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: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $824 in Sungai Petani.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,254 in Sungai Petani.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $1,684 in Sungai Petani.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 77% more expensive than in Sungai Petani, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Sungai Petani is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$3.07 MYR 12.57

325.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$20.95 MYR 85.7

156.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$4.16 MYR 17.01

132.69%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$1.66 MYR 6.80

125.30%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$0.49 MYR 2.02

230.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.25 MYR 1.02

364.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$4.49 MYR 18.36

-28.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$2.84 MYR 11.62

66.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.82 MYR 7.44

-9.34%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$0.68 MYR 2.80

304.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$1.25 MYR 5.12

49.60%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$2.13 MYR 8.70

17.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$14.89 MYR 60.9

-31.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$3.60 MYR 14.73

129.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$9.79 MYR 40.05

20.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$2.91 MYR 11.91

3.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.52 MYR 6.21

19.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$2.72 MYR 11.14

-26.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$2.10 MYR 8.59

-4.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$1.18 MYR 4.84

76.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$1.16 MYR 4.76

95.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$0.90 MYR 3.69

62.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.46 MYR 1.87

134.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$3.99 MYR 16.33

9.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$18.87 MYR 77.2

-9.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$2.70 MYR 11.04

-35.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$3.47 MYR 14.20

3.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.70 MYR 2.85

-44.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$11.96 MYR 48.94

56.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$0.74 MYR 3.04

79.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$0.50 MYR 2.04

-44.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$7.02 MYR 28.71

-25.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$0.50 MYR 2.05

168.00%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$32.9K MYR 134.7K

-41.06%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$27.2K MYR 111.4K

-12.47%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$39.01 MYR 160

4.31%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$9.93 MYR 40.63

170.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$31.39 MYR 128

-2.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$36.48 MYR 149

44.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$5.92 MYR 24.22

350.17%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$2.79 MYR 11.41

133.33%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$240 MYR 983

78.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$6,266 MYR 25.6K

67.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$54.0 MYR 221

5.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$28.31 MYR 116

60.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$62.3 MYR 255

67.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$53.8 MYR 220

100.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$384 MYR 1,571

161.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$270 MYR 1,106

130.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$634 MYR 2,593

232.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$479 MYR 1,960

154.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$2,051 MYR 8,389

89.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$1,180 MYR 4,826

72.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$494 MYR 2,020

110.12%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Sungai Petani: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $384 in Sungai Petani. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 110% 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 $292 vs $249 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 77% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $824 including rent). Sungai Petani is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 110% 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 $384 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 56% 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 $240 in Sungai Petani. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $824 in Sungai Petani versus $1,456 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 77% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.