Cost of Living Comparison Between Sungai Petani and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Sungai Petani and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $883 in Sungai Petani versus $1,660 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,334 in Sungai Petani versus $2,565 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,785 in Sungai Petani versus $3,470 in Mexico City.

Living in Sungai Petani costs roughly 47% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sungai Petani is 35% below, Mexico City is 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.61 MYR 14.72

$11.92 MX$206

-69.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.99 MYR 81.6

$51.6 MX$890

-61.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.56 MYR 18.62

$11.41 MX$197

-60.04%

Cappuccino

$1.75 MYR 7.13

$3.99 MX$68.9

-56.14%

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

$0.77 MYR 3.14

$1.66 MX$28.61

-53.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 MYR 1.57

$1.33 MX$22.87

-71.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.26 MYR 17.38

$3.47 MX$59.9

22.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 MYR 12.26

$5.90 MX$102

-49.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MYR 7.56

$1.88 MX$32.36

-1.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 MYR 4.44

$3.25 MX$56.1

-66.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 MYR 7.16

$2.16 MX$37.26

-18.98%

Eggs

$2.20 MYR 8.97

$2.90 MX$49.94

-24.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.48 MYR 38.68

$12.86 MX$222

-26.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 MYR 17.78

$10.05 MX$173

-56.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.60 MYR 35.09

$15.86 MX$273

-45.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MYR 11.82

$3.29 MX$56.8

-11.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 MYR 7.08

$2.01 MX$34.60

-13.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MYR 10.15

$2.20 MX$37.93

13.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.43 MYR 5.83

$2.36 MX$40.63

-39.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.07 MYR 4.37

$2.05 MX$35.43

-47.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 MYR 4.71

$1.90 MX$32.79

-39.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 MYR 4.49

$1.61 MX$27.68

-31.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 MYR 2.37

$1.40 MX$24.09

-58.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 MYR 17.90

$5.46 MX$94.2

-19.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.52 MYR 79.7

$17.65 MX$304

10.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 MYR 12.39

$2.06 MX$35.44

47.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 MYR 16.33

$4.68 MX$80.8

-14.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 MYR 3.16

$0.34 MX$5.84

126.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.47 MYR 50.9

$20.81 MX$359

-40.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.74 MYR 7.12

$2.10 MX$36.15

-17.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 MYR 1.66

$0.56 MX$9.64

-26.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.19 MYR 29.34

$5.81 MX$100

23.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.48 MYR 1.97

$1.61 MX$27.68

-70.19%

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

$42.4K MYR 173.0K

$22.8K MX$393.8K

85.49%

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

$34.4K MYR 140.6K

$26.8K MX$461.2K

28.76%

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

$36.98 MYR 151

$65.2 MX$1,124

-43.26%

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

$10.10 MYR 41.25

$30.09 MX$519

-66.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.78 MYR 80.7

$37.18 MX$641

-46.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.50 MYR 165

$59.8 MX$1,030

-32.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.49 MYR 26.51

$26.55 MX$458

-75.56%

Cinema Ticket

$2.98 MYR 12.16

$7.04 MX$121

-57.67%

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

$425 MYR 1,735

$465 MX$8,012

-8.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K MYR 44.4K

$13.3K MX$228.9K

-18.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.2 MYR 246

$75.9 MX$1,308

-20.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.80 MYR 142

$56.0 MX$965

-37.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.7 MYR 305

$112 MX$1,929

-33.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.8 MYR 281

$121 MX$2,078

-42.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$411 MYR 1,679

$1,103 MX$19.0K

-62.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 MYR 1,260

$721 MX$12.4K

-57.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$690 MYR 2,817

$2,530 MX$43.6K

-72.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 MYR 2,005

$1,293 MX$22.3K

-62.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,045 MYR 8,349

$3,991 MX$68.8K

-48.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,136 MYR 4,640

$2,090 MX$36.0K

-45.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 MYR 2,047

$1,037 MX$17.9K

-51.66%

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 Sungai Petani: September 14, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $411 in Sungai Petani and $1,103 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 107% 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: $20.00 in Sungai Petani vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $242 vs $345 per month, with Sungai Petani 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

Sungai Petani vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sungai Petani and Mexico City differ by about 88% in total monthly costs ($883 vs $1,660 including rent). Sungai Petani is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 107% 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: $411 in Sungai Petani versus $1,103 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Sungai Petani runs roughly 67% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $425 in Sungai Petani versus $465 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $883 in Sungai Petani versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sungai Petani but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Sungai Petani 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, Sungai Petani 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 Sungai Petani gentler on the wallet – expenses run 88% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.