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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $1,078 in Szeged.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,643 in Szeged.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $2,208 in Szeged.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 37% more expensive than in Szeged, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Szeged is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$229

$7.76 Ft 2,456

69.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$934

$45.37 Ft 14.4K

17.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$163

$5.71 Ft 1,806

63.40%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.5

$1.96 Ft 620

88.78%

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

$1.60 MX$27.98

$1.37 Ft 433

16.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.49

$0.99 Ft 314

13.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$2.37 Ft 748

32.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$84.5

$2.16 Ft 683

124.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.84

$1.11 Ft 350

48.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.34

$1.46 Ft 460

85.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.29

$1.84 Ft 583

3.80%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$45.17

$2.82 Ft 893

-8.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$171

$7.83 Ft 2,477

25.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$5.89 Ft 1,863

43.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$208

$11.22 Ft 3,550

6.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.5

$1.86 Ft 587

58.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.35

$1.77 Ft 559

-1.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.66

$2.04 Ft 646

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.93

$2.94 Ft 930

-29.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.49

$1.05 Ft 333

104.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.33

$1.20 Ft 380

88.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.17

$1.44 Ft 456

-3.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.47

$0.44 Ft 140

154.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.6

$7.24 Ft 2,292

-41.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$305

$4.95 Ft 1,565

253.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.82

$1.00 Ft 316

71.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$63.4

$1.19 Ft 375

205.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.15

$1.56 Ft 493

-77.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$337

$28.00 Ft 8,860

-31.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$24.00

$2.85 Ft 900

-51.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.81

$1.33 Ft 419

-78.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$92.0

$17.08 Ft 5,405

-69.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.69

$1.76 Ft 557

-22.73%

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

$19.1K MX$333.2K

$26.4K Ft 8.3M

-27.54%

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

$23.6K MX$411.7K

$25.5K Ft 8.1M

-7.33%

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

$40.53 MX$707

$106 Ft 33.6K

-61.78%

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

$27.38 MX$478

$24.84 Ft 7,860

10.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$530

$18.55 Ft 5,870

63.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$911

$39.81 Ft 12.6K

31.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$462

$20.18 Ft 6,385

31.22%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$108

$7.95 Ft 2,517

-22.14%

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

$425 MX$7,414

$217 Ft 68.8K

95.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$187.2K

$6,385 Ft 2.0M

68.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,017

$89.0 Ft 28.2K

-34.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$777

$25.65 Ft 8,116

73.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,805

$87.6 Ft 27.7K

18.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,897

$107 Ft 33.7K

2.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.7K

$436 Ft 137.8K

132.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

$341 Ft 107.8K

82.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$37.0K

$662 Ft 209.4K

220.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.3K

$550 Ft 173.9K

122.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$66.1K

$3,269 Ft 1.0M

16.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.8K

$2,387 Ft 755.4K

-11.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.4K

$1,336 Ft 422.7K

-21.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

5.85

93.85%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Last update for Szeged: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $436 in Szeged. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Szeged 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 $45.00 in Szeged for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $207 per month, with Szeged 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 Szeged: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Szeged differ by about 37% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $1,078 including rent). Szeged is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 27% lower in Szeged. 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: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $436 in Szeged. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Szeged runs roughly 45% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $217 in Szeged. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,078 in Szeged versus $1,472 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Szeged but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Szeged 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 Szeged 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 Szeged gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.