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: $920 in Petaling Jaya versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,341 in Petaling Jaya versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,762 in Petaling Jaya versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

Living in Petaling Jaya costs roughly 37% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Petaling Jaya is 31% below, Mexico City is 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.59 MYR 14.70

$13.07 MX$229

-72.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.95 MYR 77.5

$53.8 MX$943

-64.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.62 MYR 18.89

$9.68 MX$170

-52.27%

Cappuccino

$2.79 MYR 11.42

$3.74 MX$65.6

-25.40%

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

$0.69 MYR 2.81

$1.62 MX$28.34

-57.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 MYR 1.50

$1.16 MX$20.37

-68.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.63 MYR 14.84

$3.23 MX$56.6

12.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.11 MYR 20.88

$4.74 MX$83.1

7.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MYR 7.58

$1.65 MX$28.89

12.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 MYR 4.17

$2.75 MX$48.30

-62.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MYR 6.99

$1.87 MX$32.87

-8.56%

Eggs

$2.17 MYR 8.87

$2.50 MX$43.86

-13.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.65 MYR 43.54

$10.20 MX$179

4.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.50 MYR 14.31

$8.25 MX$145

-57.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.07 MYR 33.00

$11.82 MX$207

-31.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 MYR 11.02

$3.01 MX$52.8

-10.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MYR 7.17

$1.81 MX$31.77

-3.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 MYR 10.32

$2.00 MX$35.07

26.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.22 MYR 4.99

$2.00 MX$35.00

-39.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 MYR 4.83

$2.08 MX$36.56

-43.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 MYR 5.68

$2.27 MX$39.85

-38.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 MYR 3.61

$1.46 MX$25.55

-39.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 MYR 2.40

$1.08 MX$18.88

-45.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MYR 17.42

$4.35 MX$76.3

-2.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.75 MYR 80.8

$16.99 MX$298

16.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 MYR 11.03

$1.73 MX$30.40

56.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 MYR 16.12

$3.58 MX$62.7

10.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 MYR 2.93

$0.39 MX$6.79

84.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.64 MYR 47.61

$18.69 MX$328

-37.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 MYR 4.16

$1.33 MX$23.25

-23.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 MYR 1.43

$0.28 MX$4.91

25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.32 MYR 38.11

$5.25 MX$92.1

77.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.46 MYR 1.88

$1.34 MX$23.44

-65.67%

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

$32.0K MYR 131.1K

$19.4K MX$340.5K

65.10%

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

$27.7K MYR 113.4K

$23.8K MX$418.0K

16.29%

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

$40.34 MYR 165

$40.69 MX$714

-0.86%

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

$9.05 MYR 37.03

$26.87 MX$471

-66.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.74 MYR 93.0

$30.51 MX$535

-25.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.09 MYR 152

$52.8 MX$926

-29.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.35 MYR 30.05

$26.65 MX$467

-72.42%

Cinema Ticket

$4.81 MYR 19.68

$6.51 MX$114

-26.11%

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

$210 MYR 857

$428 MX$7,508

-51.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,024 MYR 32.8K

$10.5K MX$184.2K

-23.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.98 MYR 204

$57.3 MX$1,004

-12.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.86 MYR 139

$45.50 MX$798

-25.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.2 MYR 226

$104 MX$1,825

-46.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.48 MYR 198

$108 MX$1,891

-55.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$456 MYR 1,866

$1,003 MX$17.6K

-54.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$344 MYR 1,405

$623 MX$10.9K

-44.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 MYR 3,343

$2,109 MX$37.0K

-61.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$537 MYR 2,198

$1,218 MX$21.4K

-55.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,204 MYR 13.1K

$3,885 MX$68.1K

-17.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$210 MYR 859

$2,033 MX$35.7K

-89.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,713 MYR 7,008

$1,038 MX$18.2K

65.10%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $456 in Petaling Jaya and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Petaling Jaya pays 65% 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 $236 vs $292 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 58% in total monthly costs ($920 vs $1,456 including rent). Petaling Jaya is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 65% 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: $456 in Petaling Jaya versus $1,003 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 $210 in Petaling Jaya versus $428 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $920 in Petaling Jaya versus $1,456 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 58% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.