Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pyongyang and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Pyongyang: $414 a month against $1,548 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $13,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

12

Cost of Living Index in Pyongyang
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Pyongyang Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

Jump to prices

Pyongyang

🇰🇵 North Korea

$414

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pyongyang and in Mexico City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Pyongyang and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $414 in Pyongyang versus $1,548 in Mexico City.

Pyongyang $414
Mexico City $1,548

Estimated couple costs with rent: $672 in Pyongyang versus $2,436 in Mexico City.

Pyongyang $672
Mexico City $2,436

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $930 in Pyongyang versus $3,323 in Mexico City.

Pyongyang $930
Mexico City $3,323

Living in Pyongyang costs roughly 73% less than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Pyongyang is 69% below, Mexico City is 14% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.81 $4.81

$11.02 MX$204

-56.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.65 $35.65

$48.68 MX$900

-26.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$21.06 $21.06

$10.90 MX$201

93.21%

Cappuccino

$1.09 $1.09

$3.68 MX$68.1

-70.38%

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

$2.25 $2.25

$1.63 MX$30.18

38.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.25 MX$23.07

-0.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.23 $13.23

$3.25 MX$60.1

307.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.84 $4.84

$5.53 MX$102

-12.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.70 MX$31.50

-42.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 $2.30

$3.02 MX$55.8

-23.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.92 MX$35.53

-53.65%

Eggs

$1.97 $1.97

$2.73 MX$50.5

-27.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 MX$218

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 MX$176

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.41 MX$266

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$55.8

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.01

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.70

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.38

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.43

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$34.49

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MX$26.62

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.39

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 MX$96.4

Wine (Bottle)

$16.17 MX$299

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 MX$35.03

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 MX$78.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.65 MX$363

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.90

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MX$9.67

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 MX$98.7

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.13

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

$22.1K MX$408.0K

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

$24.5K MX$452.9K

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

$61.1 MX$1,129

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

$28.58 MX$528

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.47 MX$637

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.8 $74.8

$56.4 MX$1,042

32.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$6.66 MX$123

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

$427 MX$7,891

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K MX$215.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 MX$1,253

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 MX$960

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 MX$1,959

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MX$2,080

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$88.8 $88.8

$1,025 MX$18.9K

-91.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$90.4 $90.4

$654 MX$12.1K

-86.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 MX$42.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$133 $133

$1,242 MX$22.9K

-89.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,613 MX$66.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,936 MX$35.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$244 $244

$964 MX$17.8K

-74.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

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

Last update for Pyongyang: October 19, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Eating Out

Pyongyang

$205 49.4%

Mexico City

$204 13.2% 0.3% $0.6

Accommodation & Living

Pyongyang

$90 21.8%

Mexico City

$654 42.3% 624% $564

Sport & Entertainment

Pyongyang

$75 * 18.1%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 6.8% $5.1

Groceries & Markets

Pyongyang

$44 * 10.7%

Mexico City

$318 20.6% 620% $274

Getting Around

Pyongyang

- * 0%

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pyongyang

- * 0%

Mexico City

$124 8%

Clothing & Footwear

Pyongyang

- * 0%

Mexico City

$152 9.8%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $88.8 in Pyongyang and $1,025 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 296% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $36.00 in Pyongyang vs $49.00 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $44.00 vs $318 per month, with Pyongyang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇵 Pyongyang

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

19:49 7:49 PM

04:49 4:49 AM

15 h behind Pyongyang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,255,288 Capital

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

USD USD

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – USD Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

USD exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Pyongyang Mexico City 12,010 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Pyongyang
Mexico City

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated June 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Pyongyang vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pyongyang and Mexico City differ by about 274% in total monthly costs ($414 vs $1,548 including rent). Pyongyang is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 296% lower in Mexico City. 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: $88.8 in Pyongyang versus $1,025 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Pyongyang – a meal for two runs $36.00 versus $49.00 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $414 per month in Pyongyang versus $1,548 in Mexico City – a 274% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $414 in Pyongyang versus $1,548 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Pyongyang but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Pyongyang 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, Pyongyang and Mexico City 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 Pyongyang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 274% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.