Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Ongjin

For one person, living is cheaper in Ongjin: $706 a month against $1,548 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
Learn more

Mexico City Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Ongjin
Learn more

Ongjin Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Ongjin

🇰🇵 North Korea

$706

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,548 in Mexico City versus $706 in Ongjin.

Mexico City $1,548
Ongjin $706

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,436 in Mexico City versus $1,107 in Ongjin.

Mexico City $2,436
Ongjin $1,107

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,323 in Mexico City versus $1,508 in Ongjin.

Mexico City $3,323
Ongjin $1,508

Living in Mexico City is roughly 119% more expensive than in Ongjin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 14% above, Ongjin is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 MX$204

$2.76 $2.76

299.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.68 MX$900

$22.46 $22.46

116.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$201

$7.71 $7.71

41.37%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

$1.11 $1.11

231.53%

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

$1.63 MX$30.18

$0.96 $0.96

69.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$23.07

$1.02 $1.02

22.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$60.1

$6.62 $6.62

-50.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 MX$102

$2.28 $2.28

142.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$31.50

$0.85 $0.85

100.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$1.53 $1.53

97.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.53

$2.20 $2.20

-12.73%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$50.5

$3.23 $3.23

-15.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 MX$218

$4.36 $4.36

169.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 MX$176

$2.21 $2.21

331.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.41 MX$266

$5.69 $5.69

153.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$6.88 $6.88

-56.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.01

$4.33 $4.33

-56.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.70

$2.20 $2.20

-9.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.38

$2.25 $2.25

-2.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.43

$3.36 $3.36

-42.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$34.49

$3.40 $3.40

-45.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MX$26.62

$2.28 $2.28

-36.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.39

$0.47 $0.47

170.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 MX$96.4

$4.59 $4.59

13.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.17 MX$299

$7.79 $7.79

107.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 MX$35.03

$1.09 $1.09

74.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 MX$78.0

$2.19 $2.19

92.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.30

$1.02 $1.02

-66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.65 MX$363

$38.97 $38.97

-49.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.90

$1.54 $1.54

29.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MX$9.67

$2.18 $2.18

-76.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 MX$98.7

$40.60 $40.60

-86.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.13

$0.72 $0.72

111.11%

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

$22.1K MX$408.0K

$22.1K $22.1K

-0.26%

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

$24.5K MX$452.9K

$27.9K $27.9K

-12.20%

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

$61.1 MX$1,129

$33.28 $33.28

83.50%

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

$28.58 MX$528

$11.20 $11.20

155.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.47 MX$637

$43.76 $43.76

-21.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,042

$42.37 $42.37

33.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$460

$14.31 $14.31

73.86%

Cinema Ticket

$6.66 MX$123

$7.89 $7.89

-15.59%

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

$427 MX$7,891

$107 $107

299.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K MX$215.0K

$2,138 $2,138

444.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 MX$1,253

$22.36 $22.36

203.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 MX$960

$27.60 $27.60

88.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 MX$1,959

$61.8 $61.8

71.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MX$2,080

$84.4 $84.4

33.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 MX$18.9K

$87.9 $87.9

1066.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 MX$12.1K

$88.1 $88.1

642.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 MX$42.7K

$2,260 $2,260

2.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 MX$22.9K

$136 $136

812.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,613 MX$66.8K

$1,708 $1,708

111.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,936 MX$35.8K

$1,382 $1,382

40.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$964 MX$17.8K

$208 $208

362.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

7.11

58.93%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Ongjin: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$654 42.3%

Ongjin

$88 12.5% 86.5% $566

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$318 20.6%

Ongjin

$224 31.7% 29.6% $94

Eating Out

Mexico City

$204 13.2%

Ongjin

$104 14.7% 49% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$152 9.8%

Ongjin

$88 12.5% 42% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$124 8%

Ongjin

$88 12.5% 28.9% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Ongjin

$58 8.2% 16.6% $12

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Ongjin

$55 7.9% 117% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,025 in Mexico City and $87.9 in Ongjin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 363% 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: $49.00 in Mexico City vs $22.00 in Ongjin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $224 per month, with Ongjin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇰🇵 Ongjin

🕒 Local time

05:39 5:39 AM

20:39 8:39 PM

15 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

152,878

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mexico City Ongjin 12,120 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Ongjin

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

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

Mexico City and Ongjin differ by about 119% in total monthly costs ($1,548 vs $706 including rent). Ongjin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 363% higher in Mexico City, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,025 in Mexico City versus $87.9 in Ongjin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ongjin runs roughly 98% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $107 in Ongjin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $706 in Ongjin versus $1,548 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ongjin but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Ongjin 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, Mexico City and Ongjin 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 Ongjin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 119% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.