Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Pyongyang

For one person, living is cheaper in Pyongyang: $414 a month against $1,548 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $13,600 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
12

Cost of Living Index in Pyongyang
Learn more

Pyongyang Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Pyongyang

🇰🇵 North Korea

$414

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Pyongyang actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,548 in Mexico City versus $414 in Pyongyang.

Mexico City $1,548
Pyongyang $414

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,436 in Mexico City versus $672 in Pyongyang.

Mexico City $2,436
Pyongyang $672

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,323 in Mexico City versus $930 in Pyongyang.

Mexico City $3,323
Pyongyang $930

Living in Mexico City is roughly 274% more expensive than in Pyongyang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 14% above, Pyongyang is 69% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 MX$204

$4.81 $4.81

129.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.68 MX$900

$35.65 $35.65

36.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$201

$21.06 $21.06

-48.24%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

$1.09 $1.09

237.61%

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

$1.63 MX$30.18

$2.25 $2.25

-27.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$23.07

$1.24 $1.24

0.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$60.1

$13.23 $13.23

-75.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 MX$102

$4.84 $4.84

14.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$31.50

$0.97 $0.97

75.26%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$2.30 $2.30

31.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.53

$0.89 $0.89

115.73%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$50.5

$1.97 $1.97

38.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 MX$218

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 MX$176

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.41 MX$266

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$55.8

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.01

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.70

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.38

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.43

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$34.49

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MX$26.62

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.39

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 MX$96.4

Wine (Bottle)

$16.17 MX$299

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 MX$35.03

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 MX$78.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.65 MX$363

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.90

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MX$9.67

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 MX$98.7

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.13

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

$22.1K MX$408.0K

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

$24.5K MX$452.9K

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

$61.1 MX$1,129

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

$28.58 MX$528

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.47 MX$637

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,042

$74.8 $74.8

-24.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$6.66 MX$123

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

$427 MX$7,891

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K MX$215.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 MX$1,253

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 MX$960

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 MX$1,959

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MX$2,080

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 MX$18.9K

$88.8 $88.8

1054.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 MX$12.1K

$90.4 $90.4

624.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 MX$42.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 MX$22.9K

$133 $133

830.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,613 MX$66.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,936 MX$35.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$964 MX$17.8K

$244 $244

295.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Pyongyang: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$654 42.3%

Pyongyang

$90 21.8% 86.2% $564

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$318 20.6%

Pyongyang

$44 * 10.7% 86.1% $274

Eating Out

Mexico City

$204 13.2%

Pyongyang

$205 49.4% 0.3% $0.6

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$152 9.8%

Pyongyang

- * 0% 100%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$124 8%

Pyongyang

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Pyongyang

$75 * 18.1% 7.3% $5.1

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Pyongyang

- * 0% 100%

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,025 in Mexico City and $88.8 in Pyongyang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 296% 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 $36.00 in Pyongyang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $44.00 per month, with Pyongyang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇰🇵 Pyongyang

🕒 Local time

05:37 5:37 AM

20:37 8:37 PM

15 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

3,255,288 Capital

💱 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

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Between locations

Mexico City Pyongyang 12,010 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Pyongyang

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 Pyongyang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Pyongyang differ by about 274% in total monthly costs ($1,548 vs $414 including rent). Pyongyang is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 296% 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 $88.8 in Pyongyang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Pyongyang – a meal for two runs $36.00 versus $49.00 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,548 per month in Mexico City versus $414 in Pyongyang – a 274% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $414 in Pyongyang versus $1,548 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Pyongyang but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Pyongyang 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 Pyongyang 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 Pyongyang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 274% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.