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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $999 in Selangor.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,432 in Selangor.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $1,865 in Selangor.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 46% more expensive than in Selangor, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Selangor is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$2.55 MYR 10.42

412.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$23.88 MYR 97.7

125.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$3.73 MYR 15.26

159.52%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$2.30 MYR 9.40

62.61%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$0.77 MYR 3.17

110.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.36 MYR 1.48

222.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$4.22 MYR 17.27

-23.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$5.38 MYR 22.00

-11.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.81 MYR 7.39

-8.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$1.01 MYR 4.15

172.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$1.50 MYR 6.12

24.67%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$1.88 MYR 7.70

32.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$14.38 MYR 58.8

-29.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$4.68 MYR 19.14

76.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$9.88 MYR 40.41

19.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$3.00 MYR 12.27

0.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.56 MYR 6.40

16.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$2.73 MYR 11.18

-26.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$1.45 MYR 5.94

37.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$1.28 MYR 5.22

62.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$1.01 MYR 4.11

124.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$1.13 MYR 4.63

29.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.51 MYR 2.10

111.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$4.33 MYR 17.71

0.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$19.24 MYR 78.7

-11.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$3.35 MYR 13.68

-48.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$4.26 MYR 17.41

-15.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.68 MYR 2.80

-42.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$11.85 MYR 48.46

57.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$1.16 MYR 4.75

14.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$1.10 MYR 4.51

-74.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$4.35 MYR 17.77

20.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$0.50 MYR 2.05

168.00%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$40.5K MYR 165.5K

-52.02%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$30.8K MYR 125.9K

-22.58%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$64.9 MYR 265

-37.28%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$9.99 MYR 40.88

168.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$25.88 MYR 106

17.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$38.38 MYR 157

37.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$7.27 MYR 29.74

266.57%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$5.17 MYR 21.13

25.92%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$116 MYR 476

268.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$4,342 MYR 17.8K

141.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$60.9 MYR 249

-5.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$36.78 MYR 150

23.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$74.9 MYR 306

38.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$78.8 MYR 322

36.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$449 MYR 1,838

123.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$351 MYR 1,437

77.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$834 MYR 3,413

152.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$472 MYR 1,930

158.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$1,583 MYR 6,473

145.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$707 MYR 2,891

187.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$1,047 MYR 4,284

-0.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

3.96

186.36%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Selangor: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $449 in Selangor. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Selangor pays 1% 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 $24.00 in Selangor for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $261 per month, with Selangor 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 Selangor: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Selangor differ by about 46% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $999 including rent). Selangor is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 1% lower in Selangor. 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $449 in Selangor. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Selangor runs roughly 58% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $116 in Selangor. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $999 in Selangor versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Selangor but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Selangor 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 Selangor 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 Selangor gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.