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: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $807 in Skudai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $1,223 in Skudai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $1,639 in Skudai.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 79% more expensive than Skudai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 8% above, Skudai is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$223

$3.53 MYR 14.30

267.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$903

$19.18 MYR 77.8

174.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$162

$4.83 MYR 19.57

95.24%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$61.3

$2.97 MYR 12.05

20.20%

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

$1.61 MX$27.55

$0.69 MYR 2.78

133.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.81

$0.39 MYR 1.59

194.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$54.0

$3.61 MYR 14.64

-12.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$83.4

$5.10 MYR 20.69

-4.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.17

$1.83 MYR 7.41

-7.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.23

$1.01 MYR 4.10

161.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.67

$1.25 MYR 5.08

52.00%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.62

$1.80 MYR 7.29

41.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$173

$10.82 MYR 43.87

-6.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$142

$3.44 MYR 13.96

140.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$199

$8.31 MYR 33.69

39.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.0

$2.69 MYR 10.90

12.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.35

$1.51 MYR 6.14

13.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.16

$2.58 MYR 10.44

-20.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.36

$1.24 MYR 5.04

66.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.43

$1.18 MYR 4.80

74.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.25

$1.37 MYR 5.57

58.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.08

$0.94 MYR 3.80

48.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.26

$0.52 MYR 2.11

115.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$73.7

$4.17 MYR 16.89

2.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$265

$14.43 MYR 58.5

6.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.74

$2.78 MYR 11.25

-39.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$63.3

$2.97 MYR 12.06

24.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.55

$0.68 MYR 2.77

-44.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

$11.65 MYR 47.24

63.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.70

$0.98 MYR 3.98

40.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.74

$0.98 MYR 3.98

-71.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$92.9

$9.51 MYR 38.57

-43.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$21.98

$0.49 MYR 2.01

161.22%

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

$19.0K MX$325.8K

$31.5K MYR 127.9K

-39.82%

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

$23.5K MX$402.7K

$27.8K MYR 112.6K

-15.51%

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

$41.02 MX$704

$41.22 MYR 167

-0.49%

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

$26.92 MX$462

$8.87 MYR 35.96

203.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$510

$22.56 MYR 91.5

31.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$898

$36.97 MYR 150

41.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

$5.99 MYR 24.28

337.90%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$106

$4.88 MYR 19.81

26.64%

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

$427 MX$7,331

$189 MYR 765

126.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$183.6K

$6,831 MYR 27.7K

56.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$975

$48.40 MYR 196

17.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$769

$18.80 MYR 76.2

138.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,794

$59.5 MYR 241

75.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,819

$47.35 MYR 192

123.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.1K

$387 MYR 1,570

156.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.7K

$267 MYR 1,081

133.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$36.5K

$638 MYR 2,589

233.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.5K

$470 MYR 1,906

166.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

$1,940 MYR 7,866

101.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

$1,095 MYR 4,440

91.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Skudai: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Mexico City and $387 in Skudai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $19.00 in Skudai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $219 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 79% in total monthly costs ($1,447 vs $807 including rent). Skudai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,171 in Mexico City and $1,211 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: $995 in Mexico City versus $387 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 64% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $189 in Skudai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $807 in Skudai versus $1,447 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 79% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.