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: $1,008 in Selangor versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,449 in Selangor versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,890 in Selangor versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Selangor costs roughly 31% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Selangor is 25% below, Mexico City is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.56 MYR 10.16

$13.18 MX$228

-80.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.14 MYR 91.7

$53.9 MX$932

-57.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.74 MYR 14.84

$9.42 MX$163

-60.30%

Cappuccino

$2.23 MYR 8.83

$3.55 MX$61.4

-37.18%

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

$0.77 MYR 3.06

$1.62 MX$27.98

-52.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 MYR 1.32

$1.11 MX$19.27

-70.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.19 MYR 16.62

$3.12 MX$54.0

34.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.33 MYR 21.15

$4.63 MX$80.1

15.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 MYR 7.26

$1.70 MX$29.43

7.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 MYR 4.00

$2.72 MX$47.02

-62.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 MYR 5.74

$1.91 MX$33.07

-24.08%

Eggs

$1.83 MYR 7.24

$2.54 MX$43.86

-27.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.43 MYR 57.2

$10.03 MX$174

43.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.66 MYR 18.46

$8.09 MX$140

-42.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.83 MYR 38.98

$11.62 MX$201

-15.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 MYR 11.37

$2.97 MX$51.3

-3.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 MYR 6.52

$1.81 MX$31.24

-9.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 MYR 10.65

$2.01 MX$34.82

33.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 MYR 5.98

$2.03 MX$35.20

-25.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 MYR 5.03

$2.12 MX$36.75

-40.09%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 MYR 3.93

$2.27 MX$39.25

-56.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MYR 4.28

$1.40 MX$24.22

-22.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MYR 2.15

$1.13 MX$19.55

-52.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.32 MYR 17.12

$4.27 MX$73.9

1.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.54 MYR 77.5

$15.56 MX$269

25.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.37 MYR 13.35

$1.76 MX$30.39

91.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.26 MYR 16.88

$3.60 MX$62.2

18.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 MYR 2.94

$0.38 MX$6.62

94.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.61 MYR 46.04

$19.18 MX$332

-39.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 MYR 4.79

$1.38 MX$23.79

-12.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 MYR 4.38

$0.28 MX$4.78

292.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 MYR 17.39

$5.45 MX$94.2

-19.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.46 MYR 1.84

$1.30 MX$22.55

-64.62%

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

$39.3K MYR 155.8K

$18.7K MX$323.2K

110.30%

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

$31.9K MYR 126.5K

$23.1K MX$400.1K

37.93%

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

$65.4 MYR 259

$40.86 MX$707

60.11%

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

$9.48 MYR 37.59

$26.81 MX$464

-64.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.69 MYR 102

$29.96 MX$518

-14.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.55 MYR 153

$52.0 MX$900

-25.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.29 MYR 28.90

$26.84 MX$464

-72.84%

Cinema Ticket

$5.20 MYR 20.62

$6.30 MX$109

-17.46%

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

$117 MYR 462

$436 MX$7,544

-73.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,384 MYR 17.4K

$10.4K MX$180.2K

-57.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.8 MYR 237

$56.7 MX$980

5.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.96 MYR 147

$44.38 MX$768

-16.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.1 MYR 298

$103 MX$1,780

-27.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 MYR 313

$106 MX$1,825

-25.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$441 MYR 1,749

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-56.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$348 MYR 1,379

$631 MX$10.9K

-44.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 MYR 3,365

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-60.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$472 MYR 1,871

$1,243 MX$21.5K

-62.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,659 MYR 6,577

$3,903 MX$67.5K

-57.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$726 MYR 2,878

$2,064 MX$35.7K

-64.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,004 MYR 3,980

$1,115 MX$19.3K

-9.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.96

11.34

-65.08%

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

Last update for Selangor: June 2, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $441 in Selangor and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 11% 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: $23.00 in Selangor vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $261 vs $288 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 46% in total monthly costs ($1,008 vs $1,467 including rent). Selangor is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Mexico City earns 11% 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: $441 in Selangor versus $1,022 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 65% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $117 in Selangor versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,008 in Selangor versus $1,467 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 46% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.