Cost of Living Comparison Between Setia Alam and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Setia Alam and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $982 in Setia Alam versus $1,646 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,469 in Setia Alam versus $2,613 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,956 in Setia Alam versus $3,580 in Mexico City.

Living in Setia Alam costs roughly 40% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Setia Alam is 29% below, Mexico City is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.87 MYR 19.64

$12.11 MX$205

-59.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.49 MYR 98.8

$52.2 MX$883

-53.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.82 MYR 19.44

$10.90 MX$184

-55.78%

Cappuccino

$3.23 MYR 13.05

$4.05 MX$68.5

-20.25%

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

$0.79 MYR 3.20

$1.72 MX$29.00

-54.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 MYR 1.85

$1.38 MX$23.29

-66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.57 MYR 18.45

$3.47 MX$58.6

31.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.13 MYR 24.71

$5.81 MX$98.2

5.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MYR 7.45

$1.85 MX$31.33

White Bread (500g)

$0.77 MYR 3.10

$3.22 MX$54.5

-76.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.06 MYR 4.28

$2.09 MX$35.25

-49.28%

Eggs

$1.79 MYR 7.23

$2.91 MX$49.18

-38.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.06 MYR 20.42

$12.49 MX$211

-59.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.29 MYR 17.30

$10.11 MX$171

-57.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.65 MYR 38.94

$15.89 MX$269

-39.27%

Apples (1kg)

$1.38 MYR 5.56

$3.31 MX$56.0

-58.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 MYR 7.68

$2.13 MX$35.95

-10.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 MYR 5.53

$2.19 MX$37.03

-37.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 MYR 6.18

$2.45 MX$41.37

-37.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 MYR 5.61

$2.19 MX$37.00

-36.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 MYR 5.43

$1.90 MX$32.20

-28.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 MYR 2.56

$1.62 MX$27.31

-61.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 MYR 2.27

$1.35 MX$22.82

-58.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.34 MYR 17.52

$5.43 MX$91.7

-20.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.41 MYR 78.3

$17.59 MX$297

10.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.52 MYR 14.19

$2.07 MX$34.96

70.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MYR 19.59

$4.75 MX$80.2

2.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 MYR 2.86

$0.34 MX$5.75

108.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.15 MYR 49.01

$21.58 MX$365

-43.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 MYR 5.11

$2.04 MX$34.49

-37.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.27 MYR 5.11

$0.58 MX$9.77

118.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 MYR 20.11

$5.97 MX$101

-16.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.66 MYR 2.65

$1.62 MX$27.31

-59.26%

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

$41.6K MYR 168.0K

$22.8K MX$385.6K

82.53%

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

$34.8K MYR 140.5K

$26.7K MX$450.7K

30.68%

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

$63.0 MYR 254

$65.2 MX$1,103

-3.39%

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

$9.14 MYR 36.86

$29.87 MX$505

-69.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.57 MYR 107

$36.55 MX$618

-27.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 MYR 231

$61.0 MX$1,031

-6.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.53 MYR 26.33

$26.70 MX$451

-75.54%

Cinema Ticket

$5.31 MYR 21.42

$6.85 MX$116

-22.48%

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

$176 MYR 711

$453 MX$7,664

-61.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K MYR 44.9K

$13.4K MX$226.0K

-16.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.6 MYR 297

$75.0 MX$1,267

-1.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.69 MYR 104

$55.3 MX$935

-53.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.0 MYR 367

$114 MX$1,920

-19.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.4 MYR 223

$123 MX$2,073

-54.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$536 MYR 2,163

$1,134 MX$19.2K

-52.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$316 MYR 1,277

$712 MX$12.0K

-55.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$873 MYR 3,521

$2,571 MX$43.5K

-66.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$550 MYR 2,219

$1,311 MX$22.2K

-58.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,066 MYR 8,335

$3,993 MX$67.5K

-48.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,112 MYR 4,487

$2,095 MX$35.4K

-46.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,151 MYR 4,643

$1,047 MX$17.7K

9.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.12

11.3

-63.54%

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

Last update for Setia Alam: August 30, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $536 in Setia Alam and $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Setia Alam pays 10% 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 Setia Alam vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $217 vs $345 per month, with Setia Alam 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

Setia Alam vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Setia Alam and Mexico City differ by about 68% in total monthly costs ($982 vs $1,646 including rent). Setia Alam is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 10% higher in Setia Alam, 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: $536 in Setia Alam 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 Setia Alam runs roughly 78% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $176 in Setia Alam versus $453 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $982 in Setia Alam versus $1,646 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Setia Alam but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Setia Alam 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, Setia Alam 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 Setia Alam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.