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: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $1,294 in Szeged.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $2,023 in Szeged.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $2,753 in Szeged.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 30% more expensive than in Szeged, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, Szeged is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$10.20 Ft 3,196

19.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$914

$61.7 Ft 19.3K

-12.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$9.32 Ft 2,919

18.99%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.5

$2.44 Ft 765

68.03%

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

$1.68 MX$28.53

$1.58 Ft 496

6.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.55

$1.32 Ft 413

5.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.5

$2.25 Ft 705

48.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.7

$2.35 Ft 735

150.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.41

$1.22 Ft 382

51.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$1.49 Ft 466

112.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.13

$2.74 Ft 857

-24.45%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.67

$3.81 Ft 1,193

-23.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$10.45 Ft 3,272

20.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$6.93 Ft 2,171

45.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$16.39 Ft 5,135

-1.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$2.41 Ft 756

40.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.26

$2.37 Ft 742

-12.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.97

$2.14 Ft 671

-0.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.95

$3.54 Ft 1,108

-31.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.11

$1.09 Ft 343

95.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.02

$1.19 Ft 372

68.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.21

$1.63 Ft 510

-4.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.15

$0.57 Ft 177

138.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.8

$8.16 Ft 2,556

-29.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$5.04 Ft 1,578

251.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.11

$1.31 Ft 412

58.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.3

$2.07 Ft 649

122.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

$1.81 Ft 566

-79.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

$31.30 Ft 9,806

-32.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.84

$3.08 Ft 964

-33.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.79

$1.72 Ft 538

-66.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$18.92 Ft 5,925

-67.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.34

$1.94 Ft 609

-20.10%

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

$22.9K MX$388.1K

$28.3K Ft 8.9M

-19.07%

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

$27.2K MX$462.0K

$39.4K Ft 12.3M

-30.80%

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

$67.4 MX$1,144

$136 Ft 42.7K

-50.56%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$23.24 Ft 7,280

31.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$632

$20.60 Ft 6,453

80.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,043

$49.12 Ft 15.4K

25.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

$31.29 Ft 9,803

-13.33%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$8.55 Ft 2,679

-16.84%

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

$456 MX$7,739

$259 Ft 81.3K

75.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.3K

$7,070 Ft 2.2M

93.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,259

$108 Ft 33.8K

-31.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$967

$35.02 Ft 11.0K

62.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,958

$94.1 Ft 29.5K

22.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,061

$131 Ft 41.0K

-7.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$534 Ft 167.1K

115.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$387 Ft 121.3K

83.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.7K

$791 Ft 247.9K

225.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

$635 Ft 198.9K

103.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

$3,277 Ft 1.0M

22.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

$2,403 Ft 752.7K

-11.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

$1,348 Ft 422.3K

-19.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

6.67

69.42%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Szeged: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $534 in Szeged. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Szeged pays 25% 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 $62.0 in Szeged. Groceries flip the comparison at $345 vs $261, with Szeged 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 Szeged: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Szeged differ by about 30% in total monthly costs ($1,677 vs $1,294 including rent). Szeged is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 25% 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: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $534 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 48% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $456 in Mexico City versus $259 in Szeged. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,294 in Szeged versus $1,677 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 30% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.