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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $844 in Sentul.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,261 in Sentul.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $1,677 in Sentul.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 72% more expensive than in Sentul, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Sentul is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$3.55 MYR 14.53

268.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$19.00 MYR 77.7

182.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$4.62 MYR 18.89

109.52%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$2.71 MYR 11.10

38.01%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$0.67 MYR 2.76

141.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.45 MYR 1.85

157.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$3.44 MYR 14.08

-6.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$5.15 MYR 21.07

-7.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.88 MYR 7.68

-12.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$1.00 MYR 4.10

175.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$1.80 MYR 7.36

3.89%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$1.90 MYR 7.76

31.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$10.68 MYR 43.66

-4.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$3.41 MYR 13.95

141.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$7.97 MYR 32.61

48.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$2.77 MYR 11.33

8.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.51 MYR 6.19

19.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$2.47 MYR 10.09

-19.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$1.25 MYR 5.11

60.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$1.13 MYR 4.64

84.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$1.38 MYR 5.64

64.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$0.94 MYR 3.84

55.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.60 MYR 2.44

80.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$4.35 MYR 17.77

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$14.13 MYR 57.8

20.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$2.67 MYR 10.92

-35.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$3.01 MYR 12.31

18.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.68 MYR 2.79

-42.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$11.91 MYR 48.72

56.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$0.98 MYR 3.99

35.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$1.02 MYR 4.18

-72.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$9.09 MYR 37.16

-42.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$0.50 MYR 2.04

168.00%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$31.9K MYR 130.3K

-39.07%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$27.9K MYR 113.9K

-14.43%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$40.41 MYR 165

0.69%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$8.94 MYR 36.57

200.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$23.35 MYR 95.5

30.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$37.18 MYR 152

41.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$5.78 MYR 23.64

361.07%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$5.07 MYR 20.72

28.40%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$187 MYR 763

129.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$7,016 MYR 28.7K

49.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$64.1 MYR 262

-10.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$27.93 MYR 114

62.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$59.9 MYR 245

73.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$49.06 MYR 201

119.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$390 MYR 1,595

157.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$270 MYR 1,106

130.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$653 MYR 2,671

222.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$467 MYR 1,910

160.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$2,138 MYR 8,746

81.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$1,186 MYR 4,849

71.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$900 MYR 3,679

15.37%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Sentul: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $390 in Sentul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 15% 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 Sentul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $220 per month, with Sentul 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 Sentul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Sentul differ by about 72% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $844 including rent). Sentul is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 15% 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $390 in Sentul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Sentul runs roughly 57% 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 $187 in Sentul. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $844 in Sentul versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sentul but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Sentul 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 Sentul 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 Sentul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 72% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.