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: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $1,188 in Setagaya-ku.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,879 in Setagaya-ku.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $2,569 in Setagaya-ku.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 40% more expensive than in Setagaya-ku, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Setagaya-ku is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$206

$6.62 ¥1,032

80.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$890

$26.38 ¥4,116

95.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$4.53 ¥707

151.88%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.9

$2.99 ¥467

33.44%

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

$1.66 MX$28.61

$1.13 ¥177

46.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.87

$0.62 ¥96.7

114.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.9

$2.23 ¥349

55.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$3.30 ¥514

78.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.36

$1.31 ¥205

43.51%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$1.79 ¥279

81.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.26

$3.65 ¥569

-40.82%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.94

$1.27 ¥198

128.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$222

$12.25 ¥1,911

4.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$6.14 ¥959

63.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$14.99 ¥2,339

5.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.8

$5.76 ¥899

-42.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.60

$2.86 ¥446

-29.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.93

$2.92 ¥456

-24.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.63

$4.37 ¥682

-46.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.43

$2.68 ¥417

-23.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.79

$2.72 ¥425

-30.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$1.32 ¥205

21.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.09

$0.61 ¥94.6

129.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.2

$3.74 ¥583

45.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$6.33 ¥988

178.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.44

$1.85 ¥289

11.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.8

$2.06 ¥322

127.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.84

$1.53 ¥239

-77.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$359

$59.9 ¥9,347

-65.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.15

$2.73 ¥426

-23.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.64

$2.66 ¥414

-78.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$20.76 ¥3,239

-72.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$1.09 ¥170

47.71%

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

$22.8K MX$393.8K

$21.5K ¥3.4M

6.03%

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

$26.8K MX$461.2K

$18.5K ¥2.9M

44.34%

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

$65.2 MX$1,124

$135 ¥21.0K

-51.68%

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

$30.09 MX$519

$25.07 ¥3,911

20.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$641

$33.43 ¥5,217

11.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,030

$53.4 ¥8,331

11.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$12.02 ¥1,875

-41.43%

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

$465 MX$8,012

$647 ¥100.9K

-28.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.9K

$15.3K ¥2.4M

-13.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,308

$39.00 ¥6,085

94.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$965

$33.04 ¥5,155

69.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,929

$61.9 ¥9,653

80.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,078

$64.7 ¥10.1K

86.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$510 ¥79.6K

116.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$341 ¥53.2K

111.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$1,033 ¥161.1K

144.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$721 ¥112.5K

79.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.8K

$3,653 ¥570.0K

9.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

$1,563 ¥243.8K

33.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

$1,516 ¥236.5K

-31.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

465.00%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Setagaya-ku: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $510 in Setagaya-ku. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Setagaya-ku pays 46% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $26.00 in Setagaya-ku for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $295 per month, with Setagaya-ku cheaper across the board.

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 40% in total monthly costs ($1,660 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, salaries run 46% lower in Setagaya-ku. 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: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $510 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 188% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $647 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 $1,660 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 40% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.