Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Shah Alam

For one person, living is cheaper in Shah Alam: $937 a month against $1,548 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Shah Alam
Learn more

Shah Alam Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Shah Alam

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$937

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Shah Alam

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Shah Alam actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,548 in Mexico City versus $937 in Shah Alam.

Mexico City $1,548
Shah Alam $937

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,436 in Mexico City versus $1,432 in Shah Alam.

Mexico City $2,436
Shah Alam $1,432

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,323 in Mexico City versus $1,927 in Shah Alam.

Mexico City $3,323
Shah Alam $1,927

Living in Mexico City is roughly 65% more expensive than in Shah Alam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 14% above, Shah Alam is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 MX$204

$3.69 MYR 15.07

198.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.68 MX$900

$19.56 MYR 79.8

148.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$201

$4.05 MYR 16.52

169.14%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

$2.98 MYR 12.17

23.49%

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

$1.63 MX$30.18

$0.72 MYR 2.95

126.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$23.07

$0.38 MYR 1.57

228.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$60.1

$3.40 MYR 13.86

-4.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 MX$102

$4.34 MYR 17.69

27.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$31.50

$1.87 MYR 7.63

-9.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$1.09 MYR 4.43

177.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.53

$1.48 MYR 6.05

29.73%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$50.5

$2.24 MYR 9.12

21.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 MX$218

$13.92 MYR 56.8

-15.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 MX$176

$4.37 MYR 17.81

118.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.41 MX$266

$9.48 MYR 38.67

52.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$3.45 MYR 14.08

-12.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.01

$1.64 MYR 6.71

15.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.70

$2.75 MYR 11.20

-27.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.38

$1.82 MYR 7.40

20.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.43

$1.21 MYR 4.93

58.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$34.49

$2.02 MYR 8.26

-7.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MX$26.62

$1.44 MYR 5.86

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.39

$0.58 MYR 2.35

118.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 MX$96.4

$4.37 MYR 17.82

19.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.17 MX$299

$18.51 MYR 75.5

-12.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 MX$35.03

$2.67 MYR 10.90

-28.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 MX$78.0

$4.45 MYR 18.15

-5.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.30

$0.75 MYR 3.07

-54.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.65 MX$363

$16.00 MYR 65.3

22.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.90

$1.24 MYR 5.05

61.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MX$9.67

$0.37 MYR 1.53

40.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 MX$98.7

$7.23 MYR 29.51

-26.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.13

$0.80 MYR 3.26

90.00%

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

$22.1K MX$408.0K

$46.1K MYR 188.3K

-52.16%

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

$24.5K MX$452.9K

$36.2K MYR 147.7K

-32.30%

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

$61.1 MX$1,129

$37.60 MYR 153

62.42%

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

$28.58 MX$528

$10.01 MYR 40.84

185.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.47 MX$637

$28.97 MYR 118

18.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,042

$40.53 MYR 165

39.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$460

$5.02 MYR 20.48

395.62%

Cinema Ticket

$6.66 MX$123

$6.41 MYR 26.17

3.90%

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

$427 MX$7,891

$196 MYR 800

117.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K MX$215.0K

$4,644 MYR 18.9K

150.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 MX$1,253

$58.4 MYR 238

16.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 MX$960

$39.89 MYR 163

30.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 MX$1,959

$67.8 MYR 276

56.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MX$2,080

$68.5 MYR 279

64.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 MX$18.9K

$339 MYR 1,384

202.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 MX$12.1K

$308 MYR 1,258

112.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 MX$42.7K

$569 MYR 2,322

305.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 MX$22.9K

$553 MYR 2,255

124.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,613 MX$66.8K

$1,519 MYR 6,197

137.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,936 MX$35.8K

$1,170 MYR 4,772

65.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$964 MX$17.8K

$1,244 MYR 5,076

-22.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

4.04

179.70%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Shah Alam: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$654 42.3%

Shah Alam

$308 32.9% 52.9% $346

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$318 20.6%

Shah Alam

$263 28.1% 17.2% $55

Eating Out

Mexico City

$204 13.2%

Shah Alam

$108 11.5% 47.2% $96

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$152 9.8%

Shah Alam

$106 11.3% 30.7% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$124 8%

Shah Alam

$77 8.2% 38.3% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Shah Alam

$53 5.7% 23.4% $16

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Shah Alam

$22 2.4% 13.7% $3.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,025 in Mexico City and $339 in Shah Alam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shah Alam pays 29% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $49.00 in Mexico City vs $20.00 in Shah Alam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $263 per month, with Shah Alam cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇲🇾 Shah Alam

🕒 Local time

10:12 10:12 AM

00:12 12:12 AM

14 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

812,327

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Shah Alam 16,640 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Shah Alam

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Shah Alam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Shah Alam differ by about 65% in total monthly costs ($1,548 vs $937 including rent). Shah Alam is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 29% lower in Shah 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: $1,025 in Mexico City versus $339 in Shah Alam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Shah Alam runs roughly 23% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $196 in Shah Alam. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $937 in Shah Alam versus $1,548 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Shah Alam but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Shah 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 Shah 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 Shah Alam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 65% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.