Cost of Living Comparison Between Sibu and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Sibu and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $802 in Sibu versus $1,472 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,227 in Sibu versus $2,359 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,652 in Sibu versus $3,245 in Mexico City.

Living in Sibu costs roughly 45% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sibu is 40% below, Mexico City is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.16 MYR 8.84

$13.14 MX$229

-83.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$8.61 MYR 35.20

$53.5 MX$934

-83.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.18 MYR 17.10

$9.33 MX$163

-55.20%

Cappuccino

$2.08 MYR 8.50

$3.70 MX$64.5

-43.78%

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

$0.63 MYR 2.59

$1.60 MX$27.98

-60.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 MYR 0.93

$1.12 MX$19.49

-79.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.85 MYR 11.65

$3.14 MX$54.7

-9.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.08 MYR 20.77

$4.85 MX$84.5

4.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 MYR 5.67

$1.65 MX$28.84

-15.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 MYR 5.53

$2.71 MX$47.34

-50.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 MYR 4.70

$1.91 MX$33.29

-39.79%

Eggs

$1.53 MYR 6.24

$2.59 MX$45.17

-40.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.98 MYR 61.2

$9.81 MX$171

52.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.67 MYR 19.07

$8.43 MX$147

-44.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.98 MYR 24.42

$11.93 MX$208

-49.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.99 MYR 12.20

$2.95 MX$51.5

1.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 MYR 4.75

$1.74 MX$30.35

-33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 MYR 7.87

$2.04 MX$35.66

-5.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.50 MYR 14.29

$2.06 MX$35.93

69.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 MYR 4.86

$2.15 MX$37.49

-44.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 MYR 9.54

$2.26 MX$39.33

3.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 MYR 4.28

$1.39 MX$24.17

-24.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MYR 4.89

$1.12 MX$19.47

7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.06 MYR 16.58

$4.22 MX$73.6

-3.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.77 MYR 80.8

$17.51 MX$305

12.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MYR 5.00

$1.71 MX$29.82

-28.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 MYR 15.96

$3.63 MX$63.4

7.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 MYR 2.96

$0.35 MX$6.15

105.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.95 MYR 48.84

$19.32 MX$337

-38.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 MYR 4.94

$1.38 MX$24.00

-12.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 MYR 4.06

$0.28 MX$4.81

253.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.80 MYR 23.70

$5.28 MX$92.0

9.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.47 MYR 1.90

$1.36 MX$23.69

-65.44%

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

$35.5K MYR 145.1K

$19.1K MX$333.2K

85.84%

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

$31.8K MYR 129.9K

$23.6K MX$411.7K

34.59%

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

$42.92 MYR 175

$40.53 MX$707

5.90%

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

$5.16 MYR 21.11

$27.38 MX$478

-81.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.36 MYR 75.1

$30.38 MX$530

-39.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.98 MYR 93.9

$52.2 MX$911

-55.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.80 MYR 23.69

$26.48 MX$462

-78.10%

Cinema Ticket

$3.22 MYR 13.17

$6.19 MX$108

-47.98%

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

$185 MYR 756

$425 MX$7,414

-56.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,983 MYR 28.5K

$10.7K MX$187.2K

-34.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.4 MYR 247

$58.3 MX$1,017

3.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.03 MYR 110

$44.57 MX$777

-39.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.7 MYR 293

$103 MX$1,805

-30.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.94 MYR 204

$109 MX$1,897

-54.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$392 MYR 1,603

$1,014 MX$17.7K

-61.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$269 MYR 1,097

$623 MX$10.9K

-56.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$653 MYR 2,670

$2,119 MX$37.0K

-69.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MYR 1,899

$1,223 MX$21.3K

-62.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,325 MYR 9,502

$3,792 MX$66.1K

-38.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,259 MYR 5,145

$2,110 MX$36.8K

-40.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$489 MYR 1,998

$1,052 MX$18.4K

-53.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.25

11.34

-62.52%

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

Last update for Sibu: July 28, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $392 in Sibu and $1,014 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 115% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $9.00 in Sibu vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $293 per month, with Sibu 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

Sibu vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sibu and Mexico City differ by about 83% in total monthly costs ($802 vs $1,472 including rent). Sibu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 115% lower in Mexico City. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $392 in Sibu versus $1,014 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Sibu runs roughly 62% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $185 in Sibu versus $425 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $802 in Sibu versus $1,472 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sibu but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Sibu 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, Sibu 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 Sibu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 83% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.