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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $1,640 in Seongnam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $2,448 in Seongnam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $3,256 in Seongnam.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 10% less than in Seongnam, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 11% above, Seongnam 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$6.04 ₩8,956

114.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$42.21 ₩62.6K

25.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$4.44 ₩6,591

118.92%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$3.76 ₩5,580

-0.27%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$1.55 ₩2,293

1.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.79 ₩1,177

43.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$2.50 ₩3,712

27.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$3.72 ₩5,525

25.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$2.14 ₩3,167

-24.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$2.12 ₩3,145

27.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$3.22 ₩4,781

-41.61%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$3.07 ₩4,557

-18.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$8.96 ₩13.3K

12.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$7.78 ₩11.5K

6.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$33.70 ₩50.0K

-64.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$7.92 ₩11.7K

-63.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$3.47 ₩5,140

-49.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$5.67 ₩8,417

-63.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$6.40 ₩9,492

-69.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$3.52 ₩5,225

-38.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$2.88 ₩4,279

-24.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$2.55 ₩3,786

-45.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$0.94 ₩1,392

19.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$3.38 ₩5,009

24.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$16.64 ₩24.7K

-14.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$1.79 ₩2,662

-1.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$1.88 ₩2,785

95.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$1.04 ₩1,550

-62.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$3.50 ₩5,199

-60.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$0.57 ₩852

-47.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$8.72 ₩12.9K

-37.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$1.24 ₩1,837

8.87%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$27.8K ₩41.3M

-32.12%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$25.1K ₩37.2M

-7.74%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$163 ₩241.1K

-74.88%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$34.58 ₩51.3K

-20.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$22.44 ₩33.3K

35.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$48.10 ₩71.3K

11.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$10.95 ₩16.2K

-42.74%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$411 ₩609.8K

6.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$23.6K ₩35.1M

-55.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$59.5 ₩88.3K

-4.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$47.41 ₩70.3K

-5.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$79.3 ₩117.6K

29.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$117 ₩173.1K

-7.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$449 ₩666.6K

122.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$654 ₩970.5K

-5.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$1,075 ₩1.6M

98.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$1,047 ₩1.6M

17.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$12.2K ₩18.2M

-68.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$5,803 ₩8.6M

-59.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

$3,453 ₩5.1M

-69.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

4.14

173.91%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Last update for Seongnam: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $449 in Seongnam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seongnam pays 224% 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: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $42.00 in Seongnam. Groceries flip the comparison at $286 vs $433, 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 Seongnam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Seongnam differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $1,640 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Seongnam earns 224% 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $449 in Seongnam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $411 in Seongnam. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $53.0 versus $42.00 in Seongnam. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,484 in Mexico City versus $1,640 in Seongnam, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Seongnam. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City 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 Seongnam 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 Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Seongnam. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.