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: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $918 in Setia Alam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,395 in Setia Alam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $1,872 in Setia Alam.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 59% more expensive than in Setia Alam, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Setia Alam is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$4.58 MYR 18.74

185.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$23.80 MYR 97.4

125.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$4.68 MYR 19.15

106.84%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$2.98 MYR 12.20

25.50%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$0.84 MYR 3.42

92.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.37 MYR 1.50

213.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$4.33 MYR 17.70

-25.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$6.02 MYR 24.63

-21.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.75 MYR 7.15

-5.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$0.70 MYR 2.86

292.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$0.98 MYR 4.02

90.82%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$1.65 MYR 6.75

51.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$4.78 MYR 19.56

113.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$3.99 MYR 16.33

106.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$9.52 MYR 38.95

24.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$1.33 MYR 5.44

126.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.57 MYR 6.42

15.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$1.34 MYR 5.46

49.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$1.39 MYR 5.68

43.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$1.22 MYR 5.00

70.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$1.33 MYR 5.42

70.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$0.57 MYR 2.34

156.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.53 MYR 2.17

103.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$4.21 MYR 17.23

3.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$19.11 MYR 78.2

-11.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$3.21 MYR 13.14

-46.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$4.21 MYR 17.24

-14.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.73 MYR 2.98

-46.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$11.72 MYR 47.92

59.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$1.17 MYR 4.78

13.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$1.10 MYR 4.51

-74.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$4.62 MYR 18.89

13.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$0.50 MYR 2.05

168.00%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$40.6K MYR 166.0K

-52.18%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$32.2K MYR 131.6K

-25.96%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$59.1 MYR 242

-31.12%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$10.73 MYR 43.87

150.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$25.60 MYR 105

19.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$54.8 MYR 224

-3.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$2.38 MYR 9.73

1019.75%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$5.04 MYR 20.62

29.17%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$196 MYR 800

118.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$9,524 MYR 39.0K

10.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$59.7 MYR 244

-4.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$24.82 MYR 102

83.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$86.1 MYR 352

20.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$53.8 MYR 220

100.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$495 MYR 2,026

102.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$305 MYR 1,247

104.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$837 MYR 3,422

152.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$534 MYR 2,185

127.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$2,029 MYR 8,300

91.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$1,175 MYR 4,806

72.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$1,149 MYR 4,698

-9.65%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Setia Alam: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $495 in Setia Alam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Setia Alam pays 11% 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 $24.00 in Setia Alam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $204 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 59% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $918 including rent). Setia Alam is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 11% lower in Setia Alam. 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $495 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 59% 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 $196 in Setia Alam. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $918 in Setia Alam versus $1,456 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 59% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.