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: $1,724 in San Miguel de Allende versus $1,192 in Cheongju.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,782 in San Miguel de Allende versus $2,049 in Cheongju.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,840 in San Miguel de Allende versus $2,905 in Cheongju.

Living in San Miguel de Allende is roughly 45% more expensive than in Cheongju, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Miguel de Allende is 25% above, Cheongju is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.55 MX$281

$7.25 ₩9,721

128.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.74 MX$759

$47.69 ₩64.0K

-6.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.45 MX$194

$5.79 ₩7,761

97.75%

Cappuccino

$4.08 MX$69.2

$3.61 ₩4,836

13.02%

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

$1.79 MX$30.32

$1.77 ₩2,368

1.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.09

$1.38 ₩1,846

-18.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.76 MX$63.8

$3.82 ₩5,126

-1.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.41 MX$109

$4.25 ₩5,697

50.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 MX$27.16

$2.06 ₩2,761

-22.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.47 MX$58.9

$3.18 ₩4,262

9.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.02

$1.81 ₩2,421

11.05%

Eggs

$3.18 MX$53.9

$2.18 ₩2,923

45.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.11 MX$155

$10.75 ₩14.4K

-15.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.34 MX$226

$10.50 ₩14.1K

27.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.95 MX$338

$14.67 ₩19.7K

35.99%

Apples (1kg)

$4.15 MX$70.5

$3.04 ₩4,077

36.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 MX$29.82

$2.91 ₩3,905

-39.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.03 MX$51.4

$7.59 ₩10.2K

-60.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.09 MX$52.5

$5.83 ₩7,814

-47.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.85 MX$48.39

$5.90 ₩7,914

-51.69%

Onion (1kg)

$3.36 MX$57.0

$3.41 ₩4,568

-1.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 MX$20.56

$2.74 ₩3,669

-55.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 MX$24.67

$0.47 ₩626

208.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.75 MX$80.6

$3.28 ₩4,401

44.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.56 MX$298

$14.65 ₩19.7K

19.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 MX$44.99

$1.91 ₩2,560

38.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 MX$71.6

$2.28 ₩3,054

85.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.56

$1.12 ₩1,509

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.13 MX$121

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.87 MX$82.6

$2.71 ₩3,637

79.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.79 MX$81.2

$0.72 ₩969

565.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.73 MX$199

$16.66 ₩22.3K

-29.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 MX$27.03

$1.31 ₩1,755

21.37%

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

$23.2K MX$393.8K

$28.8K ₩38.7M

-19.47%

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

$26.3K MX$446.2K

$34.1K ₩45.7M

-22.78%

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

$44.77 MX$759

$198 ₩265.2K

-77.36%

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

$17.61 MX$299

$24.13 ₩32.4K

-27.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.48 MX$738

$14.98 ₩20.1K

190.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.69 MX$673

$54.9 ₩73.6K

-27.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.78 MX$760

$12.05 ₩16.2K

271.62%

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 MX$121

$7.57 ₩10.1K

-5.94%

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

$388 MX$6,576

$631 ₩845.9K

-38.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,228 MX$88.7K

$21.7K ₩29.1M

-75.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.1 MX$1,206

$37.58 ₩50.4K

89.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.2 MX$1,123

$66.0 ₩88.5K

0.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 MX$2,076

$93.0 ₩124.7K

31.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 MX$2,658

$113 ₩151.7K

38.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,152 MX$19.5K

$276 ₩370.2K

317.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$707 MX$12.0K

$212 ₩284.8K

232.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,455 MX$41.6K

$1,144 ₩1.5M

114.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,442 MX$24.5K

$721 ₩966.7K

100.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,920 MX$49.5K

$7,052 ₩9.5M

-58.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,717 MX$29.1K

$5,477 ₩7.3M

-68.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$662 MX$11.2K

$2,630 ₩3.5M

-74.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.05

4.22

185.55%

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

Last update for San Miguel de Allende: September 6, 2026

Last update for Cheongju: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,152 in San Miguel de Allende and $276 in Cheongju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cheongju pays 297% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in San Miguel de Allende vs $48.00 in Cheongju. Groceries flip the comparison at $379 vs $374, with Cheongju 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

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

Cheongju wins on cost – living expenses run 45% 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, salaries run 297% lower in Cheongju. 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: $1,152 in San Miguel de Allende versus $276 in Cheongju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $388 in San Miguel de Allende versus $631 in Cheongju. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cheongju – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $45.00 in San Miguel de Allende. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,192 in Cheongju versus $1,724 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 $1,192 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 45% less than in San Miguel de Allende. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.