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: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,177 in Setagaya-ku.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,886 in Setagaya-ku.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $2,595 in Setagaya-ku.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Setagaya-ku is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$7.04 ¥1,144

85.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$34.03 ¥5,530

57.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$5.25 ¥853

84.38%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$3.26 ¥530

14.72%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$1.13 ¥184

43.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.77 ¥124

50.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$2.12 ¥345

52.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$2.04 ¥332

132.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.55 ¥252

6.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$1.72 ¥280

59.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$4.95 ¥805

-62.22%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$1.59 ¥258

57.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$9.91 ¥1,609

2.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$6.25 ¥1,015

32.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$15.22 ¥2,473

-22.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$5.96 ¥968

-49.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$3.10 ¥503

-41.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$4.00 ¥649

-50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$4.48 ¥729

-55.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$3.25 ¥527

-36.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$3.67 ¥596

-38.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$1.38 ¥224

5.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.82 ¥134

31.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$4.10 ¥666

6.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$9.36 ¥1,521

81.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$1.84 ¥298

-5.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$2.14 ¥348

67.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$1.49 ¥242

-73.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$56.3 ¥9,139

-66.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$3.54 ¥576

-62.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$2.99 ¥486

-90.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$22.45 ¥3,647

-76.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.22 ¥198

9.84%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$22.8K ¥3.7M

-14.84%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$18.2K ¥3.0M

31.07%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$83.7 ¥13.6K

-51.41%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$27.41 ¥4,453

-1.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$34.46 ¥5,600

-11.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$48.43 ¥7,868

8.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$13.61 ¥2,211

95.81%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$13.23 ¥2,149

-50.79%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$285 ¥46.3K

50.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$13.7K ¥2.2M

-23.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$42.41 ¥6,891

34.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$24.10 ¥3,916

88.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$44.69 ¥7,262

132.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$97.6 ¥15.9K

10.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$467 ¥75.8K

115.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$330 ¥53.7K

88.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$865 ¥140.5K

143.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$664 ¥107.9K

83.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$4,241 ¥689.0K

-8.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$1,788 ¥290.5K

13.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$1,417 ¥230.3K

-26.77%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Setagaya-ku: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $467 in Setagaya-ku. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Setagaya-ku pays 37% 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 $34.00 in Setagaya-ku. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 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 ($1,456 vs $1,177 including rent). Setagaya-ku is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 37% 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $467 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 201% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $285 in Setagaya-ku. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,177 in Setagaya-ku versus $1,456 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.