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: $873 in Shah Alam versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,333 in Shah Alam versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,793 in Shah Alam versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

Living in Shah Alam costs roughly 40% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Shah Alam is 35% below, Mexico City is 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.97 MYR 12.16

$13.07 MX$228

-77.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.70 MYR 76.5

$53.8 MX$936

-65.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.13 MYR 16.90

$9.68 MX$169

-57.33%

Cappuccino

$2.73 MYR 11.15

$3.74 MX$65.1

-27.01%

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

$0.72 MYR 2.93

$1.62 MX$28.13

-55.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 MYR 1.49

$1.16 MX$20.23

-68.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 MYR 14.70

$3.23 MX$56.2

11.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.31 MYR 17.62

$4.74 MX$82.5

-9.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 MYR 7.38

$1.65 MX$28.68

9.09%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 MYR 4.06

$2.75 MX$47.95

-64.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 MYR 6.10

$1.87 MX$32.63

-20.32%

Eggs

$2.03 MYR 8.29

$2.50 MX$43.54

-18.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.35 MYR 58.7

$10.20 MX$178

40.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.07 MYR 20.73

$8.25 MX$144

-38.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.92 MYR 32.41

$11.82 MX$206

-32.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.80 MYR 11.45

$3.01 MX$52.4

-6.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MYR 6.13

$1.81 MX$31.54

-17.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MYR 10.43

$2.00 MX$34.81

27.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.24 MYR 5.09

$2.00 MX$34.74

-38.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 MYR 4.61

$2.08 MX$36.30

-45.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 MYR 5.49

$2.27 MX$39.56

-40.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 MYR 3.73

$1.46 MX$25.36

-37.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 MYR 2.13

$1.08 MX$18.74

-51.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.13 MYR 16.88

$4.35 MX$75.7

-5.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 MYR 76.1

$16.99 MX$296

9.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 MYR 10.86

$1.73 MX$30.18

53.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 MYR 16.36

$3.58 MX$62.3

11.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 MYR 3.03

$0.39 MX$6.74

89.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.20 MYR 62.2

$18.69 MX$325

-18.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.95 MYR 3.90

$1.33 MX$23.08

-28.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.54 MYR 2.20

$0.28 MX$4.87

92.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.21 MYR 29.47

$5.25 MX$91.5

37.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.49 MYR 2.01

$1.34 MX$23.27

-63.43%

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

$33.6K MYR 137.6K

$19.4K MX$338.0K

73.27%

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

$27.4K MYR 112.2K

$23.8K MX$415.0K

15.06%

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

$41.19 MYR 168

$40.69 MX$709

1.23%

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

$10.07 MYR 41.20

$26.87 MX$468

-62.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.14 MYR 123

$30.51 MX$531

-1.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.85 MYR 159

$52.8 MX$919

-26.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.82 MYR 23.81

$26.65 MX$464

-78.16%

Cinema Ticket

$6.37 MYR 26.04

$6.51 MX$113

-2.15%

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

$210 MYR 861

$428 MX$7,454

-50.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,234 MYR 25.5K

$10.5K MX$182.8K

-40.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.0 MYR 205

$57.3 MX$997

-12.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.92 MYR 143

$45.50 MX$792

-23.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.0 MYR 249

$104 MX$1,812

-41.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.48 MYR 202

$108 MX$1,878

-54.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$372 MYR 1,521

$1,003 MX$17.5K

-62.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$266 MYR 1,087

$623 MX$10.8K

-57.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$586 MYR 2,398

$2,109 MX$36.7K

-72.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 MYR 1,970

$1,218 MX$21.2K

-60.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,505 MYR 6,155

$3,885 MX$67.6K

-61.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,208 MYR 4,942

$2,033 MX$35.4K

-40.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,252 MYR 5,120

$1,038 MX$18.1K

20.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.16

11.34

-63.32%

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

Last update for Shah Alam: July 13, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $372 in Shah Alam and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shah Alam pays 21% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $19.00 in Shah Alam vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $248 vs $292 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 67% in total monthly costs ($873 vs $1,456 including rent). Shah Alam is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 21% 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: $372 in Shah 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 Shah Alam runs roughly 23% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $210 in Shah Alam versus $428 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $873 in Shah Alam versus $1,456 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 67% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.