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: $868 in Tawau versus $1,466 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,322 in Tawau versus $2,325 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,776 in Tawau versus $3,184 in Mexico City.

Living in Tawau costs roughly 41% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tawau is 35% below, Mexico City is 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.47 MYR 13.70

$13.30 MX$231

-73.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.87 MYR 74.5

$53.8 MX$932

-64.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.15 MYR 16.41

$9.42 MX$163

-55.94%

Cappuccino

$2.24 MYR 8.83

$3.59 MX$62.3

-37.60%

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

$0.73 MYR 2.89

$1.62 MX$28.13

-54.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 MYR 1.43

$1.12 MX$19.49

-67.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.34 MYR 9.26

$3.25 MX$56.3

-28.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 MYR 12.81

$4.65 MX$80.6

-30.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 MYR 6.05

$1.64 MX$28.37

-6.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 MYR 5.43

$2.65 MX$46.00

-48.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 MYR 6.61

$1.96 MX$33.99

-14.80%

Eggs

$2.07 MYR 8.16

$2.54 MX$44.08

-18.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.18 MYR 60.0

$9.97 MX$173

52.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.23 MYR 16.71

$8.39 MX$145

-49.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.64 MYR 38.06

$11.83 MX$205

-18.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.84 MYR 11.20

$2.86 MX$49.62

-0.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 MYR 6.02

$1.73 MX$30.05

-12.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 MYR 9.94

$1.99 MX$34.50

26.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 MYR 5.46

$2.05 MX$35.51

-32.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 MYR 4.85

$2.06 MX$35.64

-40.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.29 MYR 5.08

$2.28 MX$39.54

-43.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MYR 4.10

$1.45 MX$25.05

-28.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 MYR 2.23

$1.09 MX$18.83

-48.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MYR 17.18

$4.27 MX$73.9

1.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.25 MYR 76.1

$14.67 MX$254

31.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 MYR 11.00

$1.76 MX$30.58

58.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 MYR 11.42

$3.57 MX$61.8

-19.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 MYR 2.85

$0.38 MX$6.67

89.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.88 MYR 46.93

$18.73 MX$325

-36.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 MYR 4.55

$1.39 MX$24.09

-17.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 MYR 4.04

$0.30 MX$5.26

240.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.93 MYR 23.44

$5.41 MX$93.8

9.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.46 MYR 1.83

$1.34 MX$23.22

-65.67%

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

$35.2K MYR 139.0K

$18.9K MX$326.7K

86.72%

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

$31.7K MYR 125.3K

$23.2K MX$402.0K

36.78%

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

$43.44 MYR 172

$40.30 MX$698

7.79%

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

$9.23 MYR 36.46

$27.15 MX$471

-66.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.51 MYR 117

$29.46 MX$510

0.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.18 MYR 147

$52.7 MX$914

-29.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.98 MYR 23.61

$26.17 MX$454

-77.15%

Cinema Ticket

$2.82 MYR 11.13

$6.18 MX$107

-54.37%

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

$184 MYR 727

$441 MX$7,637

-58.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,823 MYR 27.0K

$10.7K MX$185.4K

-36.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.8 MYR 244

$57.2 MX$992

7.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.81 MYR 110

$45.04 MX$781

-38.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.4 MYR 290

$103 MX$1,793

-29.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.5 MYR 203

$109 MX$1,884

-52.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$393 MYR 1,551

$1,000 MX$17.3K

-60.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$272 MYR 1,075

$632 MX$11.0K

-56.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$640 MYR 2,529

$2,141 MX$37.1K

-70.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MYR 1,837

$1,253 MX$21.7K

-62.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,911 MYR 7,550

$3,745 MX$64.9K

-48.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$908 MYR 3,586

$2,381 MX$41.3K

-61.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$434 MYR 1,714

$1,079 MX$18.7K

-59.78%

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: April 21, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $393 in Tawau and $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 149% 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 in Tawau vs $54 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $255 vs $286 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 69% in total monthly costs ($868 vs $1,466 including rent). Tawau is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Mexico City earns 149% 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: $393 in Tawau versus $1,000 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 58% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $184 in Tawau versus $441 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $868 in Tawau versus $1,466 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 69% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.