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: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $873 in Shah Alam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,333 in Shah Alam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $1,793 in Shah Alam.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 67% more expensive than in Shah Alam, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Shah Alam is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$2.97 MYR 12.16

340.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$18.70 MYR 76.5

187.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$4.13 MYR 16.90

134.38%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$2.73 MYR 11.15

37.00%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$0.72 MYR 2.93

125.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.36 MYR 1.49

222.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$3.59 MYR 14.70

-10.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$4.31 MYR 17.62

9.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.80 MYR 7.38

-8.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$0.99 MYR 4.06

177.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$1.49 MYR 6.10

25.50%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$2.03 MYR 8.29

23.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$14.35 MYR 58.7

-28.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$5.07 MYR 20.73

62.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$7.92 MYR 32.41

49.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$2.80 MYR 11.45

7.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.50 MYR 6.13

20.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$2.55 MYR 10.43

-21.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$1.24 MYR 5.09

61.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$1.13 MYR 4.61

84.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$1.34 MYR 5.49

69.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$0.91 MYR 3.73

60.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.52 MYR 2.13

107.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$4.13 MYR 16.88

5.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$18.60 MYR 76.1

-8.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$2.65 MYR 10.86

-34.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$4.00 MYR 16.36

-10.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.74 MYR 3.03

-47.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$15.20 MYR 62.2

22.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$0.95 MYR 3.90

40.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$0.54 MYR 2.20

-48.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$7.21 MYR 29.47

-27.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$0.49 MYR 2.01

173.47%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$33.6K MYR 137.6K

-42.29%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$27.4K MYR 112.2K

-13.09%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$41.19 MYR 168

-1.21%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$10.07 MYR 41.20

166.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$30.14 MYR 123

1.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$38.85 MYR 159

35.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$5.82 MYR 23.81

357.90%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$6.37 MYR 26.04

2.20%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$210 MYR 861

103.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$6,234 MYR 25.5K

68.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$50.0 MYR 205

14.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$34.92 MYR 143

30.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$61.0 MYR 249

70.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$49.48 MYR 202

117.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$372 MYR 1,521

169.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$266 MYR 1,087

134.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$586 MYR 2,398

259.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$482 MYR 1,970

152.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$1,505 MYR 6,155

158.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$1,208 MYR 4,942

68.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$1,252 MYR 5,120

-17.11%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Shah Alam: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $372 in Shah Alam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shah Alam pays 21% 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 $292 vs $248 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 67% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $873 including rent). Shah Alam is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 21% 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: $1,003 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 23% 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 $210 in Shah Alam. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $873 in Shah Alam versus $1,456 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 67% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.