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: $1,466 in Mexico City versus $868 in Tawau.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,325 in Mexico City versus $1,322 in Tawau.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,184 in Mexico City versus $1,776 in Tawau.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 69% more expensive than Tawau, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Tawau is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.30 MX$231

$3.47 MYR 13.70

283.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$932

$18.87 MYR 74.5

185.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$4.15 MYR 16.41

126.99%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.3

$2.24 MYR 8.83

60.27%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$0.73 MYR 2.89

121.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.49

$0.36 MYR 1.43

211.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$2.34 MYR 9.26

38.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.65 MX$80.6

$3.24 MYR 12.81

43.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$1.53 MYR 6.05

7.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 MX$46.00

$1.37 MYR 5.43

93.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.99

$1.67 MYR 6.61

17.37%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.08

$2.07 MYR 8.16

22.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.97 MX$173

$15.18 MYR 60.0

-34.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 MX$145

$4.23 MYR 16.71

98.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.83 MX$205

$9.64 MYR 38.06

22.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$49.62

$2.84 MYR 11.20

0.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 MX$30.05

$1.52 MYR 6.02

13.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.50

$2.52 MYR 9.94

-21.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.51

$1.38 MYR 5.46

48.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$1.23 MYR 4.85

67.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 MX$39.54

$1.29 MYR 5.08

76.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MX$25.05

$1.04 MYR 4.10

39.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.83

$0.56 MYR 2.23

94.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$4.35 MYR 17.18

-1.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.67 MX$254

$19.25 MYR 76.1

-23.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.58

$2.79 MYR 11.00

-36.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 MX$61.8

$2.89 MYR 11.42

23.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.67

$0.72 MYR 2.85

-47.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.73 MX$325

$11.88 MYR 46.93

57.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.09

$1.15 MYR 4.55

20.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.26

$1.02 MYR 4.04

-70.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$93.8

$5.93 MYR 23.44

-8.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.22

$0.46 MYR 1.83

191.30%

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

$18.9K MX$326.7K

$35.2K MYR 139.0K

-46.44%

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

$23.2K MX$402.0K

$31.7K MYR 125.3K

-26.89%

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

$40.30 MX$698

$43.44 MYR 172

-7.23%

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

$27.15 MX$471

$9.23 MYR 36.46

194.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$510

$29.51 MYR 117

-0.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 MX$914

$37.18 MYR 147

41.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.17 MX$454

$5.98 MYR 23.61

337.63%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$107

$2.82 MYR 11.13

119.15%

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

$441 MX$7,637

$184 MYR 727

139.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.4K

$6,823 MYR 27.0K

56.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.2 MX$992

$61.8 MYR 244

-7.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.04 MX$781

$27.81 MYR 110

61.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,793

$73.4 MYR 290

40.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,884

$51.5 MYR 203

111.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.3K

$393 MYR 1,551

154.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 MX$11.0K

$272 MYR 1,075

132.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,141 MX$37.1K

$640 MYR 2,529

234.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,253 MX$21.7K

$465 MYR 1,837

169.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,745 MX$64.9K

$1,911 MYR 7,550

95.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,381 MX$41.3K

$908 MYR 3,586

162.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,079 MX$18.7K

$434 MYR 1,714

148.66%

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Tawau: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $393 in Tawau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 149% 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 in Mexico City vs $19 in Tawau for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $255 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 69% in total monthly costs ($1,466 vs $868 including rent). Tawau is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 149% 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $393 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 58% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $441 in Mexico City versus $184 in Tawau. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $868 in Tawau versus $1,466 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 69% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.