Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Setia Alam Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Setia Alam

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $927 in Setia Alam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,385 in Setia Alam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,842 in Setia Alam.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 58% more expensive than Setia Alam, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Setia Alam is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$4.59 MYR 18.31

187.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$23.15 MYR 92.4

132.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$4.84 MYR 19.32

94.63%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$3.13 MYR 12.50

13.42%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$0.89 MYR 3.56

82.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$0.37 MYR 1.47

200.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$4.26 MYR 16.99

-26.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$5.74 MYR 22.91

-19.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$1.80 MYR 7.16

-5.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$0.68 MYR 2.72

300.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$0.98 MYR 3.91

94.90%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$1.73 MYR 6.91

46.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$4.62 MYR 18.44

117.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$3.92 MYR 15.63

106.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$9.45 MYR 37.69

22.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$1.32 MYR 5.29

125.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$1.59 MYR 6.34

13.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$1.29 MYR 5.14

55.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$1.43 MYR 5.71

41.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$1.23 MYR 4.93

72.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$1.27 MYR 5.07

78.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$0.61 MYR 2.42

129.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$0.56 MYR 2.24

101.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$4.06 MYR 16.20

5.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$19.94 MYR 79.6

-21.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$3.23 MYR 12.90

-45.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$4.27 MYR 17.05

-15.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$0.73 MYR 2.89

-47.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$11.93 MYR 47.61

60.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$1.16 MYR 4.64

18.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$1.14 MYR 4.54

-75.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$4.62 MYR 18.42

17.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$0.48 MYR 1.90

170.83%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$39.3K MYR 156.9K

-52.46%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$32.2K MYR 128.6K

-28.21%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$58.1 MYR 232

-29.61%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$10.59 MYR 42.26

153.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$25.89 MYR 103

15.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$55.8 MYR 223

-6.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

$2.35 MYR 9.37

1042.13%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$5.11 MYR 20.39

23.29%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$193 MYR 769

126.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$9,575 MYR 38.2K

8.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$61.3 MYR 245

-7.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$24.70 MYR 98.6

79.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$84.5 MYR 337

21.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$52.0 MYR 208

102.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$496 MYR 1,979

106.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$309 MYR 1,233

104.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$815 MYR 3,252

162.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$524 MYR 2,091

137.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

$1,965 MYR 7,840

98.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

$991 MYR 3,955

108.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$1,180 MYR 4,708

-5.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

4.12

175.24%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Setia Alam: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $496 in Setia Alam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Setia Alam pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $23.00 in Setia Alam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $206 per month, with Setia Alam 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 Setia Alam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Setia Alam differ by about 58% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $927 including rent). Setia Alam is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Setia Alam earns 6% less. 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $496 in Setia Alam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Setia Alam runs roughly 61% 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 $193 in Setia Alam. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $927 in Setia Alam versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Setia Alam but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Setia Alam 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 Setia Alam 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 Setia Alam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.