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: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $1,027 in Selangor.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,483 in Selangor.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $1,938 in Selangor.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 62% more expensive than in Selangor, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Selangor is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$205

$4.22 MYR 17.28

182.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$886

$19.63 MYR 80.4

162.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$196

$4.00 MYR 16.39

185.25%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.6

$2.19 MYR 8.98

82.19%

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

$1.66 MX$28.48

$0.87 MYR 3.56

90.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.77

$0.46 MYR 1.89

189.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.6

$4.50 MYR 18.44

-22.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$101

$5.10 MYR 20.86

15.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.21

$1.91 MYR 7.83

-1.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$55.9

$1.10 MYR 4.52

195.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.10

$1.51 MYR 6.16

43.05%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.72

$1.91 MYR 7.80

51.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$221

$15.50 MYR 63.4

-17.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$4.82 MYR 19.75

108.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$272

$9.82 MYR 40.21

61.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.6

$3.35 MYR 13.71

-1.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.44

$1.84 MYR 7.53

9.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.76

$2.44 MYR 9.99

-9.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.44

$1.58 MYR 6.48

49.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.27

$1.36 MYR 5.58

50.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.64

$1.09 MYR 4.45

74.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.55

$1.14 MYR 4.66

41.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$23.98

$0.54 MYR 2.21

159.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$93.8

$4.34 MYR 17.76

25.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$303

$19.04 MYR 77.9

-7.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.28

$3.38 MYR 13.83

-39.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.4

$4.99 MYR 20.42

-6.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.81

$1.25 MYR 5.11

-72.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$357

$12.26 MYR 50.2

69.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$35.99

$1.25 MYR 5.12

68.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.60

$1.26 MYR 5.16

-55.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$99.8

$4.51 MYR 18.44

28.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.56

$0.66 MYR 2.70

143.94%

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

$22.8K MX$392.1K

$42.4K MYR 173.6K

-46.15%

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

$26.8K MX$459.2K

$35.0K MYR 143.3K

-23.58%

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

$65.2 MX$1,119

$65.2 MYR 267

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

$30.09 MX$517

$9.10 MYR 37.24

230.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$638

$25.81 MYR 106

44.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,026

$40.42 MYR 165

47.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$456

$7.22 MYR 29.57

267.73%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$5.30 MYR 21.69

32.83%

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

$465 MX$7,976

$124 MYR 506

275.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$227.8K

$7,373 MYR 30.2K

80.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,303

$73.2 MYR 299

3.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$960

$42.30 MYR 173

32.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,920

$77.8 MYR 318

43.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,068

$81.6 MYR 334

47.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$18.9K

$504 MYR 2,064

118.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$346 MYR 1,418

108.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.4K

$881 MYR 3,606

187.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.2K

$485 MYR 1,984

166.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.5K

$1,559 MYR 6,381

156.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$35.9K

$712 MYR 2,913

193.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.8K

$1,045 MYR 4,277

-0.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

3.96

185.35%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Selangor: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $504 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: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $20.00 in Selangor for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $272 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 62% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $1,027 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: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $504 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 70% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $124 in Selangor. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,027 in Selangor versus $1,660 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 62% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.