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: $1,466 in Mexico City versus $909 in Sarawak.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,325 in Mexico City versus $1,312 in Sarawak.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,184 in Mexico City versus $1,714 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 9% above, Sarawak is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.30 MX$231

$3.46 MYR 13.65

284.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$932

$18.70 MYR 73.9

187.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$5.41 MYR 21.37

74.12%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.3

$2.70 MYR 10.66

32.96%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$0.79 MYR 3.11

105.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.49

$0.39 MYR 1.55

187.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$7.72 MYR 30.51

-57.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.65 MX$80.6

$8.13 MYR 32.13

-42.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$1.79 MYR 7.07

-8.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 MX$46.00

$0.99 MYR 3.92

167.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.99

$1.23 MYR 4.87

59.35%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.08

$2.04 MYR 8.08

24.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.97 MX$173

$15.06 MYR 59.5

-33.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 MX$145

$2.65 MYR 10.48

216.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.83 MX$205

$9.60 MYR 37.93

23.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$49.62

$2.99 MYR 11.81

-4.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 MX$30.05

$1.46 MYR 5.75

18.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.50

$2.50 MYR 9.88

-20.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.51

$1.43 MYR 5.65

43.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$1.22 MYR 4.82

68.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 MX$39.54

$1.28 MYR 5.04

78.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MX$25.05

$1.04 MYR 4.09

39.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.83

$0.63 MYR 2.47

73.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$4.16 MYR 16.41

2.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.67 MX$254

$16.22 MYR 64.1

-9.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.58

$2.86 MYR 11.28

-38.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 MX$61.8

$2.97 MYR 11.74

20.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.67

$0.73 MYR 2.87

-47.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.73 MX$325

$11.56 MYR 45.65

62.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.09

$1.20 MYR 4.75

15.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.26

$0.99 MYR 3.90

-69.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$93.8

$5.91 MYR 23.35

-8.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.22

$0.50 MYR 1.98

168.00%

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

$18.9K MX$326.7K

$35.2K MYR 139.1K

-46.45%

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

$23.2K MX$402.0K

$31.7K MYR 125.3K

-26.85%

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

$40.30 MX$698

$42.70 MYR 169

-5.62%

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

$27.15 MX$471

$8.86 MYR 34.99

206.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$510

$28.95 MYR 114

1.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 MX$914

$37.04 MYR 146

42.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.17 MX$454

$6.03 MYR 23.82

334.00%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$107

$4.90 MYR 19.34

26.12%

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

$441 MX$7,637

$187 MYR 737

136.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.4K

$6,975 MYR 27.6K

53.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.2 MX$992

$35.88 MYR 142

59.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.04 MX$781

$39.15 MYR 155

15.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,793

$78.7 MYR 311

31.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,884

$57.5 MYR 227

89.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.3K

$326 MYR 1,289

206.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 MX$11.0K

$270 MYR 1,065

134.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,141 MX$37.1K

$500 MYR 1,977

327.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,253 MX$21.7K

$356 MYR 1,405

252.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,745 MX$64.9K

$1,754 MYR 6,928

113.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,381 MX$41.3K

$886 MYR 3,498

168.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,079 MX$18.7K

$429 MYR 1,696

151.37%

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Sarawak: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $326 in Sarawak. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 151% 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 Sarawak for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 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 61% in total monthly costs ($1,466 vs $909 including rent). Sarawak is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 151% 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 $326 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 62% 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 $187 in Sarawak. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $909 in Sarawak versus $1,466 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.