Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Skudai Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Skudai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $906 in Skudai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,322 in Skudai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $1,738 in Skudai.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 83% more expensive than in Skudai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Skudai is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$205

$3.62 MYR 14.83

229.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$886

$21.46 MYR 87.8

140.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$196

$4.98 MYR 20.37

129.12%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.6

$3.00 MYR 12.27

33.00%

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

$1.66 MX$28.48

$0.77 MYR 3.15

115.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.77

$0.45 MYR 1.82

195.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.6

$3.23 MYR 13.20

7.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$101

$5.94 MYR 24.33

-0.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.21

$1.74 MYR 7.14

8.05%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$55.9

$1.04 MYR 4.25

212.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.10

$1.50 MYR 6.14

44.00%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.72

$1.75 MYR 7.15

65.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$221

$9.92 MYR 40.62

29.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$3.35 MYR 13.71

200.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$272

$9.61 MYR 39.35

65.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.6

$3.45 MYR 14.11

-4.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.44

$1.68 MYR 6.86

19.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.76

$2.73 MYR 11.18

-19.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.44

$1.69 MYR 6.92

39.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.27

$1.42 MYR 5.82

44.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.64

$1.68 MYR 6.89

13.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.55

$1.31 MYR 5.37

22.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$23.98

$0.54 MYR 2.22

159.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$93.8

$4.16 MYR 17.02

31.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$303

$14.40 MYR 59.0

22.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.28

$2.75 MYR 11.25

-25.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.4

$3.11 MYR 12.72

50.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.81

$0.78 MYR 3.21

-56.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$357

$12.11 MYR 49.57

71.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$35.99

$1.26 MYR 5.18

66.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.60

$0.38 MYR 1.56

47.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$99.8

$9.19 MYR 37.61

-36.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.56

$0.77 MYR 3.14

109.09%

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

$22.8K MX$392.1K

$41.1K MYR 168.4K

-44.48%

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

$26.8K MX$459.2K

$32.1K MYR 131.6K

-16.77%

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

$65.2 MX$1,119

$49.87 MYR 204

30.70%

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

$30.09 MX$517

$8.45 MYR 34.58

256.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$638

$27.27 MYR 112

36.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,026

$45.02 MYR 184

32.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$456

$7.57 MYR 30.98

250.73%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$4.81 MYR 19.69

46.36%

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

$465 MX$7,976

$162 MYR 664

186.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$227.8K

$4,398 MYR 18.0K

201.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,303

$51.3 MYR 210

47.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$960

$16.77 MYR 68.6

233.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,920

$78.7 MYR 322

42.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,068

$40.23 MYR 165

199.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$18.9K

$371 MYR 1,518

197.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$307 MYR 1,258

134.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.4K

$741 MYR 3,031

241.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.2K

$444 MYR 1,817

191.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.5K

$2,214 MYR 9,062

80.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$35.9K

$1,218 MYR 4,986

71.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

4.06

178.33%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Skudai: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $371 in Skudai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $21.00 in Skudai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $231 per month, with Skudai 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 Skudai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Skudai differ by about 83% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $906 including rent). Skudai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,489 in Mexico City and $1,359 in Skudai to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $371 in Skudai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Skudai runs roughly 72% 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 $162 in Skudai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $906 in Skudai versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Skudai but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Skudai 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 Skudai 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 Skudai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 83% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.