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: $994 in Puchong versus $1,677 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,456 in Puchong versus $2,608 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,918 in Puchong versus $3,540 in Mexico City.

Living in Puchong costs roughly 41% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Puchong is 28% below, Mexico City is 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.73 MYR 15.18

$12.14 MX$206

-69.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.94 MYR 89.3

$53.9 MX$914

-59.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.02 MYR 20.44

$11.09 MX$188

-54.73%

Cappuccino

$3.21 MYR 13.05

$4.10 MX$69.5

-21.71%

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

$0.83 MYR 3.38

$1.68 MX$28.53

-50.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 MYR 1.98

$1.39 MX$23.55

-64.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.38 MYR 17.80

$3.33 MX$56.5

31.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.37 MYR 25.91

$5.88 MX$99.7

8.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 MYR 7.76

$1.85 MX$31.41

3.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 MYR 4.52

$3.17 MX$53.8

-64.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 MYR 6.17

$2.07 MX$35.13

-26.57%

Eggs

$1.61 MYR 6.56

$2.93 MX$49.67

-45.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.58 MYR 63.4

$12.59 MX$214

23.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.77 MYR 19.42

$10.11 MX$172

-52.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.59 MYR 39.03

$16.09 MX$273

-40.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.42 MYR 13.90

$3.39 MX$57.5

0.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 MYR 7.14

$2.08 MX$35.26

-15.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 MYR 9.59

$2.12 MX$35.97

11.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 MYR 6.55

$2.41 MX$40.95

-33.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 MYR 5.81

$2.13 MX$36.11

-32.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 MYR 5.65

$2.01 MX$34.02

-30.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 MYR 5.15

$1.55 MX$26.21

-18.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 MYR 2.10

$1.36 MX$23.15

-61.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.34 MYR 17.66

$5.77 MX$97.8

-24.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.81 MYR 60.3

$17.74 MX$301

-16.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 MYR 12.53

$2.07 MX$35.11

48.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 MYR 12.55

$4.61 MX$78.3

-33.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 MYR 3.71

$0.37 MX$6.21

145.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.17 MYR 49.49

$21.18 MX$359

-42.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.26 MYR 5.12

$2.05 MX$34.84

-38.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 MYR 2.89

$0.58 MX$9.79

22.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.01 MYR 20.36

$6.07 MX$103

-17.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 MYR 3.40

$1.55 MX$26.34

-45.81%

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

$41.8K MYR 170.0K

$22.9K MX$388.1K

82.72%

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

$35.6K MYR 144.9K

$27.2K MX$462.0K

30.75%

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

$53.1 MYR 216

$67.4 MX$1,144

-21.26%

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

$9.70 MYR 39.45

$30.62 MX$520

-68.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.27 MYR 119

$37.24 MX$632

-21.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.06 MYR 130

$61.5 MX$1,043

-47.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.49 MYR 26.41

$27.12 MX$460

-76.07%

Cinema Ticket

$5.31 MYR 21.58

$7.11 MX$121

-25.32%

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

$227 MYR 922

$456 MX$7,739

-50.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K MYR 50.0K

$13.7K MX$232.3K

-10.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.4 MYR 274

$74.2 MX$1,259

-9.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.12 MYR 175

$57.0 MX$967

-24.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.5 MYR 368

$115 MX$1,958

-21.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.61 MYR 198

$122 MX$2,061

-60.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$431 MYR 1,755

$1,148 MX$19.5K

-62.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$330 MYR 1,343

$709 MX$12.0K

-53.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$691 MYR 2,811

$2,577 MX$43.7K

-73.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$502 MYR 2,042

$1,295 MX$22.0K

-61.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,049 MYR 8,335

$4,005 MX$67.9K

-48.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,112 MYR 4,523

$2,130 MX$36.1K

-47.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,339 MYR 5,446

$1,082 MX$18.4K

23.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.2

11.3

-62.83%

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

Last update for Puchong: September 6, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $431 in Puchong and $1,148 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Puchong pays 24% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $22.00 in Puchong vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $257 vs $345 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 69% in total monthly costs ($994 vs $1,677 including rent). Puchong is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 24% 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: $431 in Puchong versus $1,148 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 74% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $227 in Puchong versus $456 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $994 in Puchong versus $1,677 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 69% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.