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: $1,466 in Mexico City versus $844 in Sandakan, Sabah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,325 in Mexico City versus $1,303 in Sandakan, Sabah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,184 in Mexico City versus $1,761 in Sandakan, Sabah.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 74% more expensive than Sandakan, Sabah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Sandakan, Sabah is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.30 MX$231

$2.29 MYR 9.05

480.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$932

$18.66 MYR 73.7

188.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$4.59 MYR 18.13

105.23%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.3

$2.57 MYR 10.17

39.69%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$0.69 MYR 2.71

134.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.49

$0.25 MYR 0.99

348.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$2.37 MYR 9.37

37.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.65 MX$80.6

$3.47 MYR 13.70

34.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$1.75 MYR 6.92

-6.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 MX$46.00

$1.19 MYR 4.68

122.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.99

$1.20 MYR 4.75

63.33%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.08

$2.88 MYR 11.39

-11.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.97 MX$173

$15.09 MYR 59.6

-33.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 MX$145

$3.51 MYR 13.86

139.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.83 MX$205

$7.09 MYR 28.00

66.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$49.62

$2.62 MYR 10.37

9.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 MX$30.05

$1.12 MYR 4.43

54.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.50

$3.21 MYR 12.68

-38.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.51

$1.91 MYR 7.56

7.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$1.23 MYR 4.87

67.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 MX$39.54

$1.29 MYR 5.09

76.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MX$25.05

$1.12 MYR 4.42

29.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.83

$0.48 MYR 1.88

127.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$4.16 MYR 16.44

2.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.67 MX$254

$16.86 MYR 66.6

-12.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.58

$1.92 MYR 7.60

-8.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 MX$61.8

$1.62 MYR 6.39

120.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.67

$0.69 MYR 2.72

-44.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.73 MX$325

$12.01 MYR 47.43

55.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.09

$1.20 MYR 4.73

15.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.26

$1.00 MYR 3.93

-70.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$93.8

$5.83 MYR 23.03

-7.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.22

$0.50 MYR 1.96

168.00%

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

$18.9K MX$326.7K

$29.5K MYR 116.3K

-36.00%

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

$23.2K MX$402.0K

$28.2K MYR 111.3K

-17.69%

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

$40.30 MX$698

$47.91 MYR 189

-15.88%

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

$27.15 MX$471

$3.53 MYR 13.93

669.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$510

$23.38 MYR 92.4

26.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 MX$914

$37.49 MYR 148

40.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.17 MX$454

$6.03 MYR 23.81

334.00%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$107

$2.81 MYR 11.09

119.93%

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

$441 MX$7,637

$93.4 MYR 369

371.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.4K

$4,518 MYR 17.8K

136.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.2 MX$992

$60.0 MYR 237

-4.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.04 MX$781

$23.14 MYR 91.4

94.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,793

$71.8 MYR 284

44.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,884

$93.4 MYR 369

16.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.3K

$386 MYR 1,525

158.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 MX$11.0K

$267 MYR 1,056

136.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,141 MX$37.1K

$637 MYR 2,515

236.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,253 MX$21.7K

$464 MYR 1,835

169.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,745 MX$64.9K

$1,587 MYR 6,267

136.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,381 MX$41.3K

$938 MYR 3,705

153.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,079 MX$18.7K

$762 MYR 3,008

41.73%

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Sandakan, Sabah: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $386 in Sandakan, Sabah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 42% 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 in Mexico City vs $19 in Sandakan, Sabah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $235 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 74% in total monthly costs ($1,466 vs $844 including rent). Sandakan, Sabah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 42% more on average, 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $386 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 56% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $441 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 $844 in Sandakan, Sabah versus $1,466 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 74% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.