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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $852 in Rawang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,310 in Rawang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,768 in Rawang.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Rawang is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$3.04 MYR 12.13

333.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$21.02 MYR 83.9

156.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$4.28 MYR 17.09

120.09%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$2.82 MYR 11.27

25.89%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$0.91 MYR 3.62

78.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$0.34 MYR 1.36

226.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$4.17 MYR 16.66

-25.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$4.31 MYR 17.21

7.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$1.84 MYR 7.33

-7.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$1.03 MYR 4.10

164.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$1.72 MYR 6.85

11.05%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$2.05 MYR 8.16

23.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$14.67 MYR 58.5

-31.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$4.59 MYR 18.33

76.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$9.40 MYR 37.52

23.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$2.86 MYR 11.43

3.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$1.50 MYR 5.99

20.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$2.71 MYR 10.82

-25.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$1.46 MYR 5.81

39.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$1.14 MYR 4.57

85.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$1.16 MYR 4.65

95.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$0.92 MYR 3.66

52.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$0.49 MYR 1.94

130.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$4.33 MYR 17.29

-1.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$19.73 MYR 78.7

-21.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$2.68 MYR 10.71

-34.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$3.36 MYR 13.39

7.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$0.69 MYR 2.73

-44.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$11.68 MYR 46.59

64.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$0.73 MYR 2.93

89.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$0.51 MYR 2.02

-45.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$4.59 MYR 18.30

18.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$0.51 MYR 2.02

154.90%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$33.9K MYR 135.2K

-44.84%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$27.2K MYR 108.7K

-15.09%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$37.94 MYR 151

7.70%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$10.01 MYR 39.96

167.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$25.40 MYR 101

17.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$37.31 MYR 149

39.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

$5.79 MYR 23.10

363.56%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$4.87 MYR 19.42

29.36%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$235 MYR 939

85.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$6,161 MYR 24.6K

69.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$55.6 MYR 222

1.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$29.12 MYR 116

52.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$60.4 MYR 241

70.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$51.9 MYR 207

103.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$380 MYR 1,515

169.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$271 MYR 1,083

132.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$635 MYR 2,532

236.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$480 MYR 1,915

158.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

$2,013 MYR 8,032

93.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

$962 MYR 3,838

114.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$1,232 MYR 4,916

-9.51%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Rawang: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $380 in Rawang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rawang pays 11% 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 $288 vs $255 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 72% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $852 including rent). Rawang is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Rawang earns 11% 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 $380 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 64% 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 $235 in Rawang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $852 in Rawang versus $1,467 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 72% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.