Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Sungai Petani Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Sungai Petani

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $846 in Sungai Petani.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,285 in Sungai Petani.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,723 in Sungai Petani.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 73% more expensive than Sungai Petani, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Sungai Petani is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$3.13 MYR 12.47

321.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$20.87 MYR 83.3

158.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$4.36 MYR 17.39

116.06%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$1.70 MYR 6.78

108.82%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$0.49 MYR 1.96

230.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$0.25 MYR 1.00

344.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$4.24 MYR 16.90

-26.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$2.87 MYR 11.47

61.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$1.83 MYR 7.32

-7.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$0.68 MYR 2.71

300.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$1.25 MYR 5.00

52.80%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$2.04 MYR 8.13

24.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$15.08 MYR 60.2

-33.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$3.52 MYR 14.06

129.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$9.87 MYR 39.39

17.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$2.92 MYR 11.64

1.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$1.44 MYR 5.73

25.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$2.70 MYR 10.78

-25.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$2.08 MYR 8.30

-2.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$1.18 MYR 4.69

79.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$1.21 MYR 4.82

87.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$0.95 MYR 3.79

47.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$0.46 MYR 1.82

145.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$4.08 MYR 16.27

4.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$19.86 MYR 79.2

-21.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$2.73 MYR 10.88

-35.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$3.49 MYR 13.92

3.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$0.74 MYR 2.93

-48.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$11.62 MYR 46.36

65.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$0.70 MYR 2.78

97.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$0.50 MYR 1.98

-44.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$7.27 MYR 29.00

-25.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$0.50 MYR 2.00

160.00%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$33.2K MYR 132.5K

-43.73%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$27.3K MYR 109.0K

-15.35%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$38.81 MYR 155

5.28%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$10.26 MYR 40.95

161.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$31.36 MYR 125

-4.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$37.11 MYR 148

40.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

$5.95 MYR 23.73

351.09%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$2.84 MYR 11.34

121.83%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$241 MYR 962

80.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$6,305 MYR 25.2K

65.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$54.1 MYR 216

4.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$29.28 MYR 117

51.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$61.0 MYR 243

68.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$52.3 MYR 209

101.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$379 MYR 1,514

169.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$273 MYR 1,091

130.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$644 MYR 2,569

231.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$466 MYR 1,860

166.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

$1,277 MYR 5,095

205.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

$501 MYR 2,000

311.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$511 MYR 2,040

118.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

4.16

172.60%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Sungai Petani: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $379 in Sungai Petani. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 118% 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 $21.00 in Sungai Petani for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $251 per month, with Sungai Petani 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 Sungai Petani: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Sungai Petani differ by about 73% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $846 including rent). Sungai Petani is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 118% 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 $379 in Sungai Petani. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Sungai Petani runs roughly 65% 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 $241 in Sungai Petani. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $846 in Sungai Petani versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sungai Petani but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Sungai Petani 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 Sungai Petani 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 Sungai Petani gentler on the wallet – expenses run 73% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.