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: $909 in Sarawak versus $1,466 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,312 in Sarawak versus $2,325 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,714 in Sarawak versus $3,184 in Mexico City.

Living in Sarawak costs roughly 38% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sarawak is 32% below, Mexico City is 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.46 MYR 13.65

$13.30 MX$231

-73.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.70 MYR 73.9

$53.8 MX$932

-65.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.41 MYR 21.37

$9.42 MX$163

-42.57%

Cappuccino

$2.70 MYR 10.66

$3.59 MX$62.3

-24.79%

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

$0.79 MYR 3.11

$1.62 MX$28.13

-51.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.55

$1.12 MX$19.49

-65.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.72 MYR 30.51

$3.25 MX$56.3

137.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 MYR 32.13

$4.65 MX$80.6

74.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 MYR 7.07

$1.64 MX$28.37

9.15%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 MYR 3.92

$2.65 MX$46.00

-62.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.23 MYR 4.87

$1.96 MX$33.99

-37.24%

Eggs

$2.04 MYR 8.08

$2.54 MX$44.08

-19.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.06 MYR 59.5

$9.97 MX$173

51.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.65 MYR 10.48

$8.39 MX$145

-68.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.60 MYR 37.93

$11.83 MX$205

-18.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.99 MYR 11.81

$2.86 MX$49.62

4.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MYR 5.75

$1.73 MX$30.05

-15.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.50 MYR 9.88

$1.99 MX$34.50

25.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.43 MYR 5.65

$2.05 MX$35.51

-30.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 MYR 4.82

$2.06 MX$35.64

-40.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 MYR 5.04

$2.28 MX$39.54

-43.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MYR 4.09

$1.45 MX$25.05

-28.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 MYR 2.47

$1.09 MX$18.83

-42.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MYR 16.41

$4.27 MX$73.9

-2.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.22 MYR 64.1

$14.67 MX$254

10.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 MYR 11.28

$1.76 MX$30.58

62.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 MYR 11.74

$3.57 MX$61.8

-16.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 MYR 2.87

$0.38 MX$6.67

92.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.56 MYR 45.65

$18.73 MX$325

-38.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 MYR 4.75

$1.39 MX$24.09

-13.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 MYR 3.90

$0.30 MX$5.26

230.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.91 MYR 23.35

$5.41 MX$93.8

9.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.50 MYR 1.98

$1.34 MX$23.22

-62.69%

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

$35.2K MYR 139.1K

$18.9K MX$326.7K

86.74%

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

$31.7K MYR 125.3K

$23.2K MX$402.0K

36.71%

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

$42.70 MYR 169

$40.30 MX$698

5.96%

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

$8.86 MYR 34.99

$27.15 MX$471

-67.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.95 MYR 114

$29.46 MX$510

-1.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.04 MYR 146

$52.7 MX$914

-29.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.03 MYR 23.82

$26.17 MX$454

-76.96%

Cinema Ticket

$4.90 MYR 19.34

$6.18 MX$107

-20.71%

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

$187 MYR 737

$441 MX$7,637

-57.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,975 MYR 27.6K

$10.7K MX$185.4K

-34.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.88 MYR 142

$57.2 MX$992

-37.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.15 MYR 155

$45.04 MX$781

-13.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.7 MYR 311

$103 MX$1,793

-23.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.5 MYR 227

$109 MX$1,884

-47.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$326 MYR 1,289

$1,000 MX$17.3K

-67.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$270 MYR 1,065

$632 MX$11.0K

-57.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 MYR 1,977

$2,141 MX$37.1K

-76.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$356 MYR 1,405

$1,253 MX$21.7K

-71.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,754 MYR 6,928

$3,745 MX$64.9K

-53.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$886 MYR 3,498

$2,381 MX$41.3K

-62.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$429 MYR 1,696

$1,079 MX$18.7K

-60.22%

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 Sarawak: April 21, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $326 in Sarawak and $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 151% 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 Sarawak vs $54 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $240 vs $286 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 61% in total monthly costs ($909 vs $1,466 including rent). Sarawak is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Mexico City earns 151% 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: $326 in Sarawak 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 Sarawak runs roughly 62% 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 Sarawak versus $441 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $909 in Sarawak versus $1,466 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 61% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.