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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $813 in Putrajaya versus $1,484 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,223 in Putrajaya versus $2,381 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,633 in Putrajaya versus $3,278 in Mexico City.

Living in Putrajaya costs roughly 45% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Putrajaya is 39% below, Mexico City is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.61 MYR 14.24

$12.98 MX$226

-72.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.11 MYR 75.5

$53.1 MX$923

-63.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.58 MYR 18.11

$9.72 MX$169

-52.88%

Cappuccino

$3.02 MYR 11.94

$3.75 MX$65.2

-19.47%

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

$0.76 MYR 2.99

$1.57 MX$27.30

-51.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 MYR 1.49

$1.13 MX$19.64

-66.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 MYR 14.07

$3.18 MX$55.3

11.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 MYR 17.64

$4.66 MX$81.1

-4.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MYR 6.52

$1.62 MX$28.21

1.85%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 MYR 3.15

$2.71 MX$47.09

-70.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 MYR 4.91

$1.88 MX$32.70

-34.04%

Eggs

$1.80 MYR 7.11

$2.51 MX$43.65

-28.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.41 MYR 25.33

$10.08 MX$175

-36.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.43 MYR 17.48

$8.29 MX$144

-46.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.28 MYR 36.67

$11.94 MX$208

-22.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 MYR 12.48

$2.86 MX$49.77

10.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 MYR 5.29

$1.75 MX$30.45

-23.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.14 MYR 12.42

$2.08 MX$36.27

50.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 MYR 6.38

$1.97 MX$34.27

-18.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 MYR 5.94

$2.16 MX$37.58

-30.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MYR 7.11

$2.18 MX$37.94

-17.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 MYR 6.47

$1.39 MX$24.20

17.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 MYR 2.23

$1.12 MX$19.57

-50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MYR 16.43

$4.20 MX$73.1

-0.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 MYR 58.6

$14.25 MX$248

4.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 MYR 11.25

$1.76 MX$30.68

61.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 MYR 11.53

$3.68 MX$64.1

-20.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 MYR 2.71

$0.39 MX$6.71

76.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.86 MYR 46.86

$18.66 MX$325

-36.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.90 MYR 3.56

$1.39 MX$24.12

-35.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 MYR 4.05

$0.30 MX$5.29

240.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.76 MYR 22.73

$5.42 MX$94.3

6.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.50 MYR 1.98

$1.35 MX$23.50

-62.96%

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

$35.9K MYR 141.7K

$18.9K MX$328.6K

89.95%

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

$38.0K MYR 149.9K

$23.2K MX$402.8K

63.94%

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

$46.05 MYR 182

$40.82 MX$710

12.81%

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

$9.11 MYR 36.00

$27.50 MX$479

-66.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.53 MYR 89.0

$30.38 MX$529

-25.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.33 MYR 147

$53.4 MX$930

-30.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.78 MYR 34.70

$26.30 MX$458

-66.62%

Cinema Ticket

$4.89 MYR 19.33

$6.27 MX$109

-22.01%

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

$187 MYR 740

$436 MX$7,588

-57.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,902 MYR 27.3K

$10.5K MX$182.1K

-34.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.5 MYR 259

$56.8 MX$988

15.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.86 MYR 74.5

$44.79 MX$779

-57.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.7 MYR 291

$103 MX$1,789

-28.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.66 MYR 161

$108 MX$1,878

-62.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$344 MYR 1,357

$1,000 MX$17.4K

-65.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$236 MYR 932

$620 MX$10.8K

-61.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$640 MYR 2,528

$2,137 MX$37.2K

-70.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MYR 1,474

$1,235 MX$21.5K

-69.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,097 MYR 8,282

$3,865 MX$67.3K

-45.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,496 MYR 5,908

$2,332 MX$40.6K

-35.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,283 MYR 5,068

$1,067 MX$18.6K

20.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.07

11.34

-64.11%

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

Last update for Putrajaya: April 27, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $344 in Putrajaya and $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Putrajaya pays 20% 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 Putrajaya vs $53.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $286 per month, with Putrajaya 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

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

Putrajaya and Mexico City differ by about 83% in total monthly costs ($813 vs $1,484 including rent). Putrajaya is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Putrajaya pays 20% 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: $344 in Putrajaya versus $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Putrajaya runs roughly 57% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $187 in Putrajaya versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $813 in Putrajaya versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Putrajaya but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Putrajaya 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, Putrajaya 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 Putrajaya gentler on the wallet – expenses run 83% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.