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: $918 in Setia Alam versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Setia Alam versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,872 in Setia Alam versus $3,266 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 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 MYR 18.74

$13.07 MX$228

-64.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.80 MYR 97.4

$53.8 MX$936

-55.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.68 MYR 19.15

$9.68 MX$169

-51.65%

Cappuccino

$2.98 MYR 12.20

$3.74 MX$65.1

-20.32%

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

$0.84 MYR 3.42

$1.62 MX$28.13

-48.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 MYR 1.50

$1.16 MX$20.23

-68.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.33 MYR 17.70

$3.23 MX$56.2

34.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.02 MYR 24.63

$4.74 MX$82.5

27.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 MYR 7.15

$1.65 MX$28.68

6.06%

White Bread (500g)

$0.70 MYR 2.86

$2.75 MX$47.95

-74.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 MYR 4.02

$1.87 MX$32.63

-47.59%

Eggs

$1.65 MYR 6.75

$2.50 MX$43.54

-34.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.78 MYR 19.56

$10.20 MX$178

-53.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.99 MYR 16.33

$8.25 MX$144

-51.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.52 MYR 38.95

$11.82 MX$206

-19.46%

Apples (1kg)

$1.33 MYR 5.44

$3.01 MX$52.4

-55.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MYR 6.42

$1.81 MX$31.54

-13.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.34 MYR 5.46

$2.00 MX$34.81

-33.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.39 MYR 5.68

$2.00 MX$34.74

-30.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 MYR 5.00

$2.08 MX$36.30

-41.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 MYR 5.42

$2.27 MX$39.56

-41.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 MYR 2.34

$1.46 MX$25.36

-60.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 MYR 2.17

$1.08 MX$18.74

-50.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.21 MYR 17.23

$4.35 MX$75.7

-3.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.11 MYR 78.2

$16.99 MX$296

12.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.21 MYR 13.14

$1.73 MX$30.18

85.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.21 MYR 17.24

$3.58 MX$62.3

17.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 MYR 2.98

$0.39 MX$6.74

87.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 MYR 47.92

$18.69 MX$325

-37.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 MYR 4.78

$1.33 MX$23.08

-12.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 MYR 4.51

$0.28 MX$4.87

292.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.62 MYR 18.89

$5.25 MX$91.5

-12.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.50 MYR 2.05

$1.34 MX$23.27

-62.69%

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

$40.6K MYR 166.0K

$19.4K MX$338.0K

109.11%

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

$32.2K MYR 131.6K

$23.8K MX$415.0K

35.05%

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

$59.1 MYR 242

$40.69 MX$709

45.17%

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

$10.73 MYR 43.87

$26.87 MX$468

-60.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.60 MYR 105

$30.51 MX$531

-16.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.8 MYR 224

$52.8 MX$919

3.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.38 MYR 9.73

$26.65 MX$464

-91.07%

Cinema Ticket

$5.04 MYR 20.62

$6.51 MX$113

-22.58%

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

$196 MYR 800

$428 MX$7,454

-54.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,524 MYR 39.0K

$10.5K MX$182.8K

-9.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 MYR 244

$57.3 MX$997

4.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.82 MYR 102

$45.50 MX$792

-45.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 MYR 352

$104 MX$1,812

-17.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.8 MYR 220

$108 MX$1,878

-50.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$495 MYR 2,026

$1,003 MX$17.5K

-50.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 MYR 1,247

$623 MX$10.8K

-51.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 MYR 3,422

$2,109 MX$36.7K

-60.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$534 MYR 2,185

$1,218 MX$21.2K

-56.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,029 MYR 8,300

$3,885 MX$67.6K

-47.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,175 MYR 4,806

$2,033 MX$35.4K

-42.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,149 MYR 4,698

$1,038 MX$18.1K

10.68%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $495 in Setia Alam and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Setia Alam pays 11% 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 $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $204 vs $292 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 59% in total monthly costs ($918 vs $1,456 including rent). Setia Alam is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 11% 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: $495 in Setia Alam 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 Setia Alam runs roughly 59% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $196 in Setia Alam versus $428 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $918 in Setia Alam versus $1,456 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 59% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.