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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $850 in Penang versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,359 in Penang versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,868 in Penang versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Penang costs roughly 42% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Penang is 37% below, Mexico City is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.11 MYR 12.34

$13.18 MX$228

-76.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.86 MYR 82.7

$53.9 MX$932

-61.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.14 MYR 16.42

$9.42 MX$163

-56.05%

Cappuccino

$2.83 MYR 11.22

$3.55 MX$61.4

-20.28%

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

$0.74 MYR 2.93

$1.62 MX$27.98

-54.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 MYR 1.43

$1.11 MX$19.27

-67.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.39 MYR 17.40

$3.12 MX$54.0

40.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MYR 17.63

$4.63 MX$80.1

-3.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 MYR 7.53

$1.70 MX$29.43

11.76%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 MYR 3.92

$2.72 MX$47.02

-63.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MYR 7.78

$1.91 MX$33.07

2.62%

Eggs

$2.14 MYR 8.47

$2.54 MX$43.86

-15.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.10 MYR 67.8

$10.03 MX$174

70.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.07 MYR 20.11

$8.09 MX$140

-37.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.51 MYR 57.5

$11.62 MX$201

24.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 MYR 11.00

$2.97 MX$51.3

-6.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 MYR 6.01

$1.81 MX$31.24

-16.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 MYR 10.30

$2.01 MX$34.82

29.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MYR 8.42

$2.03 MX$35.20

4.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 MYR 4.47

$2.12 MX$36.75

-46.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 MYR 4.80

$2.27 MX$39.25

-46.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 MYR 3.78

$1.40 MX$24.22

-32.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 MYR 1.95

$1.13 MX$19.55

-56.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 MYR 16.41

$4.27 MX$73.9

-3.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.79 MYR 78.5

$15.56 MX$269

27.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 MYR 10.31

$1.76 MX$30.39

47.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 MYR 13.94

$3.60 MX$62.2

-2.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 MYR 1.81

$0.38 MX$6.62

21.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.00 MYR 71.4

$19.18 MX$332

-6.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.68 MYR 2.69

$1.38 MX$23.79

-50.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.54 MYR 2.16

$0.28 MX$4.78

92.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.98 MYR 27.68

$5.45 MX$94.2

28.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.50 MYR 1.99

$1.30 MX$22.55

-61.54%

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

$34.0K MYR 134.8K

$18.7K MX$323.2K

81.93%

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

$27.0K MYR 106.9K

$23.1K MX$400.1K

16.59%

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

$39.05 MYR 155

$40.86 MX$707

-4.43%

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

$10.11 MYR 40.09

$26.81 MX$464

-62.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.91 MYR 123

$29.96 MX$518

3.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.17 MYR 128

$52.0 MX$900

-38.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.41 MYR 21.44

$26.84 MX$464

-79.84%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MYR 19.49

$6.30 MX$109

-21.90%

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

$240 MYR 950

$436 MX$7,544

-45.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,110 MYR 24.2K

$10.4K MX$180.2K

-41.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 MYR 220

$56.7 MX$980

-2.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.97 MYR 115

$44.38 MX$768

-34.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.7 MYR 241

$103 MX$1,780

-41.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.0 MYR 206

$106 MX$1,825

-50.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$388 MYR 1,539

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-62.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$229 MYR 909

$631 MX$10.9K

-63.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$638 MYR 2,530

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-70.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$513 MYR 2,034

$1,243 MX$21.5K

-58.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,318 MYR 9,190

$3,903 MX$67.5K

-40.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,180 MYR 4,678

$2,064 MX$35.7K

-42.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$949 MYR 3,762

$1,115 MX$19.3K

-14.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.16

11.34

-63.32%

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

Last update for Penang: June 1, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $388 in Penang and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 18% 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: $21.00 in Penang vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $285 vs $288 per month, with Penang 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

Penang vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Penang and Mexico City differ by about 73% in total monthly costs ($850 vs $1,467 including rent). Penang is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Mexico City earns 18% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $388 in Penang versus $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Penang runs roughly 7% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $240 in Penang versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $850 in Penang versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Penang but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Penang 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, Penang and Mexico City 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 Penang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 73% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.