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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $865 in Tawau versus $1,447 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,320 in Tawau versus $2,310 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,776 in Tawau versus $3,174 in Mexico City.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Tawau is 36% below, Mexico City is 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.63 MYR 14.72

$12.98 MX$223

-72.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.66 MYR 75.7

$52.6 MX$903

-64.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.06 MYR 16.46

$9.43 MX$162

-56.95%

Cappuccino

$2.23 MYR 9.03

$3.57 MX$61.3

-37.54%

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

$0.77 MYR 3.13

$1.61 MX$27.55

-52.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 MYR 1.62

$1.15 MX$19.81

-65.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.29 MYR 9.29

$3.15 MX$54.0

-27.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 MYR 13.75

$4.86 MX$83.4

-30.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 MYR 6.49

$1.70 MX$29.17

-5.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 MYR 5.30

$2.64 MX$45.23

-50.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 MYR 6.83

$1.90 MX$32.67

-11.58%

Eggs

$2.04 MYR 8.29

$2.54 MX$43.62

-19.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.84 MYR 60.2

$10.08 MX$173

47.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.26 MYR 17.27

$8.29 MX$142

-48.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.70 MYR 39.33

$11.57 MX$199

-16.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.99 MYR 12.13

$3.03 MX$52.0

-1.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 MYR 5.99

$1.71 MX$29.35

-13.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MYR 10.62

$2.05 MX$35.16

27.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.39 MYR 5.64

$2.06 MX$35.36

-32.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 MYR 5.05

$2.06 MX$35.43

-39.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 MYR 5.12

$2.17 MX$37.25

-41.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 MYR 4.07

$1.40 MX$24.08

-28.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 MYR 2.23

$1.12 MX$19.26

-50.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MYR 17.02

$4.29 MX$73.7

-2.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 MYR 77.5

$15.41 MX$265

24.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 MYR 11.17

$1.67 MX$28.74

64.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 MYR 11.82

$3.69 MX$63.3

-21.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 MYR 2.76

$0.38 MX$6.55

78.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.97 MYR 48.52

$19.06 MX$327

-37.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 MYR 4.70

$1.38 MX$23.70

-15.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 MYR 4.21

$0.28 MX$4.74

271.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.04 MYR 24.50

$5.42 MX$92.9

11.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.49 MYR 1.99

$1.28 MX$21.98

-61.72%

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

$35.9K MYR 145.8K

$19.0K MX$325.8K

89.38%

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

$31.3K MYR 127.1K

$23.5K MX$402.7K

33.58%

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

$43.00 MYR 174

$41.02 MX$704

4.83%

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

$8.93 MYR 36.21

$26.92 MX$462

-66.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.39 MYR 119

$29.69 MX$510

-1.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.21 MYR 147

$52.3 MX$898

-30.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.73 MYR 23.25

$26.23 MX$450

-78.15%

Cinema Ticket

$2.90 MYR 11.74

$6.18 MX$106

-53.07%

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

$187 MYR 757

$427 MX$7,331

-56.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,040 MYR 28.5K

$10.7K MX$183.6K

-34.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 MYR 242

$56.8 MX$975

5.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.46 MYR 111

$44.83 MX$769

-38.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.5 MYR 298

$105 MX$1,794

-29.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.5 MYR 205

$106 MX$1,819

-52.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$391 MYR 1,584

$995 MX$17.1K

-60.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$268 MYR 1,087

$621 MX$10.7K

-56.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$643 MYR 2,609

$2,126 MX$36.5K

-69.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MYR 1,897

$1,254 MX$21.5K

-62.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,168 MYR 8,790

$3,903 MX$67.0K

-44.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$985 MYR 3,993

$2,096 MX$36.0K

-53.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$421 MYR 1,708

$1,107 MX$19.0K

-61.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.07

11.34

-64.11%

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

Last update for Tawau: June 6, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $391 in Tawau and $995 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 163% 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 Tawau vs $53.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $255 vs $288 per month, with Tawau 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

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

Tawau and Mexico City differ by about 67% in total monthly costs ($865 vs $1,447 including rent). Tawau is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Mexico City earns 163% 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: $391 in Tawau versus $995 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Tawau runs roughly 59% 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 Tawau versus $427 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $865 in Tawau versus $1,447 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tawau but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Tawau 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, Tawau 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 Tawau 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.