR 19.21

29.90%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$213 MYR 844

104.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$8,116 MYR 32.2K

28.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$48.18 MYR 191

17.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$34.97 MYR 139

26.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$53.9 MYR 214

90.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$48.40 MYR 192

118.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$464 MYR 1,840

120.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$343 MYR 1,358

84.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$830 MYR 3,291

157.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$538 MYR 2,135

130.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$3,212 MYR 12.7K

21.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$211 MYR 836

879.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$1,782 MYR 7,066

-37.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

4.49

152.56%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Petaling Jaya: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $464 in Petaling Jaya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Petaling Jaya pays 60% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $19.00 in Petaling Jaya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $237 per month, with Petaling Jaya 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 Petaling Jaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Petaling Jaya differ by about 65% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $892 including rent). Petaling Jaya is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Petaling Jaya earns 60% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $464 in Petaling Jaya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Petaling Jaya runs roughly 61% 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 $213 in Petaling Jaya. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $892 in Petaling Jaya versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Petaling Jaya but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Petaling Jaya 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 Petaling Jaya 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 Petaling Jaya gentler on the wallet – expenses run 65% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.