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: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $970 in Sandakan, Sabah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $1,438 in Sandakan, Sabah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $1,907 in Sandakan, Sabah.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, Sandakan, Sabah is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$3.79 MYR 15.42

220.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$914

$20.12 MYR 81.8

167.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$4.90 MYR 19.91

126.33%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.5

$2.99 MYR 12.18

37.12%

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

$1.68 MX$28.53

$0.80 MYR 3.25

110.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.55

$0.42 MYR 1.73

230.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.5

$3.69 MYR 15.00

-9.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.7

$4.47 MYR 18.18

31.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.41

$1.86 MYR 7.56

-0.54%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$1.05 MYR 4.27

201.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.13

$1.52 MYR 6.18

36.18%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.67

$1.89 MYR 7.68

55.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$13.56 MYR 55.2

-7.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$4.33 MYR 17.61

133.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$9.96 MYR 40.53

61.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$3.27 MYR 13.28

3.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.26

$1.77 MYR 7.20

17.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.97

$2.43 MYR 9.88

-12.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.95

$1.62 MYR 6.59

48.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.11

$1.33 MYR 5.41

60.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.02

$1.19 MYR 4.86

68.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.21

$1.20 MYR 4.90

29.17%

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

$4.51 MYR 18.36

27.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$19.18 MYR 78.0

-7.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.11

$3.03 MYR 12.31

-31.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.3

$3.74 MYR 15.22

23.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

$0.77 MYR 3.13

-51.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

$12.63 MYR 51.4

67.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.84

$1.26 MYR 5.13

62.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.79

$0.48 MYR 1.94

20.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$7.47 MYR 30.37

-18.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.34

$0.73 MYR 2.97

112.33%

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

$22.9K MX$388.1K

$43.0K MYR 175.0K

-46.82%

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

$27.2K MX$462.0K

$35.1K MYR 142.7K

-22.36%

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

$67.4 MX$1,144

$49.67 MYR 202

35.72%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$9.87 MYR 40.13

210.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$632

$28.51 MYR 116

30.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,043

$41.59 MYR 169

47.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

$6.59 MYR 26.80

311.53%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$4.92 MYR 20.00

44.51%

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

$456 MX$7,739

$176 MYR 715

159.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.3K

$5,019 MYR 20.4K

172.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,259

$61.3 MYR 250

20.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$967

$34.64 MYR 141

64.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,958

$80.9 MYR 329

42.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,061

$69.9 MYR 284

73.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$423 MYR 1,720

171.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$336 MYR 1,366

111.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.7K

$709 MYR 2,886

263.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

$497 MYR 2,023

160.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

$2,034 MYR 8,274

96.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

$1,142 MYR 4,644

86.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

$1,246 MYR 5,068

-13.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

4.2

169.05%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Sandakan, Sabah: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $423 in Sandakan, Sabah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sandakan, Sabah 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 $20.00 in Sandakan, Sabah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $259 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 ($1,677 vs $970 including rent). Sandakan, Sabah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 15% lower in Sandakan, Sabah. 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: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $423 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 68% 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 $176 in Sandakan, Sabah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $970 in Sandakan, Sabah versus $1,677 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.