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: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $924 in Sentul.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $1,348 in Sentul.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $1,771 in Sentul.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 81% more expensive than in Sentul, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, Sentul is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$3.70 MYR 15.04

228.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$914

$22.16 MYR 90.1

143.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$4.97 MYR 20.22

123.14%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.5

$2.99 MYR 12.16

37.12%

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

$1.68 MX$28.53

$0.85 MYR 3.44

97.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.55

$0.48 MYR 1.94

189.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.5

$3.36 MYR 13.67

-0.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.7

$5.77 MYR 23.46

1.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.41

$1.75 MYR 7.14

5.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$1.09 MYR 4.42

190.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.13

$1.46 MYR 5.93

41.78%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.67

$1.77 MYR 7.19

65.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$9.79 MYR 39.81

28.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$3.28 MYR 13.35

208.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$9.90 MYR 40.27

62.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$3.37 MYR 13.70

0.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.26

$1.76 MYR 7.17

18.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.97

$2.79 MYR 11.35

-24.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.95

$1.65 MYR 6.69

46.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.11

$1.44 MYR 5.85

47.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.02

$1.66 MYR 6.76

21.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.21

$1.38 MYR 5.63

12.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.15

$0.55 MYR 2.23

147.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.8

$4.41 MYR 17.96

30.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$14.37 MYR 58.5

23.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.11

$2.81 MYR 11.42

-26.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.3

$3.14 MYR 12.76

46.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

$0.71 MYR 2.90

-47.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

$12.16 MYR 49.48

74.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.84

$1.23 MYR 4.99

66.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.79

$0.36 MYR 1.46

61.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$9.03 MYR 36.73

-32.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.34

$0.78 MYR 3.18

98.72%

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

$22.9K MX$388.1K

$43.0K MYR 175.1K

-46.84%

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

$27.2K MX$462.0K

$33.7K MYR 137.0K

-19.12%

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

$67.4 MX$1,144

$49.11 MYR 200

37.26%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$8.28 MYR 33.70

269.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$632

$26.87 MYR 109

38.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,043

$41.18 MYR 168

49.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

$6.80 MYR 27.68

298.82%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$5.04 MYR 20.51

41.07%

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

$456 MX$7,739

$163 MYR 662

180.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.3K

$4,578 MYR 18.6K

199.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,259

$52.1 MYR 212

42.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$967

$16.80 MYR 68.3

239.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,958

$79.8 MYR 324

44.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,061

$40.83 MYR 166

197.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$426 MYR 1,733

169.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$330 MYR 1,343

114.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.7K

$696 MYR 2,830

270.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

$495 MYR 2,013

161.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

$2,052 MYR 8,350

95.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

$1,126 MYR 4,581

89.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

$897 MYR 3,650

20.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

4.06

178.33%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Sentul: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $426 in Sentul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 21% 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 $22.00 in Sentul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $232 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 81% in total monthly costs ($1,677 vs $924 including rent). Sentul is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 21% 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: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $426 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 74% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $456 in Mexico City versus $163 in Sentul. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $924 in Sentul versus $1,677 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 81% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.