Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Setagaya-ku Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Setagaya-ku

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,188 in Setagaya-ku.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,849 in Setagaya-ku.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,510 in Setagaya-ku.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 24% more expensive than Setagaya-ku, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Setagaya-ku is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$6.83 ¥1,092

92.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$35.18 ¥5,628

53.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$5.26 ¥841

79.09%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$3.26 ¥522

8.90%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$1.10 ¥176

47.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$0.76 ¥121

46.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$2.13 ¥341

46.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$2.07 ¥331

123.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$1.56 ¥250

8.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$1.76 ¥281

54.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$4.89 ¥783

-60.94%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$1.52 ¥243

67.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$9.89 ¥1,582

1.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$6.22 ¥995

30.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$15.46 ¥2,473

-24.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$5.90 ¥944

-49.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$3.04 ¥486

-40.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$3.92 ¥627

-48.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$4.66 ¥745

-56.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$3.37 ¥539

-37.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$3.73 ¥596

-39.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$1.38 ¥221

1.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$0.82 ¥131

37.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$3.99 ¥638

7.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$9.27 ¥1,483

67.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$1.74 ¥279

1.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$2.07 ¥331

73.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$1.49 ¥238

-74.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$55.6 ¥8,892

-65.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$3.54 ¥567

-61.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$2.99 ¥478

-90.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$22.35 ¥3,575

-75.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$1.19 ¥190

9.24%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$23.3K ¥3.7M

-19.94%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$18.6K ¥3.0M

24.34%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$83.7 ¥13.4K

-51.17%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$27.09 ¥4,332

-1.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$34.07 ¥5,449

-12.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$49.31 ¥7,888

5.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

$13.92 ¥2,227

92.82%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$13.05 ¥2,088

-51.72%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$284 ¥45.5K

53.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$14.0K ¥2.2M

-25.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$41.49 ¥6,637

36.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$24.15 ¥3,862

83.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$45.87 ¥7,337

124.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$98.7 ¥15.8K

6.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$461 ¥73.7K

121.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$334 ¥53.4K

88.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$859 ¥137.4K

148.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$668 ¥106.9K

86.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

$4,689 ¥750.1K

-16.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

$2,426 ¥388.0K

-14.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$1,419 ¥226.9K

-21.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

467.00%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Setagaya-ku: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $461 in Setagaya-ku. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Setagaya-ku pays 27% 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 $35.00 in Setagaya-ku. Groceries flip the comparison at $288 vs $317, 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 Setagaya-ku: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Setagaya-ku differ by about 24% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $1,188 including rent). Setagaya-ku is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Setagaya-ku earns 27% 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $461 in Setagaya-ku. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Setagaya-ku runs roughly 190% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $284 in Setagaya-ku. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,188 in Setagaya-ku versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Setagaya-ku but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Setagaya-ku 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 Setagaya-ku 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 Setagaya-ku gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.