Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Sarawak Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Sarawak

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $900 in Sarawak.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $1,286 in Sarawak.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $1,673 in Sarawak.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 61% more expensive than Sarawak, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 8% above, Sarawak is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$226

$3.64 MYR 14.79

256.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$917

$18.77 MYR 76.4

180.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$164

$5.28 MYR 21.46

78.60%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$62.2

$2.76 MYR 11.23

29.35%

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

$1.61 MX$27.97

$0.74 MYR 3.01

117.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$20.10

$0.39 MYR 1.60

194.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$54.9

$7.91 MYR 32.16

-60.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$84.6

$8.29 MYR 33.71

-41.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.61

$1.89 MYR 7.69

-10.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.91

$1.00 MYR 4.07

164.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$33.15

$1.29 MYR 5.23

47.29%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.27

$2.04 MYR 8.28

24.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$14.95 MYR 60.8

-32.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$2.55 MYR 10.39

225.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$202

$9.68 MYR 39.35

19.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.7

$2.91 MYR 11.82

4.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.79

$1.48 MYR 6.00

15.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.69

$2.58 MYR 10.48

-20.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.88

$1.45 MYR 5.90

42.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.96

$1.22 MYR 4.97

68.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.80

$1.33 MYR 5.40

63.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.44

$1.00 MYR 4.09

40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.54

$0.67 MYR 2.73

67.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$74.8

$4.29 MYR 17.46

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$269

$17.42 MYR 70.9

-11.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$29.17

$2.82 MYR 11.49

-40.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$64.2

$2.99 MYR 12.15

23.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.65

$0.69 MYR 2.82

-44.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$332

$11.98 MYR 48.71

59.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$24.05

$1.15 MYR 4.67

20.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.81

$0.98 MYR 3.99

-71.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.3

$5.92 MYR 24.06

-8.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$22.31

$0.49 MYR 2.01

161.22%

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

$19.0K MX$330.6K

$34.9K MYR 142.1K

-45.67%

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

$23.5K MX$408.7K

$31.9K MYR 129.8K

-26.47%

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

$41.02 MX$715

$43.20 MYR 176

-5.05%

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

$26.92 MX$469

$8.94 MYR 36.36

201.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$517

$29.23 MYR 119

1.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$912

$37.24 MYR 151

40.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$457

$6.00 MYR 24.39

337.17%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$108

$5.06 MYR 20.59

22.13%

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

$427 MX$7,440

$189 MYR 770

125.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$186.4K

$6,935 MYR 28.2K

54.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$990

$36.81 MYR 150

54.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$781

$39.24 MYR 160

14.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,821

$76.9 MYR 313

35.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,846

$56.1 MYR 228

89.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.3K

$324 MYR 1,317

207.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.8K

$269 MYR 1,095

130.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$37.0K

$505 MYR 2,052

321.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.8K

$360 MYR 1,463

248.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$68.0K

$1,935 MYR 7,870

101.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.5K

$973 MYR 3,956

115.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.3K

$420 MYR 1,708

163.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

4.07

178.62%

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

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Last update for Sarawak: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Mexico City and $324 in Sarawak. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 164% 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: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $19.00 in Sarawak for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $243 per month, with Sarawak 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 Sarawak: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Sarawak differ by about 61% in total monthly costs ($1,447 vs $900 including rent). Sarawak is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 164% 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: $995 in Mexico City versus $324 in Sarawak. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Sarawak runs roughly 59% 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 $189 in Sarawak. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $900 in Sarawak versus $1,447 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sarawak but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Sarawak 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 Sarawak 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 Sarawak gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.