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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,008 in Selangor.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,449 in Selangor.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,890 in Selangor.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Selangor is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$2.56 MYR 10.16

414.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$23.14 MYR 91.7

132.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$3.74 MYR 14.84

151.87%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$2.23 MYR 8.83

59.19%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$0.77 MYR 3.06

110.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.33 MYR 1.32

236.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$4.19 MYR 16.62

-25.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$5.33 MYR 21.15

-13.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.83 MYR 7.26

-7.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$1.01 MYR 4.00

169.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.45 MYR 5.74

31.72%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$1.83 MYR 7.24

38.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$14.43 MYR 57.2

-30.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$4.66 MYR 18.46

73.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$9.83 MYR 38.98

18.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$2.87 MYR 11.37

3.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.64 MYR 6.52

10.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$2.69 MYR 10.65

-25.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$1.51 MYR 5.98

34.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$1.27 MYR 5.03

66.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$0.99 MYR 3.93

129.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$1.08 MYR 4.28

29.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.54 MYR 2.15

109.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$4.32 MYR 17.12

-1.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$19.54 MYR 77.5

-20.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$3.37 MYR 13.35

-47.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$4.26 MYR 16.88

-15.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.74 MYR 2.94

-48.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$11.61 MYR 46.04

65.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$1.21 MYR 4.79

14.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$1.10 MYR 4.38

-74.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$4.38 MYR 17.39

24.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$0.46 MYR 1.84

182.61%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$39.3K MYR 155.8K

-52.45%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$31.9K MYR 126.5K

-27.50%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$65.4 MYR 259

-37.54%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$9.48 MYR 37.59

182.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$25.69 MYR 102

16.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$38.55 MYR 153

34.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$7.29 MYR 28.90

268.18%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$5.20 MYR 20.62

21.15%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$117 MYR 462

273.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$4,384 MYR 17.4K

137.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$59.8 MYR 237

-5.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$36.96 MYR 147

20.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$75.1 MYR 298

37.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$78.9 MYR 313

33.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$441 MYR 1,749

131.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$348 MYR 1,379

81.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$849 MYR 3,365

151.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$472 MYR 1,871

163.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$1,659 MYR 6,577

135.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$726 MYR 2,878

184.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$1,004 MYR 3,980

11.07%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Selangor: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $441 in Selangor. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 11% 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 $23.00 in Selangor for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 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 ($1,467 vs $1,008 including rent). Selangor is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 11% 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $441 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 65% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $117 in Selangor. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,008 in Selangor versus $1,467 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.