Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jeju and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Jeju: $1,107 a month against $1,567 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Jeju
🇰🇷 South Korea
$1,107
/mo nomad
Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,567
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Jeju and in Mexico City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Jeju and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,107 per month in Jeju vs $1,567 in Mexico City, rent included.

  • Jeju $1,107
  • Mexico City $1,567

A couple spends around $1,900 per month in Jeju vs $2,450 in Mexico City, rent included.

  • Jeju $1,900
  • Mexico City $2,450

A family of three spends $2,694 per month in Jeju vs $3,333 in Mexico City, rent included.

  • Jeju $2,694
  • Mexico City $3,333

Jeju is about 29% cheaper than Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Jeju sits 18% below the global median, while Mexico City is 16% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Jeju
Mexico City
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.40 ₩9,835
$10.75 MX$199
-31.16%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$53.2 ₩70.7K
$50.3 MX$929
5.83%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.44 ₩7,233
$11.10 MX$205
-50.99%
Cappuccino
$5.75 ₩7,640
$3.68 MX$68.1
56.25%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.21 ₩2,945
$1.65 MX$30.42
33.94%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.94 ₩2,575
$1.30 MX$24.08
49.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.44 ₩4,578
$3.32 MX$61.3
3.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.05 ₩4,050
$5.54 MX$102
-44.95%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Jeju
Mexico City
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.26 ₩2,998
$1.77 MX$32.68
27.68%
White Bread (500g)
$2.30 ₩3,060
$3.05 MX$56.4
-24.59%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.21 ₩2,941
$2.01 MX$37.20
9.95%
Eggs
$2.59 ₩3,444
$2.77 MX$51.1
-6.50%
Local Cheese (1kg)
-
$11.91 MX$220
-
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
-
$9.33 MX$172
-
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
-
$15.02 MX$278
-
Apples (1kg)
-
$3.08 MX$56.8
-
Banana (1kg)
$2.16 ₩2,867
$1.95 MX$35.97
10.77%
Oranges (1kg)
-
$2.03 MX$37.54
-
Tomato (1kg)
-
$2.21 MX$40.92
-
Potato (1kg)
$3.04 ₩4,047
$2.02 MX$37.41
50.50%
Onion (1kg)
$1.85 ₩2,454
$1.82 MX$33.67
1.65%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.19 ₩2,908
$1.52 MX$28.07
44.08%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.47 ₩620
$1.28 MX$23.65
-63.28%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
-
$5.27 MX$97.4
-
Wine (Bottle)
$11.22 ₩14.9K
$16.12 MX$298
-30.40%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.87 ₩2,490
$1.95 MX$36.05
-4.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.65 ₩2,200
$4.25 MX$78.6
-61.18%
🚌 Getting Around
Jeju
Mexico City
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.03 ₩1,370
$0.31 MX$5.82
232.26%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$19.85 MX$367
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
-
$2.00 MX$36.93
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$0.53 MX$9.86
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$5.62 MX$104
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.33 ₩1,762
$1.52 MX$28.07
-12.50%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
-
$21.0K MX$388.7K
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
-
$25.2K MX$465.3K
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Jeju
Mexico City
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$216 ₩287.8K
$62.5 MX$1,155
246.42%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$53.7 ₩71.4K
$28.77 MX$532
86.79%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.50 ₩25.9K
$34.45 MX$637
-43.40%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Jeju
Mexico City
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$57.1 MX$1,055
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$24.81 MX$458
-
Cinema Ticket
-
$6.67 MX$123
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Jeju
Mexico City
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
-
$431 MX$7,964
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.3K ₩33.6M
$11.7K MX$216.9K
115.14%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Jeju
Mexico City
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$51.6 ₩68.6K
$70.8 MX$1,308
-27.11%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$30.38 ₩40.4K
$51.8 MX$958
-41.39%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$66.5 ₩88.5K
$109 MX$2,011
-38.87%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.7 ₩119.2K
$112 MX$2,076
-20.18%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Jeju
Mexico City
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$462 ₩614.5K
$1,051 MX$19.4K
-56.03%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$381 ₩506.9K
$665 MX$12.3K
-42.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,369 ₩1.8M
$2,346 MX$43.3K
-41.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,174 ₩1.6M
$1,227 MX$22.7K
-4.31%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$10.3K ₩13.8M
$3,554 MX$65.7K
191.21%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,733 ₩9.0M
$1,977 MX$36.5K
240.58%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Jeju
Mexico City
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,856 ₩2.5M
$975 MX$18.0K
90.45%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
0
11.3
-

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

Last update for Jeju: October 11, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Jeju
$381
Mexico City
$665 74.4% $284
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Jeju
$290
Mexico City
$126 56.6% $164
Eating Out
Jeju
$184
Mexico City
$203 10.1% $19
Groceries & Markets
Jeju
$140 *
Mexico City
$323 131% $183
Clothing & Footwear
Jeju
$107
Mexico City
$155 44.4% $48
Getting Around
Jeju
$4.1 *
Mexico City
$26 526% $22
Sport & Entertainment
Jeju
- *
Mexico City
$70

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $462 in Jeju versus $1,051 in Mexico City. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 90% higher in Jeju, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $53.0 in Jeju versus $50.0 in Mexico City. Groceries tell a different story – $140 in Jeju vs $323 in Mexico City – so Jeju wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇰🇷 Jeju
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🕒 Local time
10:03 10:03 AM
19:03 7:03 PM
15 h behind Jeju
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
469,279
9,209,944 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Jeju Mexico City 12,390 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Jeju
  • Mexico City

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Jeju vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mexico City cheaper than Jeju?
Yes – Mexico City is pricier by about 42%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,660 per month in Jeju and $2,351 in Mexico City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Jeju, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do food prices compare in Jeju and in Mexico City?
Groceries cost about 130% more in Mexico City, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is eating out cheaper in Jeju or in Mexico City?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $53.0 in Jeju and $50.0 in Mexico City. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Jeju or in Mexico City?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Jeju, where all-in costs run around $1,107, than in Mexico City at $1,567. In Jeju it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Jeju or Mexico City more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Jeju – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Jeju or Mexico City?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Jeju. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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