Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Tawau Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Tawau

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $858 in Tawau.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,306 in Tawau.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $1,754 in Tawau.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 72% more expensive than in Tawau, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Tawau is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$228

$3.59 MYR 14.67

266.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$927

$18.61 MYR 76.0

187.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$162

$4.04 MYR 16.48

130.94%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.1

$2.26 MYR 9.24

63.72%

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

$1.60 MX$27.80

$0.72 MYR 2.93

122.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.37

$0.36 MYR 1.49

211.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.4

$2.41 MYR 9.83

30.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$84.0

$3.28 MYR 13.41

47.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.65

$1.53 MYR 6.23

7.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.02

$1.32 MYR 5.37

105.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.68 MYR 6.87

13.69%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.87

$2.06 MYR 8.41

25.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$14.84 MYR 60.6

-33.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$4.45 MYR 18.18

89.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$207

$9.15 MYR 37.37

30.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.2

$2.93 MYR 11.98

0.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.15

$1.53 MYR 6.23

13.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.43

$2.48 MYR 10.15

-17.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.69

$1.42 MYR 5.81

45.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.25

$1.23 MYR 5.04

74.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.08

$1.28 MYR 5.21

76.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.01

$1.00 MYR 4.07

39.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.52 MYR 2.14

115.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.1

$4.27 MYR 17.43

-1.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$18.31 MYR 74.8

-4.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.62

$2.76 MYR 11.27

-38.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.9

$2.90 MYR 11.84

25.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.11

$0.70 MYR 2.84

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$335

$11.94 MYR 48.75

61.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$1.20 MYR 4.92

15.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.99 MYR 4.06

-71.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.4

$5.98 MYR 24.42

-11.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.53

$0.50 MYR 2.05

172.00%

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

$19.1K MX$331.0K

$34.7K MYR 141.6K

-44.91%

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

$23.6K MX$409.0K

$31.6K MYR 129.2K

-25.38%

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

$40.53 MX$702

$44.32 MYR 181

-8.55%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$8.87 MYR 36.23

208.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$28.77 MYR 117

5.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$905

$36.32 MYR 148

43.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$459

$5.78 MYR 23.60

358.13%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$2.78 MYR 11.36

122.66%

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

$425 MX$7,365

$186 MYR 758

129.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$186.0K

$6,797 MYR 27.8K

57.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,010

$60.0 MYR 245

-2.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$772

$26.87 MYR 110

65.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,793

$71.9 MYR 294

43.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,884

$50.4 MYR 206

115.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.6K

$392 MYR 1,601

158.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$272 MYR 1,110

129.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$649 MYR 2,652

226.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$468 MYR 1,911

161.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.7K

$2,253 MYR 9,198

68.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.6K

$1,247 MYR 5,092

69.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

$420 MYR 1,716

150.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

4.07

178.62%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Last update for Tawau: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $392 in Tawau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 150% 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 Tawau for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $251 per month, with Tawau 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 Tawau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Tawau differ by about 72% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $858 including rent). Tawau is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 150% 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: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $392 in Tawau. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Tawau runs roughly 62% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $186 in Tawau. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $858 in Tawau versus $1,472 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tawau but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Tawau 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 Tawau 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 Tawau gentler on the wallet – expenses run 72% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.