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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $832 in Sentul.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,260 in Sentul.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,689 in Sentul.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 76% more expensive than Sentul, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Sentul is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$3.44 MYR 13.71

283.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$18.62 MYR 74.3

189.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$4.63 MYR 18.47

103.46%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$2.83 MYR 11.28

25.44%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$0.69 MYR 2.75

134.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$0.49 MYR 1.95

126.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$3.56 MYR 14.20

-12.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$5.17 MYR 20.61

-10.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$1.88 MYR 7.50

-9.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$1.00 MYR 4.00

172.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$1.73 MYR 6.92

10.40%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$1.87 MYR 7.44

35.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$10.51 MYR 41.95

-4.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$3.40 MYR 13.58

137.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$8.32 MYR 33.22

39.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$2.73 MYR 10.91

8.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$1.45 MYR 5.79

24.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$2.49 MYR 9.94

-19.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$1.25 MYR 4.97

62.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$1.13 MYR 4.50

87.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$1.40 MYR 5.58

62.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$0.88 MYR 3.49

59.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$0.60 MYR 2.37

88.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$4.18 MYR 16.69

2.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$14.43 MYR 57.6

7.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$2.79 MYR 11.14

-36.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$2.96 MYR 11.81

21.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$0.72 MYR 2.88

-47.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$11.62 MYR 46.35

65.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$1.02 MYR 4.08

35.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$0.99 MYR 3.97

-71.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$9.02 MYR 35.97

-39.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$0.50 MYR 2.01

160.00%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$31.9K MYR 127.5K

-41.50%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$28.3K MYR 112.9K

-18.26%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$41.62 MYR 166

-1.83%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$8.92 MYR 35.60

200.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$23.34 MYR 93.2

28.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$36.20 MYR 144

43.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

$5.98 MYR 23.86

348.83%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$4.98 MYR 19.88

26.51%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$188 MYR 751

131.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$6,924 MYR 27.6K

50.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$63.6 MYR 254

-10.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$28.35 MYR 113

56.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$59.1 MYR 236

74.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$49.22 MYR 196

114.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$379 MYR 1,514

169.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$270 MYR 1,077

133.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$646 MYR 2,579

230.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$471 MYR 1,878

164.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

$2,108 MYR 8,412

85.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

$899 MYR 3,589

129.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$894 MYR 3,568

24.71%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Sentul: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $379 in Sentul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 25% 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 $288 vs $221 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 76% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $832 including rent). Sentul is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 25% 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 $379 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 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 $188 in Sentul. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $832 in Sentul versus $1,467 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 76% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.