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: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $1,053 in Szeged.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $1,625 in Szeged.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $2,196 in Szeged.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 37% more expensive than Szeged, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 8% above, Szeged is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$226

$7.73 Ft 2,386

67.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$917

$45.19 Ft 13.9K

16.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$164

$5.61 Ft 1,733

68.09%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$62.2

$1.97 Ft 607

81.22%

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

$1.61 MX$27.97

$1.36 Ft 421

18.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$20.10

$0.93 Ft 286

23.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$54.9

$2.36 Ft 729

33.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$84.6

$2.18 Ft 672

122.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.61

$1.07 Ft 332

58.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.91

$1.54 Ft 475

71.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$33.15

$1.77 Ft 547

7.34%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.27

$2.91 Ft 899

-12.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$8.07 Ft 2,492

24.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$5.95 Ft 1,837

39.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$202

$11.31 Ft 3,493

2.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.7

$1.85 Ft 571

63.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.79

$1.86 Ft 575

-8.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.69

$2.03 Ft 625

0.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.88

$2.90 Ft 895

-28.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.96

$1.02 Ft 315

101.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.80

$1.19 Ft 368

82.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.44

$1.39 Ft 430

0.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.54

$0.47 Ft 145

138.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$74.8

$7.52 Ft 2,320

-42.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$269

$5.31 Ft 1,638

190.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$29.17

$0.93 Ft 287

79.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$64.2

$1.24 Ft 383

197.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.65

$1.61 Ft 498

-76.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$332

$28.00 Ft 8,642

-31.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$24.05

$2.90 Ft 896

-52.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.81

$1.28 Ft 395

-78.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.3

$17.38 Ft 5,365

-68.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$22.31

$1.75 Ft 540

-26.86%

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

$19.0K MX$330.6K

$25.5K Ft 7.9M

-25.70%

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

$23.5K MX$408.7K

$25.6K Ft 7.9M

-8.20%

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

$41.02 MX$715

$104 Ft 32.2K

-60.71%

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

$26.92 MX$469

$25.12 Ft 7,754

7.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$517

$18.72 Ft 5,778

58.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$912

$40.21 Ft 12.4K

30.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$457

$19.90 Ft 6,143

31.81%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$108

$7.78 Ft 2,401

-20.57%

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

$427 MX$7,440

$221 Ft 68.2K

93.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$186.4K

$6,372 Ft 2.0M

67.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$990

$90.3 Ft 27.9K

-37.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$781

$26.11 Ft 8,060

71.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,821

$85.8 Ft 26.5K

21.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,846

$105 Ft 32.4K

0.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.3K

$441 Ft 136.0K

125.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.8K

$344 Ft 106.1K

80.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$37.0K

$677 Ft 209.0K

213.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.8K

$537 Ft 165.7K

133.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$68.0K

$3,386 Ft 1.0M

15.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.5K

$2,456 Ft 758.0K

-14.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.3K

$1,328 Ft 409.8K

-16.60%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Szeged: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Mexico City and $441 in Szeged. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Szeged pays 20% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $45.00 in Szeged for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $210 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 ($1,447 vs $1,053 including rent). Szeged is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Szeged earns 20% 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: $995 in Mexico City versus $441 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 47% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $221 in Szeged. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,053 in Szeged versus $1,447 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.