Cost of Living Comparison Between Sandakan, Sabah and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Sandakan, Sabah and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $844 in Sandakan, Sabah versus $1,466 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,303 in Sandakan, Sabah versus $2,325 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,761 in Sandakan, Sabah versus $3,184 in Mexico City.

Living in Sandakan, Sabah costs roughly 42% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sandakan, Sabah is 37% below, Mexico City is 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 MYR 9.05

$13.30 MX$231

-82.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.66 MYR 73.7

$53.8 MX$932

-65.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.59 MYR 18.13

$9.42 MX$163

-51.27%

Cappuccino

$2.57 MYR 10.17

$3.59 MX$62.3

-28.41%

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

$0.69 MYR 2.71

$1.62 MX$28.13

-57.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 MYR 0.99

$1.12 MX$19.49

-77.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.37 MYR 9.37

$3.25 MX$56.3

-27.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 MYR 13.70

$4.65 MX$80.6

-25.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 MYR 6.92

$1.64 MX$28.37

6.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 MYR 4.68

$2.65 MX$46.00

-55.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 MYR 4.75

$1.96 MX$33.99

-38.78%

Eggs

$2.88 MYR 11.39

$2.54 MX$44.08

13.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.09 MYR 59.6

$9.97 MX$173

51.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.51 MYR 13.86

$8.39 MX$145

-58.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.09 MYR 28.00

$11.83 MX$205

-40.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 MYR 10.37

$2.86 MX$49.62

-8.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.12 MYR 4.43

$1.73 MX$30.05

-35.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.21 MYR 12.68

$1.99 MX$34.50

61.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 MYR 7.56

$2.05 MX$35.51

-6.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 MYR 4.87

$2.06 MX$35.64

-40.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.29 MYR 5.09

$2.28 MX$39.54

-43.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 MYR 4.42

$1.45 MX$25.05

-22.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 MYR 1.88

$1.09 MX$18.83

-55.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MYR 16.44

$4.27 MX$73.9

-2.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.86 MYR 66.6

$14.67 MX$254

14.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 MYR 7.60

$1.76 MX$30.58

9.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 MYR 6.39

$3.57 MX$61.8

-54.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 MYR 2.72

$0.38 MX$6.67

81.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.01 MYR 47.43

$18.73 MX$325

-35.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 MYR 4.73

$1.39 MX$24.09

-13.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 MYR 3.93

$0.30 MX$5.26

233.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.83 MYR 23.03

$5.41 MX$93.8

7.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.50 MYR 1.96

$1.34 MX$23.22

-62.69%

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

$29.5K MYR 116.3K

$18.9K MX$326.7K

56.25%

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

$28.2K MYR 111.3K

$23.2K MX$402.0K

21.49%

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

$47.91 MYR 189

$40.30 MX$698

18.88%

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

$3.53 MYR 13.93

$27.15 MX$471

-87.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.38 MYR 92.4

$29.46 MX$510

-20.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.49 MYR 148

$52.7 MX$914

-28.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.03 MYR 23.81

$26.17 MX$454

-76.96%

Cinema Ticket

$2.81 MYR 11.09

$6.18 MX$107

-54.53%

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

$93.4 MYR 369

$441 MX$7,637

-78.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,518 MYR 17.8K

$10.7K MX$185.4K

-57.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 MYR 237

$57.2 MX$992

4.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.14 MYR 91.4

$45.04 MX$781

-48.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.8 MYR 284

$103 MX$1,793

-30.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.4 MYR 369

$109 MX$1,884

-14.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$386 MYR 1,525

$1,000 MX$17.3K

-61.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$267 MYR 1,056

$632 MX$11.0K

-57.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$637 MYR 2,515

$2,141 MX$37.1K

-70.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$464 MYR 1,835

$1,253 MX$21.7K

-62.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,587 MYR 6,267

$3,745 MX$64.9K

-57.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$938 MYR 3,705

$2,381 MX$41.3K

-60.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$762 MYR 3,008

$1,079 MX$18.7K

-29.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

-73.54%

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

Last update for Sandakan, Sabah: April 21, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $386 in Sandakan, Sabah and $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 42% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $19 in Sandakan, Sabah vs $54 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $286 per month, with Sandakan, Sabah 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

Sandakan, Sabah vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sandakan, Sabah and Mexico City differ by about 74% in total monthly costs ($844 vs $1,466 including rent). Sandakan, Sabah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Mexico City earns 42% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $386 in Sandakan, Sabah 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 Sandakan, Sabah runs roughly 56% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $93.4 in Sandakan, Sabah versus $441 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $844 in Sandakan, Sabah versus $1,466 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sandakan, Sabah but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Sandakan, Sabah 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, Sandakan, Sabah 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 Sandakan, Sabah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 74% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.