Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Subang Jaya Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Subang Jaya

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $957 in Subang Jaya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,362 in Subang Jaya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $1,767 in Subang Jaya.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 52% more expensive than in Subang Jaya, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Subang Jaya is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$3.60 MYR 14.73

263.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$19.22 MYR 78.6

179.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$4.76 MYR 19.46

103.36%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$3.00 MYR 12.29

24.67%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$0.79 MYR 3.24

105.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.46 MYR 1.88

152.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$4.75 MYR 19.45

-32.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$6.63 MYR 27.13

-28.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.86 MYR 7.59

-11.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$0.96 MYR 3.91

186.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$1.44 MYR 5.88

29.86%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$2.07 MYR 8.46

20.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$14.78 MYR 60.5

-30.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$4.73 MYR 19.36

74.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$9.84 MYR 40.23

20.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$2.89 MYR 11.81

4.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.34 MYR 5.50

35.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$2.62 MYR 10.73

-23.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$1.51 MYR 6.18

32.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$1.23 MYR 5.05

69.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$1.41 MYR 5.76

60.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$1.22 MYR 5.00

19.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.52 MYR 2.14

107.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$4.12 MYR 16.85

5.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$18.99 MYR 77.7

-10.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$2.73 MYR 11.17

-36.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$2.94 MYR 12.02

21.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.25 MYR 1.03

56.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$17.70 MYR 72.4

5.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$1.16 MYR 4.76

14.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$0.49 MYR 2.02

-42.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$4.60 MYR 18.83

14.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$0.46 MYR 1.87

191.30%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$35.2K MYR 144.0K

-44.87%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$33.1K MYR 135.5K

-28.04%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$45.46 MYR 186

-10.49%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$11.55 MYR 47.23

132.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$30.28 MYR 124

0.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$23.82 MYR 97.4

121.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$2.30 MYR 9.39

1058.70%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$4.80 MYR 19.64

35.63%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$186 MYR 761

129.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$6,903 MYR 28.2K

52.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$60.9 MYR 249

-5.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$18.95 MYR 77.5

140.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$83.7 MYR 342

24.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$39.53 MYR 162

172.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$495 MYR 2,022

102.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$333 MYR 1,361

87.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$630 MYR 2,576

234.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$478 MYR 1,957

154.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$2,362 MYR 9,662

64.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$1,833 MYR 7,499

10.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$914 MYR 3,738

13.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

4.47

153.69%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Subang Jaya: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $495 in Subang Jaya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 14% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $19.00 in Subang Jaya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $255 per month, with Subang Jaya 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 Subang Jaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Subang Jaya differ by about 52% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $957 including rent). Subang Jaya is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 14% higher in Mexico City, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $495 in Subang Jaya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Subang Jaya runs roughly 6% 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 $186 in Subang Jaya. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $957 in Subang Jaya versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Subang Jaya but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Subang Jaya 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 Subang Jaya 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 Subang Jaya gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.