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: $927 in Setia Alam versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,385 in Setia Alam versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,842 in Setia Alam versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Setia Alam costs roughly 37% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Setia Alam is 31% below, Mexico City is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.59 MYR 18.31

$13.18 MX$228

-65.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.15 MYR 92.4

$53.9 MX$934

-57.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 MYR 19.32

$9.42 MX$163

-48.62%

Cappuccino

$3.13 MYR 12.50

$3.55 MX$61.5

-11.83%

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

$0.89 MYR 3.56

$1.62 MX$28.03

-45.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 MYR 1.47

$1.11 MX$19.31

-66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.26 MYR 16.99

$3.12 MX$54.1

36.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 MYR 22.91

$4.63 MX$80.2

23.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 MYR 7.16

$1.70 MX$29.48

5.88%

White Bread (500g)

$0.68 MYR 2.72

$2.72 MX$47.10

-75.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 MYR 3.91

$1.91 MX$33.13

-48.69%

Eggs

$1.73 MYR 6.91

$2.54 MX$43.94

-31.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.62 MYR 18.44

$10.03 MX$174

-53.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.92 MYR 15.63

$8.09 MX$140

-51.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.45 MYR 37.69

$11.62 MX$201

-18.67%

Apples (1kg)

$1.32 MYR 5.29

$2.97 MX$51.4

-55.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 MYR 6.34

$1.81 MX$31.30

-12.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.29 MYR 5.14

$2.01 MX$34.88

-35.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.43 MYR 5.71

$2.03 MX$35.26

-29.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 MYR 4.93

$2.12 MX$36.82

-41.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 MYR 5.07

$2.27 MX$39.32

-44.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 MYR 2.42

$1.40 MX$24.26

-56.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 MYR 2.24

$1.13 MX$19.59

-50.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.06 MYR 16.20

$4.27 MX$74.0

-4.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.94 MYR 79.6

$15.56 MX$270

28.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.23 MYR 12.90

$1.76 MX$30.44

83.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 MYR 17.05

$3.60 MX$62.3

18.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 MYR 2.89

$0.38 MX$6.64

92.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.93 MYR 47.61

$19.18 MX$332

-37.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 MYR 4.64

$1.38 MX$23.84

-15.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 MYR 4.54

$0.28 MX$4.79

307.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.62 MYR 18.42

$5.45 MX$94.4

-15.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.48 MYR 1.90

$1.30 MX$22.60

-63.08%

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

$39.3K MYR 156.9K

$18.7K MX$323.8K

110.37%

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

$32.2K MYR 128.6K

$23.1K MX$400.8K

39.30%

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

$58.1 MYR 232

$40.86 MX$708

42.07%

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

$10.59 MYR 42.26

$26.81 MX$465

-60.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.89 MYR 103

$29.96 MX$519

-13.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 MYR 223

$52.0 MX$901

7.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.35 MYR 9.37

$26.84 MX$465

-91.24%

Cinema Ticket

$5.11 MYR 20.39

$6.30 MX$109

-18.89%

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

$193 MYR 769

$436 MX$7,558

-55.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,575 MYR 38.2K

$10.4K MX$180.5K

-8.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.3 MYR 245

$56.7 MX$982

8.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.70 MYR 98.6

$44.38 MX$769

-44.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 MYR 337

$103 MX$1,784

-17.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.0 MYR 208

$106 MX$1,829

-50.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$496 MYR 1,979

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-51.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 MYR 1,233

$631 MX$10.9K

-51.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$815 MYR 3,252

$2,136 MX$37.0K

-61.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$524 MYR 2,091

$1,243 MX$21.5K

-57.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,965 MYR 7,840

$3,903 MX$67.6K

-49.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$991 MYR 3,955

$2,064 MX$35.8K

-51.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,180 MYR 4,708

$1,115 MX$19.3K

5.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.12

11.34

-63.67%

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

Last update for Setia Alam: June 2, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $496 in Setia Alam and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Setia Alam pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $23.00 in Setia Alam vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $288 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 58% in total monthly costs ($927 vs $1,467 including rent). Setia Alam is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Setia Alam pays 6% more on average, 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: $496 in Setia Alam 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 Setia Alam runs roughly 61% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $193 in Setia Alam versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $927 in Setia Alam versus $1,467 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 58% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.