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: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $737 in Rawang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $1,202 in Rawang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $1,666 in Rawang.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 128% more expensive than in Rawang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, Rawang is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$3.66 MYR 14.89

231.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$914

$19.88 MYR 80.9

171.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$5.01 MYR 20.36

121.36%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.5

$2.96 MYR 12.02

38.51%

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

$1.68 MX$28.53

$0.85 MYR 3.44

97.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.55

$0.36 MYR 1.48

286.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.5

$4.16 MYR 16.91

-19.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.7

$4.38 MYR 17.82

34.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.41

$1.84 MYR 7.51

0.54%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$1.11 MYR 4.52

185.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.13

$1.71 MYR 6.95

21.05%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.67

$2.13 MYR 8.68

37.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$16.09 MYR 65.5

-21.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$4.99 MYR 20.31

102.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$9.73 MYR 39.56

65.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$2.99 MYR 12.16

13.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.26

$1.93 MYR 7.84

7.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.97

$2.51 MYR 10.21

-15.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.95

$1.53 MYR 6.21

57.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.11

$1.32 MYR 5.36

61.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.02

$1.40 MYR 5.68

43.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.21

$1.18 MYR 4.79

31.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.15

$0.57 MYR 2.33

138.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.8

$4.43 MYR 18.04

30.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$19.09 MYR 77.7

-7.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.11

$3.02 MYR 12.30

-31.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.3

$4.16 MYR 16.93

10.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

$0.71 MYR 2.89

-47.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

$12.22 MYR 49.72

73.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.84

$1.72 MYR 7.01

19.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.79

$0.41 MYR 1.68

41.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$6.92 MYR 28.16

-12.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.34

$0.81 MYR 3.31

91.36%

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

$22.9K MX$388.1K

$42.4K MYR 172.3K

-45.99%

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

$27.2K MX$462.0K

$34.7K MYR 141.1K

-21.48%

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

$67.4 MX$1,144

$38.27 MYR 156

76.14%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$9.99 MYR 40.62

206.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$632

$30.48 MYR 124

22.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,043

$40.42 MYR 164

52.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

$6.55 MYR 26.64

314.05%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$5.54 MYR 22.55

28.34%

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

$456 MX$7,739

$308 MYR 1,252

48.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.3K

$10.9K MYR 44.4K

25.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,259

$61.7 MYR 251

20.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$967

$35.16 MYR 143

62.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,958

$85.3 MYR 347

35.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,061

$70.4 MYR 286

72.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$143 MYR 580

705.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$104 MYR 422

584.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.7K

$594 MYR 2,415

334.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

$239 MYR 974

440.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

$2,056 MYR 8,366

94.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

$1,114 MYR 4,530

91.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

$1,018 MYR 4,143

6.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

4.24

166.51%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Rawang: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $143 in Rawang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 6% 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 $20.00 in Rawang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $271 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 128% in total monthly costs ($1,677 vs $737 including rent). Rawang is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 6% 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: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $143 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 73% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $456 in Mexico City versus $308 in Rawang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $737 in Rawang versus $1,677 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 128% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.