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: $970 in Sandakan, Sabah versus $1,677 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,438 in Sandakan, Sabah versus $2,608 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,907 in Sandakan, Sabah versus $3,540 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 30% below, Mexico City is 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.79 MYR 15.42

$12.14 MX$206

-68.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.12 MYR 81.8

$53.9 MX$914

-62.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.90 MYR 19.91

$11.09 MX$188

-55.82%

Cappuccino

$2.99 MYR 12.18

$4.10 MX$69.5

-27.07%

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

$0.80 MYR 3.25

$1.68 MX$28.53

-52.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 MYR 1.73

$1.39 MX$23.55

-69.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 MYR 15.00

$3.33 MX$56.5

10.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 MYR 18.18

$5.88 MX$99.7

-23.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 MYR 7.56

$1.85 MX$31.41

0.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 MYR 4.27

$3.17 MX$53.8

-66.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 MYR 6.18

$2.07 MX$35.13

-26.57%

Eggs

$1.89 MYR 7.68

$2.93 MX$49.67

-35.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.56 MYR 55.2

$12.59 MX$214

7.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.33 MYR 17.61

$10.11 MX$172

-57.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.96 MYR 40.53

$16.09 MX$273

-38.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.27 MYR 13.28

$3.39 MX$57.5

-3.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 MYR 7.20

$2.08 MX$35.26

-14.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.43 MYR 9.88

$2.12 MX$35.97

14.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 MYR 6.59

$2.41 MX$40.95

-32.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 MYR 5.41

$2.13 MX$36.11

-37.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 MYR 4.86

$2.01 MX$34.02

-40.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 MYR 4.90

$1.55 MX$26.21

-22.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 MYR 2.33

$1.36 MX$23.15

-58.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.51 MYR 18.36

$5.77 MX$97.8

-21.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.18 MYR 78.0

$17.74 MX$301

8.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 MYR 12.31

$2.07 MX$35.11

46.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 MYR 15.22

$4.61 MX$78.3

-18.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 MYR 3.13

$0.37 MX$6.21

108.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.63 MYR 51.4

$21.18 MX$359

-40.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.26 MYR 5.13

$2.05 MX$34.84

-38.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.48 MYR 1.94

$0.58 MX$9.79

-17.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.47 MYR 30.37

$6.07 MX$103

23.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.73 MYR 2.97

$1.55 MX$26.34

-52.90%

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

$43.0K MYR 175.0K

$22.9K MX$388.1K

88.06%

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

$35.1K MYR 142.7K

$27.2K MX$462.0K

28.79%

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

$49.67 MYR 202

$67.4 MX$1,144

-26.32%

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

$9.87 MYR 40.13

$30.62 MX$520

-67.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.51 MYR 116

$37.24 MX$632

-23.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.59 MYR 169

$61.5 MX$1,043

-32.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.59 MYR 26.80

$27.12 MX$460

-75.70%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MYR 20.00

$7.11 MX$121

-30.80%

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

$176 MYR 715

$456 MX$7,739

-61.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,019 MYR 20.4K

$13.7K MX$232.3K

-63.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.3 MYR 250

$74.2 MX$1,259

-17.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.64 MYR 141

$57.0 MX$967

-39.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.9 MYR 329

$115 MX$1,958

-29.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.9 MYR 284

$122 MX$2,061

-42.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$423 MYR 1,720

$1,148 MX$19.5K

-63.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$336 MYR 1,366

$709 MX$12.0K

-52.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$709 MYR 2,886

$2,577 MX$43.7K

-72.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$497 MYR 2,023

$1,295 MX$22.0K

-61.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,034 MYR 8,274

$4,005 MX$67.9K

-49.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,142 MYR 4,644

$2,130 MX$36.1K

-46.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,246 MYR 5,068

$1,082 MX$18.4K

15.14%

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 Sandakan, Sabah: September 6, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $423 in Sandakan, Sabah and $1,148 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sandakan, Sabah pays 15% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $20.00 in Sandakan, Sabah vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $259 vs $345 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 73% in total monthly costs ($970 vs $1,677 including rent). Sandakan, Sabah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 15% higher in Sandakan, Sabah, 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: $423 in Sandakan, Sabah 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 Sandakan, Sabah runs roughly 68% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $176 in Sandakan, Sabah versus $456 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $970 in Sandakan, Sabah versus $1,677 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 73% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.