Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Ulu Tiram Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Ulu Tiram

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $857 in Ulu Tiram.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,302 in Ulu Tiram.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $1,747 in Ulu Tiram.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$228

$3.51 MYR 14.35

274.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$927

$19.02 MYR 77.7

181.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$162

$4.84 MYR 19.78

92.77%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.1

$2.80 MYR 11.44

32.14%

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

$1.60 MX$27.80

$0.68 MYR 2.79

135.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.37

$0.39 MYR 1.60

187.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.4

$4.36 MYR 17.81

-27.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$84.0

$6.46 MYR 26.40

-24.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.65

$1.81 MYR 7.41

-8.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.02

$1.01 MYR 4.13

168.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.29 MYR 5.29

48.06%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.87

$1.81 MYR 7.39

43.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$10.79 MYR 44.04

-9.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$4.05 MYR 16.54

108.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$207

$8.27 MYR 33.78

44.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.2

$2.69 MYR 10.99

9.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.15

$1.52 MYR 6.21

14.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.43

$2.44 MYR 9.96

-16.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.69

$1.24 MYR 5.07

66.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.25

$1.13 MYR 4.62

90.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.08

$1.39 MYR 5.69

62.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.01

$0.91 MYR 3.71

52.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.64 MYR 2.61

75.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.1

$4.13 MYR 16.85

2.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$16.83 MYR 68.7

4.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.62

$2.85 MYR 11.65

-40.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.9

$3.04 MYR 12.40

19.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.11

$0.68 MYR 2.79

-48.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$335

$11.81 MYR 48.22

63.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$1.02 MYR 4.17

35.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.99 MYR 4.03

-71.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.4

$9.34 MYR 38.12

-43.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.53

$0.47 MYR 1.91

189.36%

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

$19.1K MX$331.0K

$35.3K MYR 144.2K

-45.92%

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

$23.6K MX$409.0K

$33.5K MYR 136.7K

-29.48%

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

$40.53 MX$702

$45.37 MYR 185

-10.67%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$8.92 MYR 36.42

206.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$30.40 MYR 124

-0.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$905

$36.52 MYR 149

42.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$459

$5.98 MYR 24.40

342.81%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$5.08 MYR 20.74

21.85%

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

$425 MX$7,365

$190 MYR 774

124.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$186.0K

$6,837 MYR 27.9K

57.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,010

$64.2 MYR 262

-9.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$772

$18.86 MYR 77.0

136.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,793

$71.0 MYR 290

45.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,884

$46.40 MYR 189

134.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.6K

$390 MYR 1,594

159.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$272 MYR 1,109

129.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$642 MYR 2,620

230.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$469 MYR 1,917

160.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.7K

$2,064 MYR 8,428

83.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.6K

$1,147 MYR 4,682

84.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

$861 MYR 3,516

22.21%

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 Ulu Tiram: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $390 in Ulu Tiram. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 22% 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 Ulu Tiram for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $228 per month, with Ulu Tiram 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 Ulu Tiram: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Ulu Tiram differ by about 72% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $857 including rent). Ulu Tiram is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 22% 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 $390 in Ulu Tiram. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ulu Tiram runs roughly 64% 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 $190 in Ulu Tiram. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $857 in Ulu Tiram versus $1,472 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ulu Tiram but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Ulu Tiram 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 Ulu Tiram 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 Ulu Tiram 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.