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: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $831 in Skudai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,256 in Skudai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $1,681 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 11% above, Skudai is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$3.50 MYR 13.83

270.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$18.68 MYR 73.8

184.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$4.72 MYR 18.65

105.93%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$2.91 MYR 11.50

28.87%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$0.71 MYR 2.82

121.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.39 MYR 1.56

189.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$3.65 MYR 14.40

-12.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$5.03 MYR 19.89

-7.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$1.80 MYR 7.11

-10.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$0.93 MYR 3.66

191.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$1.31 MYR 5.16

43.51%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$1.88 MYR 7.43

33.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$10.74 MYR 42.43

-6.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$3.41 MYR 13.47

143.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$8.11 MYR 32.02

47.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$2.73 MYR 10.77

4.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$1.48 MYR 5.83

18.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$2.49 MYR 9.83

-16.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$1.27 MYR 5.00

55.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$1.14 MYR 4.50

89.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$1.35 MYR 5.32

61.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$0.90 MYR 3.54

54.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$0.55 MYR 2.19

103.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$4.17 MYR 16.47

0.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$14.26 MYR 56.3

-0.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$2.76 MYR 10.92

-36.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$2.86 MYR 11.31

28.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.73 MYR 2.88

-46.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

$11.97 MYR 47.28

55.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$1.01 MYR 4.00

37.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$1.03 MYR 4.07

-70.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$9.18 MYR 36.27

-40.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$0.50 MYR 1.97

170.00%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$32.0K MYR 126.6K

-41.07%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$27.8K MYR 109.8K

-16.70%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$41.28 MYR 163

-1.11%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$8.99 MYR 35.49

205.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$22.61 MYR 89.3

34.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$37.15 MYR 147

43.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

$5.94 MYR 23.46

342.76%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$5.08 MYR 20.06

23.43%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$187 MYR 738

133.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$6,822 MYR 26.9K

53.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$49.04 MYR 194

15.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$18.81 MYR 74.3

138.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$58.2 MYR 230

76.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$46.23 MYR 183

133.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$381 MYR 1,503

162.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$272 MYR 1,076

127.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$652 MYR 2,575

227.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$475 MYR 1,877

159.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$1,980 MYR 7,819

95.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$791 MYR 3,124

194.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Skudai: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $381 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 $286 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 79% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $831 including rent). Skudai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,225 in Mexico City and $1,246 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $381 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 56% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $187 in Skudai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $831 in Skudai versus $1,484 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.