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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,444 in Ulsan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $2,188 in Ulsan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,932 in Ulsan.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 2% more expensive than Ulsan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 10% above, Ulsan 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$6.46 ₩9,900

104.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$29.90 ₩45.8K

80.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$4.83 ₩7,394

95.03%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$3.15 ₩4,820

12.70%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$1.12 ₩1,710

44.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$0.39 ₩598

184.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$2.60 ₩3,979

20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$3.29 ₩5,040

40.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$1.74 ₩2,670

-2.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$2.19 ₩3,352

24.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$1.79 ₩2,748

6.70%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$2.88 ₩4,411

-11.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$10.55 ₩16.2K

-4.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$8.30 ₩12.7K

-2.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$27.12 ₩41.6K

-57.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$7.16 ₩11.0K

-58.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$3.28 ₩5,030

-44.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$7.29 ₩11.2K

-72.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$4.43 ₩6,787

-54.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$3.74 ₩5,725

-43.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$2.47 ₩3,780

-8.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$2.08 ₩3,186

-32.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$0.90 ₩1,380

25.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$3.32 ₩5,089

28.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$16.65 ₩25.5K

-6.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$1.69 ₩2,588

4.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$3.47 ₩5,319

3.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$0.94 ₩1,434

-59.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$2.40 ₩3,671

-42.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$0.79 ₩1,204

-64.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$16.48 ₩25.3K

-66.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$1.18 ₩1,805

10.17%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$27.6K ₩42.3M

-32.37%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$25.2K ₩38.6M

-8.22%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$187 ₩286.4K

-78.14%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$50.3 ₩77.1K

-46.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$27.92 ₩42.8K

7.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$59.4 ₩91.0K

-12.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$10.27 ₩15.7K

-38.66%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$252 ₩386.9K

72.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$13.9K ₩21.3M

-24.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$102 ₩156.1K

-44.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$47.53 ₩72.8K

-6.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$87.0 ₩133.2K

18.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$115 ₩176.9K

-8.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$275 ₩421.5K

271.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$371 ₩568.3K

70.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$1,055 ₩1.6M

102.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$764 ₩1.2M

62.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

$3,918 ₩6.0M

-0.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

$2,353 ₩3.6M

-12.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$2,022 ₩3.1M

-44.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

183.50%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Ulsan: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $275 in Ulsan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ulsan pays 81% 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 $30.00 in Ulsan. Groceries flip the comparison at $288 vs $403, 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 Ulsan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Ulsan differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $1,444 including rent). Ulsan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Ulsan earns 81% 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $275 in Ulsan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $252 in Ulsan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ulsan – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,444 in Ulsan versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ulsan but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Ulsan 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 Ulsan 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 Ulsan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.