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: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $838 in Sandakan, Sabah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,292 in Sandakan, Sabah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $1,747 in Sandakan, Sabah.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 76% more expensive than in Sandakan, Sabah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Sandakan, Sabah is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$229

$2.40 MYR 9.82

447.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$934

$18.83 MYR 77.0

184.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$163

$4.63 MYR 18.91

101.51%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.5

$2.59 MYR 10.57

42.86%

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

$1.60 MX$27.98

$0.68 MYR 2.78

135.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.49

$0.23 MYR 0.94

386.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$2.40 MYR 9.80

30.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$84.5

$3.45 MYR 14.10

40.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.84

$1.66 MYR 6.79

-0.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.34

$1.20 MYR 4.89

125.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.29

$1.14 MYR 4.68

67.54%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$45.17

$2.76 MYR 11.26

-6.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$171

$15.33 MYR 62.6

-36.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$3.43 MYR 14.01

145.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$208

$7.16 MYR 29.24

66.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.5

$2.56 MYR 10.46

15.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.35

$1.18 MYR 4.83

47.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.66

$3.23 MYR 13.21

-36.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.93

$1.98 MYR 8.09

4.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.49

$1.19 MYR 4.86

80.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.33

$1.34 MYR 5.46

68.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.17

$1.12 MYR 4.57

24.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.47

$0.47 MYR 1.92

138.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.6

$4.16 MYR 17.02

1.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$305

$17.39 MYR 71.1

0.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.82

$1.91 MYR 7.82

-10.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$63.4

$1.68 MYR 6.86

116.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.15

$0.68 MYR 2.78

-48.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$337

$12.00 MYR 49.04

61.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$24.00

$1.15 MYR 4.71

20.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.81

$1.03 MYR 4.23

-72.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$92.0

$6.04 MYR 24.69

-12.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.69

$0.50 MYR 2.05

172.00%

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

$19.1K MX$333.2K

$29.9K MYR 122.1K

-36.08%

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

$23.6K MX$411.7K

$28.1K MYR 114.7K

-15.90%

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

$40.53 MX$707

$46.63 MYR 191

-13.08%

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

$27.38 MX$478

$3.50 MYR 14.29

682.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$530

$23.79 MYR 97.2

27.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$911

$36.28 MYR 148

43.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$462

$6.00 MYR 24.53

341.33%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$108

$2.87 MYR 11.75

115.68%

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

$425 MX$7,414

$94.8 MYR 388

348.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$187.2K

$4,390 MYR 17.9K

144.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,017

$59.3 MYR 242

-1.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$777

$22.95 MYR 93.8

94.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,805

$71.8 MYR 293

44.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,897

$95.8 MYR 392

13.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.7K

$391 MYR 1,598

159.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

$267 MYR 1,092

132.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$37.0K

$652 MYR 2,664

225.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.3K

$479 MYR 1,958

155.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$66.1K

$1,998 MYR 8,166

89.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.8K

$995 MYR 4,065

112.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.4K

$1,215 MYR 4,965

-13.39%

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Sandakan, Sabah: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $391 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 $19.00 in Sandakan, Sabah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $236 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 76% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $838 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: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $391 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 61% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $94.8 in Sandakan, Sabah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $838 in Sandakan, Sabah versus $1,472 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 76% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.