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: $999 in Selangor versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,432 in Selangor versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,865 in Selangor versus $3,266 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 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.55 MYR 10.42

$13.07 MX$229

-80.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.88 MYR 97.7

$53.8 MX$943

-55.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.73 MYR 15.26

$9.68 MX$170

-61.47%

Cappuccino

$2.30 MYR 9.40

$3.74 MX$65.6

-38.50%

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

$0.77 MYR 3.17

$1.62 MX$28.34

-52.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 MYR 1.48

$1.16 MX$20.37

-68.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.22 MYR 17.27

$3.23 MX$56.6

30.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.38 MYR 22.00

$4.74 MX$83.1

13.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 MYR 7.39

$1.65 MX$28.89

9.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 MYR 4.15

$2.75 MX$48.30

-63.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 MYR 6.12

$1.87 MX$32.87

-19.79%

Eggs

$1.88 MYR 7.70

$2.50 MX$43.86

-24.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.38 MYR 58.8

$10.20 MX$179

40.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.68 MYR 19.14

$8.25 MX$145

-43.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.88 MYR 40.41

$11.82 MX$207

-16.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.00 MYR 12.27

$3.01 MX$52.8

-0.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 MYR 6.40

$1.81 MX$31.77

-13.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.73 MYR 11.18

$2.00 MX$35.07

36.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.45 MYR 5.94

$2.00 MX$35.00

-27.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 MYR 5.22

$2.08 MX$36.56

-38.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 MYR 4.11

$2.27 MX$39.85

-55.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 MYR 4.63

$1.46 MX$25.55

-22.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 MYR 2.10

$1.08 MX$18.88

-52.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 MYR 17.71

$4.35 MX$76.3

-0.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.24 MYR 78.7

$16.99 MX$298

13.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.35 MYR 13.68

$1.73 MX$30.40

93.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.26 MYR 17.41

$3.58 MX$62.7

18.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 MYR 2.80

$0.39 MX$6.79

74.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.85 MYR 48.46

$18.69 MX$328

-36.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 MYR 4.75

$1.33 MX$23.25

-12.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 MYR 4.51

$0.28 MX$4.91

292.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.35 MYR 17.77

$5.25 MX$92.1

-17.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.50 MYR 2.05

$1.34 MX$23.44

-62.69%

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

$40.5K MYR 165.5K

$19.4K MX$340.5K

108.42%

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

$30.8K MYR 125.9K

$23.8K MX$418.0K

29.16%

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

$64.9 MYR 265

$40.69 MX$714

59.45%

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

$9.99 MYR 40.88

$26.87 MX$471

-62.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.88 MYR 106

$30.51 MX$535

-15.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.38 MYR 157

$52.8 MX$926

-27.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.27 MYR 29.74

$26.65 MX$467

-72.72%

Cinema Ticket

$5.17 MYR 21.13

$6.51 MX$114

-20.58%

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

$116 MYR 476

$428 MX$7,508

-72.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,342 MYR 17.8K

$10.5K MX$184.2K

-58.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.9 MYR 249

$57.3 MX$1,004

6.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.78 MYR 150

$45.50 MX$798

-19.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.9 MYR 306

$104 MX$1,825

-27.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 MYR 322

$108 MX$1,891

-26.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$449 MYR 1,838

$1,003 MX$17.6K

-55.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$351 MYR 1,437

$623 MX$10.9K

-43.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$834 MYR 3,413

$2,109 MX$37.0K

-60.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$472 MYR 1,930

$1,218 MX$21.4K

-61.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,583 MYR 6,473

$3,885 MX$68.1K

-59.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$707 MYR 2,891

$2,033 MX$35.7K

-65.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,047 MYR 4,284

$1,038 MX$18.2K

0.92%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $449 in Selangor and $1,003 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: $24.00 in Selangor vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $261 vs $292 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 ($999 vs $1,456 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: $449 in Selangor versus $1,003 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 58% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $116 in Selangor versus $428 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $999 in Selangor versus $1,456 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.