Cost of Living Comparison Between San Miguel de Allende and Cheongju Cost of Living Comparison Between San Miguel de Allende and Cheongju

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,660 in San Miguel de Allende versus $1,289 in Cheongju.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,670 in San Miguel de Allende versus $1,929 in Cheongju.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,679 in San Miguel de Allende versus $2,569 in Cheongju.

Living in San Miguel de Allende is roughly 29% more expensive than Cheongju, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Miguel de Allende is 24% above, Cheongju is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.77 MX$186

$7.01 ₩10.6K

53.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.51 MX$822

$36.48 ₩55.3K

30.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.99 MX$138

$4.80 ₩7,278

66.46%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$62.6

$4.00 ₩6,062

-9.50%

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

$1.33 MX$22.93

$1.79 ₩2,711

-25.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 MX$17.77

$1.32 ₩2,002

-21.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.86 MX$49.46

$3.76 ₩5,702

-23.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.08 MX$87.8

$5.73 ₩8,679

-11.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.41

$2.07 ₩3,141

-34.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.88 MX$67.1

$3.48 ₩5,273

11.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 MX$31.99

$1.81 ₩2,736

2.21%

Eggs

$2.56 MX$44.27

$2.23 ₩3,378

14.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.98 MX$138

$10.59 ₩16.0K

-24.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.05 MX$243

$8.08 ₩12.2K

73.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.93 MX$310

$14.84 ₩22.5K

20.82%

Apples (1kg)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$2.97 ₩4,504

42.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.77

$3.03 ₩4,584

-43.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 MX$53.9

$7.39 ₩11.2K

-57.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 MX$47.88

$5.14 ₩7,796

-46.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 MX$42.62

$5.09 ₩7,718

-51.67%

Onion (1kg)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$3.05 ₩4,614

2.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.63 MX$28.17

$2.08 ₩3,155

-21.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 MX$21.75

$0.42 ₩642

200.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.8

$3.35 ₩5,073

23.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.24 MX$298

$13.09 ₩19.8K

31.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 MX$41.88

$1.70 ₩2,569

42.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 MX$62.1

$2.24 ₩3,396

60.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 MX$7.06

$1.20 ₩1,820

-65.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.30 MX$109

$72.8 ₩110.3K

-91.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 MX$74.1

$2.69 ₩4,075

59.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.21

$0.84 ₩1,274

-64.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.97 MX$138

$16.68 ₩25.3K

-52.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.52

$1.21 ₩1,834

7.44%

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

$18.3K MX$316.3K

$27.4K ₩41.5M

-33.19%

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

$21.3K MX$368.9K

$24.9K ₩37.8M

-14.50%

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

$58.8 MX$1,016

$190 ₩287.5K

-69.04%

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

$21.58 MX$373

$24.35 ₩36.9K

-11.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.20 MX$592

$14.94 ₩22.6K

128.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.84 MX$810

$61.6 ₩93.3K

-23.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.84 MX$689

$33.42 ₩50.6K

19.21%

Cinema Ticket

$6.94 MX$120

$7.33 ₩11.1K

-5.32%

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

$341 MX$5,897

$487 ₩737.3K

-29.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,844 MX$83.8K

$14.3K ₩21.6M

-66.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.6 MX$1,083

$37.46 ₩56.8K

67.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 MX$988

$48.19 ₩73.0K

18.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 MX$1,921

$87.1 ₩132.0K

27.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 MX$2,455

$110 ₩165.9K

29.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,105 MX$19.1K

$301 ₩456.8K

266.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 MX$12.6K

$241 ₩365.1K

203.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,537 MX$43.9K

$418 ₩633.4K

506.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,566 MX$27.1K

$295 ₩447.2K

430.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,890 MX$50.0K

$9,787 ₩14.8M

-70.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,717 MX$29.7K

$5,202 ₩7.9M

-67.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$662 MX$11.4K

$2,352 ₩3.6M

-71.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.17

4.22

188.39%

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

Last update for San Miguel de Allende: June 1, 2026

Last update for Cheongju: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,105 in San Miguel de Allende and $301 in Cheongju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cheongju pays 255% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in San Miguel de Allende vs $36.00 in Cheongju for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $365 vs $351 per month, with Cheongju 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

San Miguel de Allende vs Cheongju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cheongju wins on cost – living expenses run 29% lower than in San Miguel de Allende. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cheongju the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Cheongju earns 255% 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: $1,105 in San Miguel de Allende versus $301 in Cheongju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,660 per month in San Miguel de Allende versus $1,289 in Cheongju – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cheongju runs roughly 1055% less than in San Miguel de Allende. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,289 in Cheongju versus $1,660 in San Miguel de Allende, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cheongju but tight or insufficient in San Miguel de Allende. The gap between the two cities makes Cheongju the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cheongju delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,289 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cheongju hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, San Miguel de Allende and Cheongju 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 Cheongju gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in San Miguel de Allende. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.