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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $857 in Shah Alam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,310 in Shah Alam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,763 in Shah Alam.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 71% more expensive than Shah Alam, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Shah Alam is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$3.02 MYR 12.05

336.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$18.93 MYR 75.5

184.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$4.13 MYR 16.47

128.09%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$2.73 MYR 10.88

30.04%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$0.72 MYR 2.89

125.00%

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

$3.44 MYR 13.72

-9.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$4.43 MYR 17.68

4.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$1.88 MYR 7.50

-9.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$0.94 MYR 3.76

189.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$1.50 MYR 5.99

27.33%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$2.06 MYR 8.21

23.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$14.26 MYR 56.9

-29.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$4.94 MYR 19.72

63.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$8.09 MYR 32.26

43.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$2.83 MYR 11.27

4.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$1.46 MYR 5.81

23.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$2.58 MYR 10.28

-22.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$1.21 MYR 4.85

67.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$1.18 MYR 4.70

79.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$1.40 MYR 5.59

62.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$0.89 MYR 3.55

57.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$0.57 MYR 2.26

98.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$4.17 MYR 16.62

2.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$19.18 MYR 76.5

-18.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$2.65 MYR 10.57

-33.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$3.81 MYR 15.21

-5.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$0.69 MYR 2.76

-44.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$15.28 MYR 61.0

25.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$0.96 MYR 3.81

43.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$0.54 MYR 2.17

-48.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$7.13 MYR 28.45

-23.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$0.46 MYR 1.85

182.61%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$33.5K MYR 133.7K

-44.21%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$27.7K MYR 110.5K

-16.52%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$41.35 MYR 165

-1.19%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$10.16 MYR 40.52

163.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$30.62 MYR 122

-2.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$38.96 MYR 155

33.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

$5.98 MYR 23.87

348.83%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$6.36 MYR 25.39

-0.94%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$213 MYR 849

104.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$6,253 MYR 25.0K

66.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$49.63 MYR 198

14.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$34.84 MYR 139

27.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$61.3 MYR 245

67.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$48.83 MYR 195

116.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$372 MYR 1,485

174.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$266 MYR 1,061

137.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$576 MYR 2,299

270.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$481 MYR 1,919

158.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

$1,553 MYR 6,195

151.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

$1,223 MYR 4,880

68.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$1,263 MYR 5,040

-11.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

4.16

172.60%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Shah Alam: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $372 in Shah Alam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shah Alam pays 13% 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 $19.00 in Shah Alam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $249 per month, with Shah 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 Shah Alam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Shah Alam differ by about 71% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $857 including rent). Shah Alam is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Shah Alam earns 13% 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 $372 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 26% 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 $213 in Shah Alam. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $857 in Shah Alam versus $1,467 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 71% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.