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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,385 in Seongnam versus $1,660 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,325 in Seongnam versus $2,565 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Seongnam versus $3,470 in Mexico City.

Living in Seongnam costs roughly 17% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seongnam 1% above, Mexico City 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.59 ₩9,094

$11.92 MX$205

-44.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.85 ₩56.4K

$51.6 MX$886

-20.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.72 ₩9,279

$11.41 MX$196

-41.10%

Cappuccino

$4.18 ₩5,769

$3.99 MX$68.6

4.76%

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

$1.58 ₩2,175

$1.66 MX$28.48

-4.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 ₩1,125

$1.33 MX$22.77

-38.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 ₩4,719

$3.47 MX$59.6

-1.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.76 ₩5,184

$5.90 MX$101

-36.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ₩3,121

$1.88 MX$32.21

20.21%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 ₩4,161

$3.25 MX$55.9

-7.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.65 ₩5,043

$2.16 MX$37.10

68.98%

Eggs

$3.41 ₩4,702

$2.90 MX$49.72

17.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.56 ₩13.2K

$12.86 MX$221

-25.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 ₩11.0K

$10.05 MX$173

-20.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.84 ₩30.1K

$15.86 MX$272

37.70%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.6K

$3.29 MX$56.6

132.83%

Banana (1kg)

$3.46 ₩4,772

$2.01 MX$34.44

72.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.62 ₩7,752

$2.20 MX$37.76

155.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.91 ₩9,540

$2.36 MX$40.44

192.80%

Potato (1kg)

$3.66 ₩5,049

$2.05 MX$35.27

78.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.57 ₩3,541

$1.90 MX$32.64

35.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.76 ₩3,812

$1.61 MX$27.55

71.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 ₩1,741

$1.40 MX$23.98

-10.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,624

$5.46 MX$93.8

-38.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.77 ₩25.9K

$17.65 MX$303

6.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 ₩2,862

$2.06 MX$35.28

0.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 ₩2,553

$4.68 MX$80.4

-60.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 ₩1,440

$0.34 MX$5.81

205.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$357

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 ₩4,911

$2.10 MX$35.99

69.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩831

$0.56 MX$9.60

7.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.03 ₩12.5K

$5.81 MX$99.8

55.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 ₩1,920

$1.61 MX$27.56

-13.66%

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

$29.1K ₩40.2M

$22.8K MX$392.1K

27.61%

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

$28.2K ₩39.0M

$26.8K MX$459.2K

5.52%

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

$203 ₩279.9K

$65.2 MX$1,119

211.15%

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

$36.87 ₩50.9K

$30.09 MX$517

22.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.09 ₩27.7K

$37.18 MX$638

-45.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.5 ₩78.0K

$59.8 MX$1,026

-5.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.96 ₩16.5K

$26.55 MX$456

-54.95%

Cinema Ticket

$11.02 ₩15.2K

$7.04 MX$121

56.53%

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

$571 ₩787.8K

$465 MX$7,976

22.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K ₩24.5M

$13.3K MX$227.8K

33.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.5 ₩79.4K

$75.9 MX$1,303

-24.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.44 ₩44.8K

$56.0 MX$960

-42.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.6 ₩96.1K

$112 MX$1,920

-37.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.8 ₩112.9K

$121 MX$2,068

-32.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$443 ₩611.4K

$1,103 MX$18.9K

-59.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$357 ₩493.3K

$721 MX$12.4K

-50.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,151 ₩1.6M

$2,530 MX$43.4K

-54.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,042 ₩1.4M

$1,293 MX$22.2K

-19.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,019 ₩9.7M

$3,991 MX$68.5K

75.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,522 ₩7.6M

$2,090 MX$35.9K

164.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

11.3

-63.89%

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

Last update for Seongnam: September 13, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $443 in Seongnam and $1,103 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $41.00 in Seongnam vs $52.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $425 vs $345, 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

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

Seongnam and Mexico City differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($1,385 vs $1,660 including rent). Seongnam is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,077 in Seongnam and $2,489 in Mexico City to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $443 in Seongnam versus $1,103 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $571 in Seongnam versus $465 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Seongnam – a meal for two runs $41.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,385 in Seongnam versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Seongnam but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Seongnam 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, Seongnam 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 Seongnam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.