Cost of Living Comparison Between Petaling Jaya and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Petaling Jaya and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,065 in Petaling Jaya versus $1,646 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,537 in Petaling Jaya versus $2,613 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,010 in Petaling Jaya versus $3,580 in Mexico City.

Living in Petaling Jaya costs roughly 35% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Petaling Jaya is 23% below, Mexico City is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.74 MYR 15.10

$12.11 MX$206

-69.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.99 MYR 101

$52.2 MX$887

-52.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.09 MYR 20.59

$10.90 MX$185

-53.30%

Cappuccino

$3.11 MYR 12.56

$4.05 MX$68.8

-23.21%

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

$0.86 MYR 3.47

$1.72 MX$29.13

-50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.41 MYR 1.65

$1.38 MX$23.40

-70.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 MYR 13.43

$3.47 MX$58.9

-4.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.72 MYR 23.13

$5.81 MX$98.7

-1.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.98 MYR 7.99

$1.85 MX$31.48

7.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 MYR 4.41

$3.22 MX$54.7

-66.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 MYR 6.13

$2.09 MX$35.42

-27.27%

Eggs

$1.79 MYR 7.24

$2.91 MX$49.41

-38.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.89 MYR 39.97

$12.49 MX$212

-20.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.22 MYR 13.00

$10.11 MX$172

-68.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.50 MYR 38.40

$15.89 MX$270

-40.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 MYR 14.37

$3.31 MX$56.3

7.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MYR 7.83

$2.13 MX$36.12

-8.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 MYR 10.80

$2.19 MX$37.20

21.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.75 MYR 7.09

$2.45 MX$41.57

-28.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 MYR 8.76

$2.19 MX$37.18

-0.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 MYR 8.09

$1.90 MX$32.35

5.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 MYR 6.15

$1.62 MX$27.44

-6.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 MYR 2.28

$1.35 MX$22.92

-58.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.49 MYR 18.14

$5.43 MX$92.1

-17.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.08 MYR 77.1

$17.59 MX$299

8.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 MYR 11.30

$2.07 MX$35.12

34.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.50 MYR 18.21

$4.75 MX$80.6

-5.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.20 MYR 4.86

$0.34 MX$5.77

252.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.44 MYR 50.3

$21.58 MX$366

-42.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.26 MYR 5.11

$2.04 MX$34.65

-38.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 MYR 1.57

$0.58 MX$9.82

-32.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.20 MYR 37.21

$5.97 MX$101

54.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.78 MYR 3.16

$1.62 MX$27.44

-51.85%

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

$42.5K MYR 171.9K

$22.8K MX$387.4K

86.36%

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

$32.6K MYR 131.9K

$26.7K MX$452.8K

22.39%

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

$50.5 MYR 204

$65.2 MX$1,108

-22.65%

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

$8.47 MYR 34.25

$29.87 MX$507

-71.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.19 MYR 110

$36.55 MX$621

-25.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 MYR 214

$61.0 MX$1,036

-13.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.06 MYR 12.38

$26.70 MX$453

-88.54%

Cinema Ticket

$4.85 MYR 19.61

$6.85 MX$116

-29.20%

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

$286 MYR 1,154

$453 MX$7,700

-37.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MYR 42.3K

$13.4K MX$227.1K

-21.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 MYR 211

$75.0 MX$1,273

-30.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.30 MYR 123

$55.3 MX$939

-45.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.3 MYR 312

$114 MX$1,929

-31.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.7 MYR 347

$123 MX$2,083

-30.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 MYR 1,960

$1,134 MX$19.3K

-57.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$411 MYR 1,662

$712 MX$12.1K

-42.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$840 MYR 3,397

$2,571 MX$43.7K

-67.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$559 MYR 2,261

$1,311 MX$22.3K

-57.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,233 MYR 13.1K

$3,993 MX$67.8K

-19.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$975 MYR 3,941

$2,095 MX$35.6K

-53.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,719 MYR 6,950

$1,047 MX$17.8K

64.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

11.3

-60.09%

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

Last update for Petaling Jaya: August 29, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $485 in Petaling Jaya and $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Petaling Jaya pays 64% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $25.00 in Petaling Jaya vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $345 per month, with Petaling Jaya 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

Petaling Jaya vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Petaling Jaya and Mexico City differ by about 55% in total monthly costs ($1,065 vs $1,646 including rent). Petaling Jaya is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 64% higher in Petaling Jaya, 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: $485 in Petaling Jaya versus $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Petaling Jaya runs roughly 73% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $286 in Petaling Jaya versus $453 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,065 in Petaling Jaya versus $1,646 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Petaling Jaya but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Petaling Jaya 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, Petaling Jaya 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 Petaling Jaya gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.