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: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $950 in Subang Jaya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $1,439 in Subang Jaya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $1,927 in Subang Jaya.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 76% more expensive than in Subang Jaya, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, Subang Jaya is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$3.73 MYR 15.15

225.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$914

$19.69 MYR 80.1

173.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$4.73 MYR 19.26

134.46%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.5

$2.91 MYR 11.83

40.89%

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

$1.68 MX$28.53

$0.74 MYR 2.99

127.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.55

$0.37 MYR 1.49

275.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.5

$4.13 MYR 16.80

-19.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.7

$4.58 MYR 18.61

28.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.41

$1.85 MYR 7.54

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$1.10 MYR 4.47

188.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.13

$1.73 MYR 7.06

19.65%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.67

$2.15 MYR 8.76

36.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$13.43 MYR 54.6

-6.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$4.88 MYR 19.86

107.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$8.99 MYR 36.58

78.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$2.86 MYR 11.65

18.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.26

$1.94 MYR 7.91

7.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.97

$2.41 MYR 9.81

-12.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.95

$1.42 MYR 5.77

69.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.11

$1.08 MYR 4.38

97.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.02

$1.13 MYR 4.58

77.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.21

$1.09 MYR 4.44

42.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.15

$0.57 MYR 2.32

138.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.8

$4.49 MYR 18.25

28.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$19.22 MYR 78.2

-7.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.11

$2.91 MYR 11.82

-28.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.3

$4.04 MYR 16.45

14.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

$0.89 MYR 3.61

-58.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

$12.40 MYR 50.5

70.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.84

$1.20 MYR 4.90

70.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.79

$0.39 MYR 1.58

48.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$5.06 MYR 20.59

19.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.34

$0.84 MYR 3.41

84.52%

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

$22.9K MX$388.1K

$41.5K MYR 168.7K

-44.84%

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

$27.2K MX$462.0K

$35.8K MYR 145.4K

-23.83%

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

$67.4 MX$1,144

$38.14 MYR 155

76.74%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$9.90 MYR 40.28

209.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$632

$29.37 MYR 119

26.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,043

$24.78 MYR 101

148.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

$2.51 MYR 10.23

980.48%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$5.57 MYR 22.67

27.65%

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

$456 MX$7,739

$298 MYR 1,211

53.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.3K

$10.9K MYR 44.3K

25.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,259

$59.9 MYR 244

23.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$967

$35.23 MYR 143

61.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,958

$85.3 MYR 347

35.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,061

$71.3 MYR 290

70.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$575 MYR 2,338

99.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$351 MYR 1,430

101.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.7K

$703 MYR 2,858

266.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

$614 MYR 2,498

110.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

$2,410 MYR 9,806

66.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

$1,843 MYR 7,497

15.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

$909 MYR 3,697

19.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

4.2

169.05%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Subang Jaya: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $575 in Subang Jaya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 19% 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 $20.00 in Subang Jaya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $257 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 76% in total monthly costs ($1,677 vs $950 including rent). Subang Jaya is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 19% 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: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $575 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 71% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $456 in Mexico City versus $298 in Subang Jaya. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $950 in Subang Jaya versus $1,677 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 76% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.