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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,029 in Selangor versus $1,646 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,494 in Selangor versus $2,613 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,960 in Selangor versus $3,580 in Mexico City.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Selangor is 25% below, Mexico City is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 MYR 17.76

$12.11 MX$206

-63.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.22 MYR 81.8

$52.2 MX$887

-61.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.06 MYR 16.43

$10.90 MX$185

-62.75%

Cappuccino

$2.24 MYR 9.06

$4.05 MX$68.8

-44.69%

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

$0.84 MYR 3.41

$1.72 MX$29.13

-51.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 MYR 1.73

$1.38 MX$23.40

-68.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.50 MYR 18.19

$3.47 MX$58.9

29.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.97 MYR 20.09

$5.81 MX$98.7

-14.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MYR 7.62

$1.85 MX$31.48

1.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 MYR 4.49

$3.22 MX$54.7

-65.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 MYR 6.02

$2.09 MX$35.42

-28.71%

Eggs

$2.01 MYR 8.14

$2.91 MX$49.41

-30.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.12 MYR 65.2

$12.49 MX$212

29.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.89 MYR 19.79

$10.11 MX$172

-51.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.92 MYR 40.10

$15.89 MX$270

-37.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 MYR 13.58

$3.31 MX$56.3

1.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 MYR 7.45

$2.13 MX$36.12

-13.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.35 MYR 9.51

$2.19 MX$37.20

7.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 MYR 6.69

$2.45 MX$41.57

-32.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.34 MYR 5.41

$2.19 MX$37.18

-38.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 MYR 4.24

$1.90 MX$32.35

-44.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 MYR 4.74

$1.62 MX$27.44

-27.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 MYR 2.36

$1.35 MX$22.92

-57.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.57 MYR 18.46

$5.43 MX$92.1

-15.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.08 MYR 77.2

$17.59 MX$299

8.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.39 MYR 13.69

$2.07 MX$35.12

63.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 MYR 20.49

$4.75 MX$80.6

6.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 MYR 5.07

$0.34 MX$5.77

267.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.60 MYR 50.9

$21.58 MX$366

-41.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 MYR 4.95

$2.04 MX$34.65

-40.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 MYR 5.10

$0.58 MX$9.82

117.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.47 MYR 18.05

$5.97 MX$101

-25.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.69 MYR 2.77

$1.62 MX$27.44

-57.41%

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

$42.9K MYR 173.5K

$22.8K MX$387.4K

88.12%

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

$35.5K MYR 143.5K

$26.7K MX$452.8K

33.12%

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

$65.6 MYR 265

$65.2 MX$1,108

0.48%

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

$9.42 MYR 38.10

$29.87 MX$507

-68.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.41 MYR 107

$36.55 MX$621

-27.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.52 MYR 164

$61.0 MX$1,036

-33.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.09 MYR 28.68

$26.70 MX$453

-73.45%

Cinema Ticket

$5.43 MYR 21.96

$6.85 MX$116

-20.73%

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

$123 MYR 499

$453 MX$7,700

-72.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,417 MYR 30.0K

$13.4K MX$227.1K

-44.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.3 MYR 288

$75.0 MX$1,273

-4.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.00 MYR 174

$55.3 MX$939

-22.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.0 MYR 319

$114 MX$1,929

-30.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 MYR 333

$123 MX$2,083

-32.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$509 MYR 2,057

$1,134 MX$19.3K

-55.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$348 MYR 1,405

$712 MX$12.1K

-51.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$911 MYR 3,685

$2,571 MX$43.7K

-64.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$489 MYR 1,977

$1,311 MX$22.3K

-62.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,618 MYR 6,540

$3,993 MX$67.8K

-59.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$711 MYR 2,874

$2,095 MX$35.6K

-66.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,060 MYR 4,285

$1,047 MX$17.8K

1.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.96

11.3

-64.96%

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

Last update for Selangor: August 30, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $509 in Selangor and $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Selangor pays 1% 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 Selangor vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $345 per month, with Selangor 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

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

Selangor and Mexico City differ by about 60% in total monthly costs ($1,029 vs $1,646 including rent). Selangor is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1% higher in Selangor, 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: $509 in Selangor versus $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Selangor runs roughly 71% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $123 in Selangor versus $453 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,029 in Selangor versus $1,646 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Selangor but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Selangor 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, Selangor 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 Selangor gentler on the wallet – expenses run 60% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.