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: $910 in Sarawak versus $1,481 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,313 in Sarawak versus $2,352 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,716 in Sarawak versus $3,222 in Mexico City.

Living in Sarawak costs roughly 39% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sarawak is 32% below, Mexico City is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 MYR 14.59

$13.16 MX$230

-72.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.74 MYR 76.6

$53.6 MX$937

-65.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.21 MYR 21.32

$9.55 MX$167

-45.45%

Cappuccino

$2.79 MYR 11.43

$3.72 MX$65.1

-25.00%

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

$0.79 MYR 3.21

$1.57 MX$27.42

-49.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.60

$1.16 MX$20.22

-66.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.67 MYR 31.38

$3.18 MX$55.7

141.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.42 MYR 34.42

$4.63 MX$81.1

81.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 MYR 7.43

$1.71 MX$29.83

6.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 MYR 4.08

$2.62 MX$45.77

-61.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 MYR 5.13

$1.89 MX$33.04

-33.86%

Eggs

$2.14 MYR 8.73

$2.60 MX$45.40

-17.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.84 MYR 60.7

$9.91 MX$173

49.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.57 MYR 10.49

$8.22 MX$144

-68.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.49 MYR 38.80

$11.78 MX$206

-19.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 MYR 11.80

$3.00 MX$52.4

-4.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 MYR 6.26

$1.80 MX$31.48

-15.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.50 MYR 10.23

$2.07 MX$36.27

20.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 MYR 5.61

$1.97 MX$34.41

-30.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 MYR 5.06

$2.07 MX$36.24

-40.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 MYR 5.39

$2.17 MX$38.04

-39.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 MYR 4.07

$1.40 MX$24.54

-29.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 MYR 2.71

$1.07 MX$18.80

-38.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 MYR 17.09

$4.12 MX$72.0

1.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.95 MYR 69.3

$17.42 MX$305

-2.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 MYR 11.51

$1.68 MX$29.31

67.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 MYR 12.42

$3.65 MX$63.8

-16.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 MYR 2.96

$0.38 MX$6.65

89.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.74 MYR 48.00

$18.71 MX$327

-37.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 MYR 4.90

$1.33 MX$23.25

-9.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 MYR 4.20

$0.30 MX$5.30

243.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.88 MYR 24.04

$5.51 MX$96.4

6.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.50 MYR 2.06

$1.31 MX$22.84

-61.83%

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

$35.1K MYR 143.6K

$19.2K MX$335.3K

83.14%

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

$31.9K MYR 130.6K

$23.7K MX$415.4K

34.49%

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

$43.10 MYR 176

$41.14 MX$720

4.76%

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

$8.86 MYR 36.24

$27.74 MX$485

-68.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.05 MYR 119

$30.13 MX$527

-3.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 MYR 152

$53.7 MX$940

-31.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.04 MYR 24.69

$25.98 MX$454

-76.75%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MYR 20.38

$6.49 MX$114

-23.27%

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

$189 MYR 771

$437 MX$7,638

-56.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,901 MYR 28.2K

$10.5K MX$182.9K

-34.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.25 MYR 148

$58.3 MX$1,020

-37.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.85 MYR 159

$45.86 MX$802

-15.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.1 MYR 319

$101 MX$1,775

-23.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.1 MYR 229

$107 MX$1,863

-47.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$329 MYR 1,347

$1,005 MX$17.6K

-67.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$273 MYR 1,116

$634 MX$11.1K

-56.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$498 MYR 2,038

$2,148 MX$37.6K

-76.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$356 MYR 1,455

$1,247 MX$21.8K

-71.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,076 MYR 8,489

$3,859 MX$67.5K

-46.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,136 MYR 4,646

$2,085 MX$36.5K

-45.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$417 MYR 1,706

$1,072 MX$18.8K

-61.10%

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: July 19, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $329 in Sarawak and $1,005 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 157% 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 $240 vs $291 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 63% in total monthly costs ($910 vs $1,481 including rent). Sarawak is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 157% 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: $329 in Sarawak versus $1,005 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 59% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $189 in Sarawak versus $437 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $910 in Sarawak versus $1,481 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 63% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.