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: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $973 in Setia Alam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,443 in Setia Alam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $1,913 in Setia Alam.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 71% more expensive than in Setia Alam, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Setia Alam is 29% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$206

$5.06 MYR 20.64

135.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$890

$24.14 MYR 98.5

113.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$5.01 MYR 20.46

127.74%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.9

$3.08 MYR 12.59

29.55%

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

$1.66 MX$28.61

$0.81 MYR 3.32

104.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.87

$0.44 MYR 1.79

202.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.9

$4.46 MYR 18.21

-22.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$6.07 MYR 24.77

-2.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.36

$1.87 MYR 7.61

0.53%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$0.70 MYR 2.87

364.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.26

$1.06 MYR 4.32

103.77%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.94

$1.81 MYR 7.39

60.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$222

$4.94 MYR 20.16

160.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$4.23 MYR 17.28

137.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$9.66 MYR 39.42

64.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.8

$1.34 MYR 5.46

145.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.60

$1.94 MYR 7.90

3.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.93

$1.37 MYR 5.60

60.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.63

$1.50 MYR 6.11

57.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.43

$1.30 MYR 5.32

57.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.79

$1.32 MYR 5.40

43.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$0.64 MYR 2.59

151.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.09

$0.56 MYR 2.29

150.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.2

$4.45 MYR 18.18

22.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$18.82 MYR 76.8

-6.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.44

$3.45 MYR 14.08

-40.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.8

$4.94 MYR 20.17

-5.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.84

$0.77 MYR 3.15

-55.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$359

$12.46 MYR 50.9

67.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.15

$1.25 MYR 5.11

68.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.64

$0.50 MYR 2.03

12.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$5.04 MYR 20.57

15.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$0.64 MYR 2.63

151.56%

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

$22.8K MX$393.8K

$42.5K MYR 173.4K

-46.24%

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

$26.8K MX$461.2K

$35.3K MYR 144.2K

-24.25%

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

$65.2 MX$1,124

$61.6 MYR 251

5.90%

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

$30.09 MX$519

$9.48 MYR 38.70

217.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$641

$26.31 MYR 107

41.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,030

$58.3 MYR 238

2.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$458

$6.42 MYR 26.19

313.55%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$5.34 MYR 21.80

31.84%

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

$465 MX$8,012

$177 MYR 722

162.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.9K

$11.0K MYR 44.9K

20.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,308

$70.7 MYR 289

7.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$965

$25.51 MYR 104

119.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,929

$89.2 MYR 364

25.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,078

$54.4 MYR 222

121.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$515 MYR 2,104

113.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$322 MYR 1,314

124.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$860 MYR 3,513

194.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$545 MYR 2,223

137.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.8K

$2,025 MYR 8,266

97.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

$1,122 MYR 4,581

86.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

$1,132 MYR 4,621

-8.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

4.12

174.27%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Setia Alam: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $515 in Setia Alam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Setia Alam pays 9% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $24.00 in Setia Alam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $214 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 71% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $973 including rent). Setia Alam is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 9% 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: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $515 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 67% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $177 in Setia Alam. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $973 in Setia Alam versus $1,660 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 71% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.