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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $851 in Rawang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,316 in Rawang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $1,782 in Rawang.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 71% more expensive than in Rawang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$3.01 MYR 12.30

334.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$20.97 MYR 85.8

156.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$4.26 MYR 17.41

127.23%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$2.86 MYR 11.69

30.77%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$0.86 MYR 3.51

88.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.33 MYR 1.37

251.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$4.32 MYR 17.66

-25.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$4.29 MYR 17.56

10.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.83 MYR 7.47

-9.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$0.99 MYR 4.03

177.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$1.65 MYR 6.75

13.33%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$2.15 MYR 8.79

16.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$14.50 MYR 59.3

-29.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$4.62 MYR 18.88

78.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$9.47 MYR 38.73

24.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$2.78 MYR 11.36

8.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.44 MYR 5.88

25.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$2.58 MYR 10.55

-22.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$1.45 MYR 5.93

37.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$1.19 MYR 4.85

74.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$1.17 MYR 4.77

94.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$0.89 MYR 3.66

64.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.48 MYR 1.97

125.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$4.17 MYR 17.06

4.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$18.87 MYR 77.2

-9.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$2.71 MYR 11.10

-36.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$3.53 MYR 14.45

1.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.69 MYR 2.84

-43.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$11.60 MYR 47.42

61.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$0.74 MYR 3.04

79.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$0.54 MYR 2.22

-48.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$4.64 MYR 18.96

13.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$0.50 MYR 2.06

168.00%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$33.4K MYR 136.7K

-41.94%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$27.2K MYR 111.3K

-12.43%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$38.80 MYR 159

4.87%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$9.99 MYR 40.86

168.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$26.14 MYR 107

16.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$37.59 MYR 154

40.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$5.74 MYR 23.49

364.29%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$4.86 MYR 19.90

33.95%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$234 MYR 958

82.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$6,231 MYR 25.5K

68.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$54.4 MYR 222

5.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$28.83 MYR 118

57.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$61.2 MYR 250

69.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$51.9 MYR 212

107.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$381 MYR 1,559

163.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$264 MYR 1,082

135.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$649 MYR 2,655

224.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$470 MYR 1,922

159.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$2,052 MYR 8,395

89.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$1,134 MYR 4,639

79.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$1,195 MYR 4,887

-13.15%

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 Rawang: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $381 in Rawang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rawang pays 15% 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 $21.00 in Rawang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $252 per month, with Rawang 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 Rawang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Rawang differ by about 71% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $851 including rent). Rawang is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 15% lower in Rawang. 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $381 in Rawang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Rawang 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 $428 in Mexico City versus $234 in Rawang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $851 in Rawang versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Rawang but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Rawang 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 Rawang 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 Rawang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 71% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.