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: $857 in Shah Alam versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,310 in Shah Alam versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,763 in Shah Alam versus $3,274 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 36% below, Mexico City is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.02 MYR 11.97

$13.18 MX$228

-77.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.93 MYR 75.1

$53.9 MX$932

-64.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.13 MYR 16.37

$9.42 MX$163

-56.16%

Cappuccino

$2.73 MYR 10.81

$3.55 MX$61.4

-23.10%

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

$0.72 MYR 2.87

$1.62 MX$27.98

-55.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 MYR 1.46

$1.11 MX$19.27

-66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.44 MYR 13.63

$3.12 MX$54.0

10.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 MYR 17.57

$4.63 MX$80.1

-4.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MYR 7.45

$1.70 MX$29.43

10.59%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 MYR 3.74

$2.72 MX$47.02

-65.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 MYR 5.95

$1.91 MX$33.07

-21.47%

Eggs

$2.06 MYR 8.16

$2.54 MX$43.86

-18.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.26 MYR 56.6

$10.03 MX$174

42.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.94 MYR 19.60

$8.09 MX$140

-38.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.09 MYR 32.06

$11.62 MX$201

-30.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 MYR 11.20

$2.97 MX$51.3

-4.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MYR 5.77

$1.81 MX$31.24

-19.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.58 MYR 10.22

$2.01 MX$34.82

28.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.21 MYR 4.82

$2.03 MX$35.20

-40.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 MYR 4.67

$2.12 MX$36.75

-44.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 MYR 5.55

$2.27 MX$39.25

-38.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 MYR 3.53

$1.40 MX$24.22

-36.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 MYR 2.25

$1.13 MX$19.55

-49.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.17 MYR 16.52

$4.27 MX$73.9

-2.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.18 MYR 76.1

$15.56 MX$269

23.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 MYR 10.51

$1.76 MX$30.39

50.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 MYR 15.12

$3.60 MX$62.2

5.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 MYR 2.75

$0.38 MX$6.62

81.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.28 MYR 60.6

$19.18 MX$332

-20.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.96 MYR 3.79

$1.38 MX$23.79

-30.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.54 MYR 2.16

$0.28 MX$4.78

92.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.13 MYR 28.27

$5.45 MX$94.2

30.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.46 MYR 1.83

$1.30 MX$22.55

-64.62%

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

$33.5K MYR 132.8K

$18.7K MX$323.2K

79.26%

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

$27.7K MYR 109.9K

$23.1K MX$400.1K

19.78%

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

$41.35 MYR 164

$40.86 MX$707

1.20%

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

$10.16 MYR 40.27

$26.81 MX$464

-62.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.62 MYR 121

$29.96 MX$518

2.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.96 MYR 154

$52.0 MX$900

-25.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.98 MYR 23.72

$26.84 MX$464

-77.72%

Cinema Ticket

$6.36 MYR 25.23

$6.30 MX$109

0.95%

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

$213 MYR 844

$436 MX$7,544

-51.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,253 MYR 24.8K

$10.4K MX$180.2K

-39.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.63 MYR 197

$56.7 MX$980

-12.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.84 MYR 138

$44.38 MX$768

-21.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.3 MYR 243

$103 MX$1,780

-40.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.83 MYR 194

$106 MX$1,825

-53.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$372 MYR 1,475

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-63.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$266 MYR 1,054

$631 MX$10.9K

-57.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$576 MYR 2,285

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-73.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$481 MYR 1,907

$1,243 MX$21.5K

-61.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,553 MYR 6,156

$3,903 MX$67.5K

-60.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 MYR 4,850

$2,064 MX$35.7K

-40.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,263 MYR 5,008

$1,115 MX$19.3K

13.27%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $372 in Shah Alam and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shah Alam pays 13% 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 $249 vs $288 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 71% in total monthly costs ($857 vs $1,467 including rent). Shah Alam is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Shah Alam pays 13% 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: $372 in Shah 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 Shah Alam runs roughly 26% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $213 in Shah Alam versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $857 in Shah Alam versus $1,467 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 71% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.