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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $986 in Sarawak versus $1,677 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,450 in Sarawak versus $2,608 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,914 in Sarawak versus $3,540 in Mexico City.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Sarawak is 29% below, Mexico City is 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.73 MYR 15.19

$12.14 MX$206

-69.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.47 MYR 79.2

$53.9 MX$914

-63.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.91 MYR 19.96

$11.09 MX$188

-55.73%

Cappuccino

$3.00 MYR 12.22

$4.10 MX$69.5

-26.83%

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

$0.82 MYR 3.36

$1.68 MX$28.53

-51.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.61

$1.39 MX$23.55

-71.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.63 MYR 14.77

$3.33 MX$56.5

9.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 MYR 18.46

$5.88 MX$99.7

-22.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 MYR 7.40

$1.85 MX$31.41

-1.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 MYR 4.32

$3.17 MX$53.8

-66.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 MYR 6.15

$2.07 MX$35.13

-27.05%

Eggs

$1.85 MYR 7.54

$2.93 MX$49.67

-36.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.17 MYR 53.6

$12.59 MX$214

4.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 MYR 17.84

$10.11 MX$172

-56.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.79 MYR 39.85

$16.09 MX$273

-39.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 MYR 13.26

$3.39 MX$57.5

-3.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 MYR 7.18

$2.08 MX$35.26

-15.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 MYR 9.81

$2.12 MX$35.97

13.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 MYR 6.74

$2.41 MX$40.95

-31.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 MYR 5.37

$2.13 MX$36.11

-38.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 MYR 4.74

$2.01 MX$34.02

-41.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 MYR 4.92

$1.55 MX$26.21

-21.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 MYR 2.29

$1.36 MX$23.15

-58.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 MYR 17.89

$5.77 MX$97.8

-23.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.47 MYR 79.2

$17.74 MX$301

9.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.02 MYR 12.29

$2.07 MX$35.11

45.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MYR 14.97

$4.61 MX$78.3

-20.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 MYR 2.92

$0.37 MX$6.21

94.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.50 MYR 50.9

$21.18 MX$359

-40.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 MYR 4.90

$2.05 MX$34.84

-41.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.48 MYR 1.95

$0.58 MX$9.79

-17.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.32 MYR 29.77

$6.07 MX$103

20.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.73 MYR 2.96

$1.55 MX$26.34

-52.90%

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

$42.2K MYR 171.7K

$22.9K MX$388.1K

84.49%

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

$35.7K MYR 145.3K

$27.2K MX$462.0K

31.19%

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

$49.33 MYR 201

$67.4 MX$1,144

-26.82%

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

$9.93 MYR 40.41

$30.62 MX$520

-67.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.50 MYR 116

$37.24 MX$632

-23.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.37 MYR 164

$61.5 MX$1,043

-34.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.50 MYR 26.45

$27.12 MX$460

-76.03%

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 MYR 20.13

$7.11 MX$121

-30.38%

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

$177 MYR 718

$456 MX$7,739

-61.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,909 MYR 20.0K

$13.7K MX$232.3K

-64.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.3 MYR 249

$74.2 MX$1,259

-17.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.90 MYR 146

$57.0 MX$967

-37.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.2 MYR 330

$115 MX$1,958

-29.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.2 MYR 282

$122 MX$2,061

-43.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$422 MYR 1,716

$1,148 MX$19.5K

-63.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$328 MYR 1,334

$709 MX$12.0K

-53.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$709 MYR 2,883

$2,577 MX$43.7K

-72.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$493 MYR 2,007

$1,295 MX$22.0K

-61.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,086 MYR 8,485

$4,005 MX$67.9K

-47.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,123 MYR 4,567

$2,130 MX$36.1K

-47.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$343 MYR 1,397

$1,082 MX$18.4K

-68.26%

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 Sarawak: September 7, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $422 in Sarawak and $1,148 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 215% 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: $19.00 in Sarawak vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $257 vs $345 per month, with Sarawak 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

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

Sarawak and Mexico City differ by about 70% in total monthly costs ($986 vs $1,677 including rent). Sarawak is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 215% lower in Mexico City. 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: $422 in Sarawak 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 Sarawak runs roughly 69% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $177 in Sarawak versus $456 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $986 in Sarawak versus $1,677 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sarawak but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Sarawak 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, Sarawak 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 Sarawak gentler on the wallet – expenses run 70% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.