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: $1,646 in Mexico City versus $1,322 in Ulsan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,613 in Mexico City versus $2,143 in Ulsan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,580 in Mexico City versus $2,964 in Ulsan.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 25% more expensive than in Ulsan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 20% above, Ulsan is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.11 MX$205

$7.35 ₩9,967

64.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$883

$43.91 ₩59.5K

18.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$184

$5.93 ₩8,036

83.81%

Cappuccino

$4.05 MX$68.5

$3.35 ₩4,539

20.90%

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

$1.72 MX$29.00

$0.86 ₩1,170

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MX$23.29

$0.46 ₩621

200.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$58.6

$2.95 ₩4,000

17.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 MX$98.2

$4.19 ₩5,679

38.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.33

$2.23 ₩3,022

-17.04%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 MX$54.5

$3.17 ₩4,303

1.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.25

$3.13 ₩4,239

-33.23%

Eggs

$2.91 MX$49.18

$2.67 ₩3,625

8.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 MX$211

$10.88 ₩14.7K

14.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$10.20 ₩13.8K

-0.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.89 MX$269

$24.79 ₩33.6K

-35.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 MX$56.0

$10.87 ₩14.7K

-69.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.95

$3.54 ₩4,798

-39.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.03

$7.72 ₩10.5K

-71.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$41.37

$5.95 ₩8,066

-58.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.00

$5.95 ₩8,071

-63.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.20

$3.31 ₩4,486

-42.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 MX$27.31

$2.70 ₩3,655

-40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$22.82

$1.24 ₩1,684

8.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.43 MX$91.7

$3.18 ₩4,309

70.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.59 MX$297

$18.38 ₩24.9K

-4.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$34.96

$2.40 ₩3,260

-13.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 MX$80.2

$3.45 ₩4,680

37.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.75

$1.13 ₩1,527

-69.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 MX$365

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 MX$34.49

$2.92 ₩3,953

-30.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.77

$0.76 ₩1,026

-23.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 MX$101

$16.58 ₩22.5K

-63.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$27.31

$1.32 ₩1,791

22.73%

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

$22.8K MX$385.6K

$28.8K ₩39.0M

-20.80%

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

$26.7K MX$450.7K

$32.7K ₩44.3M

-18.48%

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

$65.2 MX$1,103

$193 ₩261.9K

-66.22%

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

$29.87 MX$505

$35.67 ₩48.4K

-16.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.55 MX$618

$26.37 ₩35.8K

38.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 MX$1,031

$57.6 ₩78.1K

5.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$451

Cinema Ticket

$6.85 MX$116

$10.42 ₩14.1K

-34.26%

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

$453 MX$7,664

$260 ₩352.4K

74.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MX$226.0K

$21.1K ₩28.7M

-36.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 MX$1,267

$51.1 ₩69.3K

46.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 MX$935

$43.29 ₩58.7K

27.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 MX$1,920

$58.0 ₩78.6K

95.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 MX$2,073

$71.8 ₩97.4K

70.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 MX$19.2K

$362 ₩491.1K

212.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 MX$12.0K

$233 ₩316.3K

205.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,571 MX$43.5K

$717 ₩972.7K

258.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 MX$22.2K

$650 ₩881.9K

101.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,993 MX$67.5K

$4,368 ₩5.9M

-8.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,095 MX$35.4K

$2,380 ₩3.2M

-11.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,047 MX$17.7K

$2,201 ₩3.0M

-52.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

4.22

167.77%

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

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Last update for Ulsan: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,134 in Mexico City and $362 in Ulsan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ulsan pays 110% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $44.00 in Ulsan. Groceries flip the comparison at $345 vs $477, 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 25% in total monthly costs ($1,646 vs $1,322 including rent). Ulsan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 110% lower in Ulsan. 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: $1,134 in Mexico City versus $362 in Ulsan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $453 in Mexico City versus $260 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 $44.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,322 in Ulsan versus $1,646 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 25% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.