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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $822 in Puchong versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,270 in Puchong versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,718 in Puchong versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

Living in Puchong costs roughly 44% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Puchong is 38% below, Mexico City is 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.62 MYR 14.80

$13.07 MX$229

-72.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.89 MYR 77.2

$53.8 MX$943

-64.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.62 MYR 18.89

$9.68 MX$170

-52.27%

Cappuccino

$2.86 MYR 11.69

$3.74 MX$65.6

-23.53%

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

$0.81 MYR 3.29

$1.62 MX$28.34

-50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.52 MYR 2.14

$1.16 MX$20.37

-55.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.35 MYR 17.81

$3.23 MX$56.6

34.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.76 MYR 23.54

$4.74 MX$83.1

21.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 MYR 7.83

$1.65 MX$28.89

16.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 MYR 4.11

$2.75 MX$48.30

-63.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 MYR 5.25

$1.87 MX$32.87

-31.55%

Eggs

$1.81 MYR 7.39

$2.50 MX$43.86

-27.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.05 MYR 45.18

$10.20 MX$179

8.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.52 MYR 18.48

$8.25 MX$145

-45.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.54 MYR 34.91

$11.82 MX$207

-27.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MYR 11.88

$3.01 MX$52.8

-3.65%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 MYR 3.98

$1.81 MX$31.77

-46.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.72 MYR 11.11

$2.00 MX$35.07

36.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 MYR 6.24

$2.00 MX$35.00

-23.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.31 MYR 5.34

$2.08 MX$36.56

-37.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 MYR 5.76

$2.27 MX$39.85

-37.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MYR 4.22

$1.46 MX$25.55

-29.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 MYR 2.40

$1.08 MX$18.88

-45.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 MYR 16.87

$4.35 MX$76.3

-5.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.68 MYR 60.0

$16.99 MX$298

-13.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 MYR 11.93

$1.73 MX$30.40

68.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 MYR 12.29

$3.58 MX$62.7

-16.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 MYR 2.78

$0.39 MX$6.79

74.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.59 MYR 47.42

$18.69 MX$328

-37.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 MYR 4.95

$1.33 MX$23.25

-9.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 MYR 4.18

$0.28 MX$4.91

264.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.59 MYR 18.77

$5.25 MX$92.1

-12.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.46 MYR 1.89

$1.34 MX$23.44

-65.67%

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

$19.8K MYR 81.0K

$19.4K MX$340.5K

2.04%

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

$26.3K MYR 107.6K

$23.8K MX$418.0K

10.35%

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

$45.36 MYR 186

$40.69 MX$714

11.48%

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

$9.63 MYR 39.39

$26.87 MX$471

-64.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.76 MYR 105

$30.51 MX$535

-15.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.29 MYR 153

$52.8 MX$926

-29.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.21 MYR 29.47

$26.65 MX$467

-72.95%

Cinema Ticket

$4.96 MYR 20.28

$6.51 MX$114

-23.81%

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

$185 MYR 756

$428 MX$7,508

-56.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,367 MYR 38.3K

$10.5K MX$184.2K

-10.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 MYR 240

$57.3 MX$1,004

2.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.62 MYR 150

$45.50 MX$798

-19.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.4 MYR 341

$104 MX$1,825

-19.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.2 MYR 287

$108 MX$1,891

-34.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$273 MYR 1,118

$1,003 MX$17.6K

-72.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$212 MYR 868

$623 MX$10.9K

-65.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$656 MYR 2,684

$2,109 MX$37.0K

-68.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$429 MYR 1,756

$1,218 MX$21.4K

-64.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,038 MYR 8,337

$3,885 MX$68.1K

-47.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,173 MYR 4,796

$2,033 MX$35.7K

-42.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,323 MYR 5,410

$1,038 MX$18.2K

27.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

11.34

-60.58%

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

Last update for Puchong: July 12, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $273 in Puchong and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Puchong pays 27% 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 Puchong vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $230 vs $292 per month, with Puchong 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

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

Puchong and Mexico City differ by about 77% in total monthly costs ($822 vs $1,456 including rent). Puchong is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 27% higher in Puchong, 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: $273 in Puchong 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 Puchong 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 $185 in Puchong versus $428 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $822 in Puchong versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Puchong but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Puchong 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, Puchong 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 Puchong gentler on the wallet – expenses run 77% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.