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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $813 in Putrajaya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,223 in Putrajaya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $1,633 in Putrajaya.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 83% more expensive than Putrajaya, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Putrajaya is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$3.61 MYR 14.24

259.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$19.11 MYR 75.5

177.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$4.58 MYR 18.11

112.23%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$3.02 MYR 11.94

24.17%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$0.76 MYR 2.99

106.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.38 MYR 1.49

197.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$3.56 MYR 14.07

-10.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$4.47 MYR 17.64

4.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$1.65 MYR 6.52

-1.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$0.80 MYR 3.15

238.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$1.24 MYR 4.91

51.61%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$1.80 MYR 7.11

39.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$6.41 MYR 25.33

57.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$4.43 MYR 17.48

87.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$9.28 MYR 36.67

28.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$3.16 MYR 12.48

-9.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$1.34 MYR 5.29

30.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$3.14 MYR 12.42

-33.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$1.61 MYR 6.38

22.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$1.50 MYR 5.94

44.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$1.80 MYR 7.11

21.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$1.64 MYR 6.47

-15.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$0.56 MYR 2.23

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$4.16 MYR 16.43

0.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$14.83 MYR 58.6

-3.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$2.85 MYR 11.25

-38.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$2.92 MYR 11.53

26.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.69 MYR 2.71

-43.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

$11.86 MYR 46.86

57.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$0.90 MYR 3.56

54.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$1.02 MYR 4.05

-70.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$5.76 MYR 22.73

-5.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$0.50 MYR 1.98

170.00%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$35.9K MYR 141.7K

-47.35%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$38.0K MYR 149.9K

-39.00%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$46.05 MYR 182

-11.36%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$9.11 MYR 36.00

201.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$22.53 MYR 89.0

34.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$37.33 MYR 147

43.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

$8.78 MYR 34.70

199.54%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$4.89 MYR 19.33

28.22%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$187 MYR 740

132.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$6,902 MYR 27.3K

51.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$65.5 MYR 259

-13.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$18.86 MYR 74.5

137.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$73.7 MYR 291

39.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$40.66 MYR 161

165.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$344 MYR 1,357

190.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$236 MYR 932

162.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$640 MYR 2,528

233.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$373 MYR 1,474

231.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$2,097 MYR 8,282

84.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$1,496 MYR 5,908

55.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

$1,283 MYR 5,068

-16.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

4.07

178.62%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Last update for Putrajaya: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $344 in Putrajaya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Putrajaya pays 20% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $19.00 in Putrajaya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $222 per month, with Putrajaya 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 Putrajaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Putrajaya differ by about 83% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $813 including rent). Putrajaya is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Putrajaya earns 20% 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $344 in Putrajaya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Putrajaya runs roughly 57% 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 $187 in Putrajaya. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $813 in Putrajaya versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Putrajaya but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Putrajaya 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 Putrajaya 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 Putrajaya gentler on the wallet – expenses run 83% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.