Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Sandakan, Sabah Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Sandakan, Sabah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $836 in Sandakan, Sabah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $1,280 in Sandakan, Sabah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $1,723 in Sandakan, Sabah.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 73% more expensive than Sandakan, Sabah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 8% above, Sandakan, Sabah is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$223

$2.34 MYR 9.50

454.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$903

$18.98 MYR 77.0

177.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$162

$4.65 MYR 18.85

102.80%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$61.3

$2.60 MYR 10.55

37.31%

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

$1.61 MX$27.55

$0.69 MYR 2.79

133.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.81

$0.25 MYR 1.02

360.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$54.0

$2.30 MYR 9.33

36.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$83.4

$3.48 MYR 14.09

39.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.17

$1.72 MYR 6.98

-1.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.23

$1.24 MYR 5.01

112.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.67

$1.15 MYR 4.65

65.22%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.62

$2.79 MYR 11.31

-8.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$173

$15.31 MYR 62.1

-34.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$142

$3.61 MYR 14.66

129.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$199

$6.90 MYR 27.97

67.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.0

$2.57 MYR 10.44

17.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.35

$1.13 MYR 4.57

51.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.16

$3.29 MYR 13.35

-37.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.36

$2.00 MYR 8.11

3.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.43

$1.22 MYR 4.96

68.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.25

$1.28 MYR 5.18

69.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.08

$1.08 MYR 4.37

29.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.26

$0.51 MYR 2.05

119.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$73.7

$4.19 MYR 17.01

2.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$265

$20.37 MYR 82.6

-24.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.74

$1.91 MYR 7.76

-12.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$63.3

$1.62 MYR 6.59

127.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.55

$0.68 MYR 2.76

-44.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

$11.59 MYR 47.01

64.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.70

$1.15 MYR 4.65

20.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.74

$1.03 MYR 4.20

-72.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$92.9

$5.86 MYR 23.77

-7.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$21.98

$0.46 MYR 1.88

178.26%

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

$19.0K MX$325.8K

$29.0K MYR 117.6K

-34.56%

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

$23.5K MX$402.7K

$28.2K MYR 114.4K

-16.83%

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

$41.02 MX$704

$47.00 MYR 191

-12.72%

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

$26.92 MX$462

$3.56 MYR 14.43

656.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$510

$23.54 MYR 95.5

26.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$898

$37.45 MYR 152

39.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

$5.79 MYR 23.50

353.02%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$106

$2.79 MYR 11.33

121.51%

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

$427 MX$7,331

$93.4 MYR 379

357.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$183.6K

$4,465 MYR 18.1K

139.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$975

$59.3 MYR 241

-4.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$769

$22.40 MYR 90.8

100.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,794

$69.9 MYR 283

49.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,819

$93.6 MYR 380

13.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.1K

$387 MYR 1,571

156.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.7K

$274 MYR 1,113

126.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$36.5K

$637 MYR 2,581

233.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.5K

$465 MYR 1,886

169.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

$2,042 MYR 8,280

91.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

$1,040 MYR 4,217

101.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

$1,225 MYR 4,968

-9.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

278.00%

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

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Last update for Sandakan, Sabah: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Mexico City and $387 in Sandakan, Sabah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sandakan, Sabah 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: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $19.00 in Sandakan, Sabah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $243 per month, with Sandakan, Sabah 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 Sandakan, Sabah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Sandakan, Sabah differ by about 73% in total monthly costs ($1,447 vs $836 including rent). Sandakan, Sabah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Sandakan, Sabah 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: $995 in Mexico City versus $387 in Sandakan, Sabah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Sandakan, Sabah 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 $427 in Mexico City versus $93.4 in Sandakan, Sabah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $836 in Sandakan, Sabah versus $1,447 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sandakan, Sabah but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Sandakan, Sabah 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 Sandakan, Sabah 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 Sandakan, Sabah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 73% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.