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: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $951 in Tawau.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,399 in Tawau.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $1,847 in Tawau.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 74% more expensive than in Tawau, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Tawau is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$206

$3.11 MYR 12.70

283.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$890

$19.83 MYR 81.0

160.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$4.10 MYR 16.74

178.29%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.9

$3.07 MYR 12.53

29.97%

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

$1.66 MX$28.61

$1.02 MYR 4.16

62.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.87

$0.38 MYR 1.56

250.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.9

$2.65 MYR 10.81

30.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$4.36 MYR 17.79

35.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.36

$1.87 MYR 7.64

0.53%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$1.14 MYR 4.65

185.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.26

$1.49 MYR 6.10

44.97%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.94

$2.00 MYR 8.17

45.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$222

$13.78 MYR 56.3

-6.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$4.49 MYR 18.33

123.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$9.84 MYR 40.18

61.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.8

$2.92 MYR 11.91

12.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.60

$1.78 MYR 7.28

12.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.93

$2.17 MYR 8.85

1.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.63

$1.86 MYR 7.58

26.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.43

$1.20 MYR 4.89

70.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.79

$1.02 MYR 4.16

86.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$1.33 MYR 5.42

21.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.09

$0.56 MYR 2.30

150.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.2

$4.45 MYR 18.17

22.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$18.95 MYR 77.4

-6.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.44

$2.90 MYR 11.82

-28.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.8

$3.38 MYR 13.81

38.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.84

$0.78 MYR 3.17

-56.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$359

$11.45 MYR 46.74

81.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.15

$1.19 MYR 4.87

76.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.64

$0.49 MYR 1.98

14.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$8.00 MYR 32.64

-27.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$0.73 MYR 2.97

120.55%

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

$22.8K MX$393.8K

$41.5K MYR 169.5K

-44.97%

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

$26.8K MX$461.2K

$34.2K MYR 139.6K

-21.78%

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

$65.2 MX$1,124

$51.0 MYR 208

27.85%

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

$30.09 MX$519

$10.52 MYR 42.93

186.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$641

$28.28 MYR 115

31.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,030

$42.62 MYR 174

40.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$458

$7.38 MYR 30.12

259.76%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$3.62 MYR 14.77

94.48%

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

$465 MX$8,012

$181 MYR 740

156.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.9K

$5,615 MYR 22.9K

136.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,308

$52.0 MYR 212

46.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$965

$30.14 MYR 123

85.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,929

$92.9 MYR 379

20.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,078

$66.9 MYR 273

80.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$382 MYR 1,558

188.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$286 MYR 1,167

152.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$743 MYR 3,032

240.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$535 MYR 2,184

141.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.8K

$2,277 MYR 9,295

75.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

$1,204 MYR 4,917

73.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

$416 MYR 1,697

149.59%

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 14, 2026

Last update for Tawau: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $382 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: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $20.00 in Tawau for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $258 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 74% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $951 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: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $382 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 82% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $181 in Tawau. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $951 in Tawau versus $1,660 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 74% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.