Cost of Living Comparison Between Subang Jaya and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Subang Jaya and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $948 in Subang Jaya versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,368 in Subang Jaya versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,787 in Subang Jaya versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Subang Jaya costs roughly 35% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Subang Jaya is 29% below, Mexico City is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.60 MYR 14.27

$13.18 MX$228

-72.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.64 MYR 73.9

$53.9 MX$932

-65.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.63 MYR 18.37

$9.42 MX$163

-50.85%

Cappuccino

$2.96 MYR 11.75

$3.55 MX$61.4

-16.62%

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

$0.80 MYR 3.18

$1.62 MX$27.98

-50.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 MYR 1.80

$1.11 MX$19.27

-59.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.64 MYR 18.38

$3.12 MX$54.0

48.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.61 MYR 26.22

$4.63 MX$80.1

42.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 MYR 7.09

$1.70 MX$29.43

5.29%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 MYR 3.72

$2.72 MX$47.02

-65.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MYR 5.70

$1.91 MX$33.07

-24.61%

Eggs

$2.09 MYR 8.30

$2.54 MX$43.86

-17.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.83 MYR 58.8

$10.03 MX$174

47.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.66 MYR 18.50

$8.09 MX$140

-42.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.04 MYR 39.82

$11.62 MX$201

-13.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.99 MYR 11.87

$2.97 MX$51.3

0.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 MYR 5.15

$1.81 MX$31.24

-28.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.63 MYR 10.43

$2.01 MX$34.82

30.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 MYR 6.05

$2.03 MX$35.20

-24.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 MYR 4.87

$2.12 MX$36.75

-41.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 MYR 5.50

$2.27 MX$39.25

-38.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 MYR 4.64

$1.40 MX$24.22

-16.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 MYR 2.10

$1.13 MX$19.55

-53.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 MYR 16.75

$4.27 MX$73.9

-0.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.44 MYR 77.1

$15.56 MX$269

24.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 MYR 11.05

$1.76 MX$30.39

58.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 MYR 11.75

$3.60 MX$62.2

-17.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 MYR 1.00

$0.38 MX$6.62

-34.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.52 MYR 69.5

$19.18 MX$332

-8.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 MYR 4.76

$1.38 MX$23.79

-13.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.51 MYR 2.00

$0.28 MX$4.78

82.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.69 MYR 18.60

$5.45 MX$94.2

-13.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.47 MYR 1.86

$1.30 MX$22.55

-63.85%

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

$35.3K MYR 140.0K

$18.7K MX$323.2K

88.93%

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

$33.4K MYR 132.5K

$23.1K MX$400.1K

44.50%

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

$45.16 MYR 179

$40.86 MX$707

10.52%

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

$11.51 MYR 45.64

$26.81 MX$464

-57.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.09 MYR 119

$29.96 MX$518

0.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.41 MYR 92.8

$52.0 MX$900

-55.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.41 MYR 9.54

$26.84 MX$464

-91.02%

Cinema Ticket

$4.81 MYR 19.09

$6.30 MX$109

-23.65%

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

$187 MYR 740

$436 MX$7,544

-57.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,041 MYR 27.9K

$10.4K MX$180.2K

-32.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.8 MYR 237

$56.7 MX$980

5.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.66 MYR 74.0

$44.38 MX$768

-57.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.0 MYR 329

$103 MX$1,780

-19.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.69 MYR 157

$106 MX$1,825

-62.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$505 MYR 2,001

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-50.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$326 MYR 1,292

$631 MX$10.9K

-48.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$624 MYR 2,472

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-70.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$476 MYR 1,889

$1,243 MX$21.5K

-61.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,938 MYR 7,682

$3,903 MX$67.5K

-50.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$961 MYR 3,812

$2,064 MX$35.7K

-53.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$936 MYR 3,712

$1,115 MX$19.3K

-16.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

11.34

-60.58%

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

Last update for Subang Jaya: May 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $505 in Subang Jaya and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 19% 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: $19.00 in Subang Jaya vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $256 vs $288 per month, with Subang Jaya 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

Subang Jaya vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Subang Jaya and Mexico City differ by about 55% in total monthly costs ($948 vs $1,467 including rent). Subang Jaya is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Mexico City earns 19% less. 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: $505 in Subang Jaya 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 Subang Jaya runs roughly 9% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $187 in Subang Jaya versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $948 in Subang Jaya versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Subang Jaya but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Subang Jaya 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, Subang Jaya 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 Subang Jaya gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.