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: $1,646 in Mexico City versus $958 in Shah Alam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,613 in Mexico City versus $1,436 in Shah Alam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,580 in Mexico City versus $1,913 in Shah Alam.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 72% more expensive than in Shah Alam, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 20% above, Shah Alam is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.11 MX$205

$3.82 MYR 15.42

217.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$883

$19.79 MYR 79.8

163.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$184

$4.15 MYR 16.74

162.65%

Cappuccino

$4.05 MX$68.5

$2.94 MYR 11.87

37.76%

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

$1.72 MX$29.00

$0.77 MYR 3.10

123.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MX$23.29

$0.38 MYR 1.53

263.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$58.6

$3.43 MYR 13.84

1.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 MX$98.2

$4.59 MYR 18.51

26.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.33

$1.87 MYR 7.56

-1.07%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 MX$54.5

$1.07 MYR 4.32

200.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.25

$1.44 MYR 5.80

45.14%

Eggs

$2.91 MX$49.18

$2.13 MYR 8.59

36.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 MX$211

$13.27 MYR 53.5

-5.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$4.33 MYR 17.48

133.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.89 MX$269

$9.79 MYR 39.51

62.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 MX$56.0

$3.44 MYR 13.88

-3.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.95

$1.70 MYR 6.87

25.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.03

$2.76 MYR 11.15

-20.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$41.37

$1.83 MYR 7.38

33.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.00

$1.25 MYR 5.05

75.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.20

$2.07 MYR 8.36

-8.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 MX$27.31

$1.47 MYR 5.92

10.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$22.82

$0.57 MYR 2.31

136.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.43 MX$91.7

$4.20 MYR 16.96

29.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.59 MX$297

$19.08 MYR 77.0

-7.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$34.96

$2.79 MYR 11.24

-25.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 MX$80.2

$4.47 MYR 18.04

6.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.75

$0.77 MYR 3.09

-55.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 MX$365

$16.34 MYR 65.9

32.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 MX$34.49

$1.28 MYR 5.15

59.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.77

$0.39 MYR 1.57

48.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 MX$101

$7.56 MYR 30.50

-21.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$27.31

$0.75 MYR 3.02

116.00%

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

$22.8K MX$385.6K

$42.1K MYR 170.0K

-45.86%

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

$26.7K MX$450.7K

$35.5K MYR 143.3K

-24.93%

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

$65.2 MX$1,103

$38.25 MYR 154

70.56%

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

$29.87 MX$505

$9.86 MYR 39.79

202.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.55 MX$618

$29.96 MYR 121

22.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 MX$1,031

$39.58 MYR 160

54.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$451

$5.02 MYR 20.25

431.87%

Cinema Ticket

$6.85 MX$116

$6.68 MYR 26.94

2.54%

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

$453 MX$7,664

$202 MYR 814

124.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MX$226.0K

$4,569 MYR 18.4K

192.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 MX$1,267

$58.4 MYR 236

28.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 MX$935

$39.95 MYR 161

38.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 MX$1,920

$68.5 MYR 276

65.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 MX$2,073

$70.8 MYR 286

73.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 MX$19.2K

$350 MYR 1,412

223.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 MX$12.0K

$311 MYR 1,255

128.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,571 MX$43.5K

$567 MYR 2,288

353.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 MX$22.2K

$555 MYR 2,241

136.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,993 MX$67.5K

$1,489 MYR 6,007

168.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,095 MX$35.4K

$1,181 MYR 4,764

77.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,047 MX$17.7K

$1,238 MYR 4,994

-15.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

4.24

166.51%

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

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Last update for Shah Alam: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,134 in Mexico City and $350 in Shah Alam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shah Alam pays 18% 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 $20.00 in Shah Alam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $264 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 72% in total monthly costs ($1,646 vs $958 including rent). Shah Alam is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 18% 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: $1,134 in Mexico City versus $350 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 32% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $453 in Mexico City versus $202 in Shah Alam. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $958 in Shah Alam versus $1,646 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 72% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.