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: $892 in Petaling Jaya versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,341 in Petaling Jaya versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,790 in Petaling Jaya versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Petaling Jaya costs roughly 39% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Petaling Jaya is 33% below, Mexico City is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.47 MYR 13.76

$13.18 MX$228

-73.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.73 MYR 74.3

$53.9 MX$932

-65.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.74 MYR 18.79

$9.42 MX$163

-49.68%

Cappuccino

$2.69 MYR 10.65

$3.55 MX$61.4

-24.23%

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

$0.72 MYR 2.87

$1.62 MX$27.98

-55.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.55

$1.11 MX$19.27

-64.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.44 MYR 13.63

$3.12 MX$54.0

10.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.08 MYR 20.16

$4.63 MX$80.1

9.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 MYR 7.48

$1.70 MX$29.43

11.18%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 MYR 3.73

$2.72 MX$47.02

-65.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MYR 7.04

$1.91 MX$33.07

-7.33%

Eggs

$2.20 MYR 8.74

$2.54 MX$43.86

-13.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 MYR 41.83

$10.03 MX$174

5.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.39 MYR 13.42

$8.09 MX$140

-58.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.06 MYR 31.96

$11.62 MX$201

-30.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 MYR 10.87

$2.97 MX$51.3

-7.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 MYR 6.66

$1.81 MX$31.24

-7.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.50 MYR 9.90

$2.01 MX$34.82

24.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 MYR 4.99

$2.03 MX$35.20

-37.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 MYR 4.48

$2.12 MX$36.75

-46.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 MYR 5.26

$2.27 MX$39.25

-41.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 MYR 3.77

$1.40 MX$24.22

-32.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 MYR 2.50

$1.13 MX$19.55

-44.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MYR 17.24

$4.27 MX$73.9

1.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.58 MYR 81.6

$15.56 MX$269

32.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 MYR 10.91

$1.76 MX$30.39

56.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 MYR 15.28

$3.60 MX$62.2

6.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 MYR 2.84

$0.38 MX$6.62

89.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.92 MYR 47.24

$19.18 MX$332

-37.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 MYR 4.02

$1.38 MX$23.79

-26.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 MYR 1.29

$0.28 MX$4.78

17.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.38 MYR 37.19

$5.45 MX$94.2

72.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.49 MYR 1.95

$1.30 MX$22.55

-62.31%

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

$31.1K MYR 123.3K

$18.7K MX$323.2K

66.39%

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

$28.2K MYR 111.7K

$23.1K MX$400.1K

21.79%

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

$41.04 MYR 163

$40.86 MX$707

0.44%

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

$8.87 MYR 35.17

$26.81 MX$464

-66.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.69 MYR 90.0

$29.96 MX$518

-24.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.62 MYR 149

$52.0 MX$900

-27.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.54 MYR 29.91

$26.84 MX$464

-71.91%

Cinema Ticket

$4.85 MYR 19.21

$6.30 MX$109

-23.02%

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

$213 MYR 844

$436 MX$7,544

-51.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,116 MYR 32.2K

$10.4K MX$180.2K

-22.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.18 MYR 191

$56.7 MX$980

-14.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.97 MYR 139

$44.38 MX$768

-21.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.9 MYR 214

$103 MX$1,780

-47.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.40 MYR 192

$106 MX$1,825

-54.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 MYR 1,840

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-54.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$343 MYR 1,358

$631 MX$10.9K

-45.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 MYR 3,291

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-61.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$538 MYR 2,135

$1,243 MX$21.5K

-56.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,212 MYR 12.7K

$3,903 MX$67.5K

-17.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$211 MYR 836

$2,064 MX$35.7K

-89.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,782 MYR 7,066

$1,115 MX$19.3K

59.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.49

11.34

-60.41%

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

Last update for Petaling Jaya: June 1, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $464 in Petaling Jaya and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Petaling Jaya pays 60% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $19.00 in Petaling Jaya vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $237 vs $288 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 65% in total monthly costs ($892 vs $1,467 including rent). Petaling Jaya is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Petaling Jaya pays 60% 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: $464 in Petaling Jaya 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 Petaling Jaya runs roughly 61% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $213 in Petaling Jaya versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $892 in Petaling Jaya versus $1,467 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 65% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.