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: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $819 in Skudai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,230 in Skudai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $1,640 in Skudai.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 80% more expensive than in Skudai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Skudai is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$228

$3.56 MYR 14.55

269.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$927

$18.53 MYR 75.7

188.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$162

$4.84 MYR 19.78

92.77%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.1

$2.91 MYR 11.87

27.15%

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

$1.60 MX$27.80

$0.72 MYR 2.94

122.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.37

$0.37 MYR 1.51

202.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.4

$3.48 MYR 14.23

-9.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$84.0

$5.11 MYR 20.87

-5.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.65

$1.89 MYR 7.71

-12.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.02

$0.94 MYR 3.83

188.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.28 MYR 5.23

49.22%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.87

$1.87 MYR 7.63

38.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$10.64 MYR 43.44

-7.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$3.42 MYR 13.95

146.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$207

$7.98 MYR 32.59

49.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.2

$2.75 MYR 11.24

7.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.15

$1.52 MYR 6.21

14.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.43

$2.56 MYR 10.44

-20.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.69

$1.20 MYR 4.92

71.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.25

$1.15 MYR 4.68

86.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.08

$1.39 MYR 5.68

62.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.01

$0.89 MYR 3.63

56.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.56 MYR 2.29

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.1

$4.33 MYR 17.66

-2.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$13.84 MYR 56.5

26.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.62

$2.80 MYR 11.43

-38.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.9

$2.98 MYR 12.16

21.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.11

$0.74 MYR 3.01

-52.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$335

$11.58 MYR 47.30

66.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$1.03 MYR 4.20

33.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$1.03 MYR 4.20

-72.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.4

$9.16 MYR 37.39

-42.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.53

$0.50 MYR 2.03

172.00%

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

$19.1K MX$331.0K

$31.1K MYR 127.1K

-38.63%

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

$23.6K MX$409.0K

$27.4K MYR 111.7K

-13.72%

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

$40.53 MX$702

$41.45 MYR 169

-2.22%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$8.86 MYR 36.20

209.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$23.05 MYR 94.1

31.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$905

$37.46 MYR 153

39.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$459

$6.05 MYR 24.70

337.69%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$5.08 MYR 20.73

21.85%

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

$425 MX$7,365

$188 MYR 768

125.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$186.0K

$7,044 MYR 28.8K

52.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,010

$48.37 MYR 198

20.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$772

$18.89 MYR 77.2

135.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,793

$57.9 MYR 236

78.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,884

$46.51 MYR 190

133.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.6K

$392 MYR 1,601

158.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$272 MYR 1,113

128.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$638 MYR 2,603

232.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$468 MYR 1,912

161.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.7K

$1,900 MYR 7,759

99.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.6K

$1,065 MYR 4,349

98.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

4.07

178.62%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Last update for Skudai: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $392 in Skudai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $19.00 in Skudai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $217 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 80% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $819 including rent). Skudai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,208 in Mexico City and $1,229 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: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $392 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 67% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $188 in Skudai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $819 in Skudai versus $1,472 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 80% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.