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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $1,248 in Cheongju.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,883 in Cheongju.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $2,518 in Cheongju.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 18% more expensive than in Cheongju, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Cheongju is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$7.15 ₩10.3K

83.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$36.15 ₩52.0K

48.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$4.82 ₩6,937

93.57%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$4.21 ₩6,055

-12.11%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$1.88 ₩2,706

-14.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$1.37 ₩1,971

-18.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$3.70 ₩5,321

-15.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$6.00 ₩8,635

-19.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$2.00 ₩2,876

-17.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$3.57 ₩5,132

-24.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$1.83 ₩2,626

4.37%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$2.26 ₩3,244

14.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$10.44 ₩15.0K

-6.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$8.24 ₩11.9K

2.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$14.81 ₩21.3K

-19.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$2.91 ₩4,184

1.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$2.93 ₩4,208

-40.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$7.25 ₩10.4K

-71.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$5.29 ₩7,601

-61.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$5.17 ₩7,443

-58.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$2.90 ₩4,176

-22.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$2.09 ₩3,008

-33.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$0.42 ₩608

166.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$3.36 ₩4,833

25.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$13.91 ₩20.0K

25.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$1.68 ₩2,418

1.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$2.15 ₩3,090

68.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$1.21 ₩1,740

-71.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

$72.3 ₩104.0K

-73.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$2.72 ₩3,909

-49.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$0.84 ₩1,206

-66.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$16.69 ₩24.0K

-68.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$1.17 ₩1,680

16.24%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$28.0K ₩40.3M

-31.83%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$25.3K ₩36.3M

-6.52%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$191 ₩275.0K

-78.81%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$24.27 ₩34.9K

12.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$14.78 ₩21.3K

105.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$62.9 ₩90.4K

-16.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

$33.82 ₩48.6K

-21.70%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$7.30 ₩10.5K

-15.21%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$498 ₩716.2K

-14.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$14.3K ₩20.6M

-25.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$37.29 ₩53.6K

56.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$48.45 ₩69.7K

-8.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$88.4 ₩127.1K

17.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$111 ₩159.6K

-1.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$303 ₩436.3K

234.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$240 ₩345.3K

159.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$410 ₩590.2K

416.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$294 ₩423.3K

315.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

$7,198 ₩10.4M

-47.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

$5,148 ₩7.4M

-59.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

$2,433 ₩3.5M

-56.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

4.22

168.72%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Last update for Cheongju: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $303 in Cheongju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cheongju pays 131% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $36.00 in Cheongju. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $352, with Mexico City cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Cheongju wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cheongju the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 131% lower in Cheongju. 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: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $303 in Cheongju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,472 per month in Mexico City versus $1,248 in Cheongju – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cheongju runs roughly 274% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,248 in Cheongju versus $1,472 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cheongju but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Cheongju the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cheongju delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,248 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cheongju hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Cheongju 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 Cheongju gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.