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: $1,481 in Mexico City versus $910 in Sarawak.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,352 in Mexico City versus $1,313 in Sarawak.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,222 in Mexico City versus $1,716 in Sarawak.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 63% more expensive than in Sarawak, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Sarawak is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.16 MX$230

$3.57 MYR 14.59

268.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.6 MX$937

$18.74 MYR 76.6

185.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.55 MX$167

$5.21 MYR 21.32

83.30%

Cappuccino

$3.72 MX$65.1

$2.79 MYR 11.43

33.33%

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

$1.57 MX$27.42

$0.79 MYR 3.21

98.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.22

$0.39 MYR 1.60

197.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$7.67 MYR 31.38

-58.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$81.1

$8.42 MYR 34.42

-45.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.83

$1.82 MYR 7.43

-6.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.62 MX$45.77

$1.00 MYR 4.08

162.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 MX$33.04

$1.25 MYR 5.13

51.20%

Eggs

$2.60 MX$45.40

$2.14 MYR 8.73

21.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.91 MX$173

$14.84 MYR 60.7

-33.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.22 MX$144

$2.57 MYR 10.49

219.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.78 MX$206

$9.49 MYR 38.80

24.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.00 MX$52.4

$2.88 MYR 11.80

4.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 MX$31.48

$1.53 MYR 6.26

17.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 MX$36.27

$2.50 MYR 10.23

-17.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.41

$1.37 MYR 5.61

43.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 MX$36.24

$1.24 MYR 5.06

66.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$38.04

$1.32 MYR 5.39

64.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.54

$0.99 MYR 4.07

41.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.80

$0.66 MYR 2.71

62.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 MX$72.0

$4.18 MYR 17.09

-1.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.42 MX$305

$16.95 MYR 69.3

2.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.31

$2.81 MYR 11.51

-40.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 MX$63.8

$3.04 MYR 12.42

20.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.65

$0.72 MYR 2.96

-47.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.71 MX$327

$11.74 MYR 48.00

59.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.25

$1.20 MYR 4.90

10.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.30

$1.03 MYR 4.20

-70.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.51 MX$96.4

$5.88 MYR 24.04

-6.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.84

$0.50 MYR 2.06

162.00%

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

$19.2K MX$335.3K

$35.1K MYR 143.6K

-45.40%

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

$23.7K MX$415.4K

$31.9K MYR 130.6K

-25.64%

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

$41.14 MX$720

$43.10 MYR 176

-4.55%

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

$27.74 MX$485

$8.86 MYR 36.24

213.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.13 MX$527

$29.05 MYR 119

3.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.7 MX$940

$37.07 MYR 152

44.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.98 MX$454

$6.04 MYR 24.69

330.13%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 MX$114

$4.98 MYR 20.38

30.32%

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

$437 MX$7,638

$189 MYR 771

131.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.9K

$6,901 MYR 28.2K

51.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,020

$36.25 MYR 148

60.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.86 MX$802

$38.85 MYR 159

18.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MX$1,775

$78.1 MYR 319

29.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 MX$1,863

$56.1 MYR 229

89.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,005 MX$17.6K

$329 MYR 1,347

205.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$634 MX$11.1K

$273 MYR 1,116

132.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,148 MX$37.6K

$498 MYR 2,038

331.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,247 MX$21.8K

$356 MYR 1,455

250.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,859 MX$67.5K

$2,076 MYR 8,489

85.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,085 MX$36.5K

$1,136 MYR 4,646

83.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,072 MX$18.8K

$417 MYR 1,706

157.04%

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: July 22, 2026

Last update for Sarawak: July 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,005 in Mexico City and $329 in Sarawak. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 157% 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $19.00 in Sarawak for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $240 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 63% in total monthly costs ($1,481 vs $910 including rent). Sarawak is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 157% higher in Mexico City, 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: $1,005 in Mexico City versus $329 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 $437 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 $910 in Sarawak versus $1,481 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 63% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.