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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $948 in Subang Jaya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,368 in Subang Jaya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,787 in Subang Jaya.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 55% more expensive than Subang Jaya, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Subang Jaya is 29% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$3.60 MYR 14.27

266.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$18.64 MYR 73.9

189.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$4.63 MYR 18.37

103.46%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$2.96 MYR 11.75

19.93%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$0.80 MYR 3.18

102.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.45 MYR 1.80

146.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$4.64 MYR 18.38

-32.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$6.61 MYR 26.22

-29.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.79 MYR 7.09

-5.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$0.94 MYR 3.72

189.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.44 MYR 5.70

32.64%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$2.09 MYR 8.30

21.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$14.83 MYR 58.8

-32.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$4.66 MYR 18.50

73.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$10.04 MYR 39.82

15.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$2.99 MYR 11.87

-0.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.30 MYR 5.15

39.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$2.63 MYR 10.43

-23.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$1.53 MYR 6.05

32.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$1.23 MYR 4.87

72.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$1.39 MYR 5.50

63.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$1.17 MYR 4.64

19.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.53 MYR 2.10

113.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$4.23 MYR 16.75

0.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$19.44 MYR 77.1

-19.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$2.79 MYR 11.05

-36.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$2.96 MYR 11.75

21.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.25 MYR 1.00

52.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$17.52 MYR 69.5

9.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$1.20 MYR 4.76

15.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.51 MYR 2.00

-45.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$4.69 MYR 18.60

16.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$0.47 MYR 1.86

176.60%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$35.3K MYR 140.0K

-47.07%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$33.4K MYR 132.5K

-30.80%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$45.16 MYR 179

-9.52%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$11.51 MYR 45.64

132.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$30.09 MYR 119

-0.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$23.41 MYR 92.8

122.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$2.41 MYR 9.54

1013.69%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$4.81 MYR 19.09

30.98%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$187 MYR 740

133.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$7,041 MYR 27.9K

47.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$59.8 MYR 237

-5.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$18.66 MYR 74.0

137.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$83.0 MYR 329

23.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$39.69 MYR 157

165.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$505 MYR 2,001

102.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$326 MYR 1,292

93.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$624 MYR 2,472

242.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$476 MYR 1,889

160.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$1,938 MYR 7,682

101.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$961 MYR 3,812

114.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$936 MYR 3,712

19.12%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Subang Jaya: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $505 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 $19.00 in Subang Jaya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $256 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 55% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $948 including rent). Subang Jaya is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 19% more on average, 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $505 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 9% 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 Subang Jaya. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $948 in Subang Jaya versus $1,467 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 55% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.