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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $958 in Shah Alam versus $1,646 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,436 in Shah Alam versus $2,613 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,913 in Shah Alam versus $3,580 in Mexico City.

Living in Shah Alam costs roughly 42% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Shah Alam is 30% below, Mexico City is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.82 MYR 15.42

$12.11 MX$205

-68.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.79 MYR 79.8

$52.2 MX$883

-62.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.15 MYR 16.74

$10.90 MX$184

-61.93%

Cappuccino

$2.94 MYR 11.87

$4.05 MX$68.5

-27.41%

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

$0.77 MYR 3.10

$1.72 MX$29.00

-55.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 MYR 1.53

$1.38 MX$23.29

-72.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 MYR 13.84

$3.47 MX$58.6

-1.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 MYR 18.51

$5.81 MX$98.2

-21.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 MYR 7.56

$1.85 MX$31.33

1.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 MYR 4.32

$3.22 MX$54.5

-66.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MYR 5.80

$2.09 MX$35.25

-31.10%

Eggs

$2.13 MYR 8.59

$2.91 MX$49.18

-26.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 MYR 53.5

$12.49 MX$211

6.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.33 MYR 17.48

$10.11 MX$171

-57.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.79 MYR 39.51

$15.89 MX$269

-38.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 MYR 13.88

$3.31 MX$56.0

3.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 MYR 6.87

$2.13 MX$35.95

-20.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.76 MYR 11.15

$2.19 MX$37.03

26.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 MYR 7.38

$2.45 MX$41.37

-25.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 MYR 5.05

$2.19 MX$37.00

-42.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 MYR 8.36

$1.90 MX$32.20

8.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 MYR 5.92

$1.62 MX$27.31

-9.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 MYR 2.31

$1.35 MX$22.82

-57.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MYR 16.96

$5.43 MX$91.7

-22.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.08 MYR 77.0

$17.59 MX$297

8.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 MYR 11.24

$2.07 MX$34.96

34.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 MYR 18.04

$4.75 MX$80.2

-5.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 MYR 3.09

$0.34 MX$5.75

126.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.34 MYR 65.9

$21.58 MX$365

-24.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 MYR 5.15

$2.04 MX$34.49

-37.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 MYR 1.57

$0.58 MX$9.77

-32.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.56 MYR 30.50

$5.97 MX$101

26.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.75 MYR 3.02

$1.62 MX$27.31

-53.70%

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

$42.1K MYR 170.0K

$22.8K MX$385.6K

84.71%

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

$35.5K MYR 143.3K

$26.7K MX$450.7K

33.21%

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

$38.25 MYR 154

$65.2 MX$1,103

-41.37%

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

$9.86 MYR 39.79

$29.87 MX$505

-66.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MYR 121

$36.55 MX$618

-18.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.58 MYR 160

$61.0 MX$1,031

-35.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.02 MYR 20.25

$26.70 MX$451

-81.20%

Cinema Ticket

$6.68 MYR 26.94

$6.85 MX$116

-2.48%

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

$202 MYR 814

$453 MX$7,664

-55.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,569 MYR 18.4K

$13.4K MX$226.0K

-65.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.4 MYR 236

$75.0 MX$1,267

-22.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.95 MYR 161

$55.3 MX$935

-27.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.5 MYR 276

$114 MX$1,920

-39.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.8 MYR 286

$123 MX$2,073

-42.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$350 MYR 1,412

$1,134 MX$19.2K

-69.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$311 MYR 1,255

$712 MX$12.0K

-56.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$567 MYR 2,288

$2,571 MX$43.5K

-77.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$555 MYR 2,241

$1,311 MX$22.2K

-57.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,489 MYR 6,007

$3,993 MX$67.5K

-62.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,181 MYR 4,764

$2,095 MX$35.4K

-43.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,238 MYR 4,994

$1,047 MX$17.7K

18.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.24

11.3

-62.48%

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

Last update for Shah Alam: August 29, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $350 in Shah Alam and $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shah Alam pays 18% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $20.00 in Shah Alam vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $264 vs $345 per month, with Shah 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

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

Shah Alam and Mexico City differ by about 72% in total monthly costs ($958 vs $1,646 including rent). Shah Alam is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 18% higher in Shah 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: $350 in Shah 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 Shah Alam runs roughly 32% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $202 in Shah Alam versus $453 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $958 in Shah Alam versus $1,646 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Shah Alam but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Shah 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, Shah 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 Shah Alam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 72% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.