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: $1,661 in Seongnam versus $1,447 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,454 in Seongnam versus $2,310 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Seongnam versus $3,174 in Mexico City.

Living in Seongnam is roughly 15% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seongnam 24% above, Mexico City 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.82 ₩8,835

$12.98 MX$223

-55.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.89 ₩65.1K

$52.6 MX$903

-18.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.46 ₩6,768

$9.43 MX$162

-52.70%

Cappuccino

$3.88 ₩5,891

$3.57 MX$61.3

8.68%

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

$1.52 ₩2,301

$1.61 MX$27.55

-5.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 ₩1,192

$1.15 MX$19.81

-31.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ₩3,870

$3.15 MX$54.0

-19.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 ₩5,532

$4.86 MX$83.4

-25.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 ₩3,398

$1.70 MX$29.17

31.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.12 ₩3,224

$2.64 MX$45.23

-19.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.23 ₩4,904

$1.90 MX$32.67

70.00%

Eggs

$3.07 ₩4,666

$2.54 MX$43.62

20.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.42 ₩14.3K

$10.08 MX$173

-6.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.38 ₩11.2K

$8.29 MX$142

-10.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$34.03 ₩51.7K

$11.57 MX$199

194.12%

Apples (1kg)

$7.91 ₩12.0K

$3.03 MX$52.0

161.06%

Banana (1kg)

$3.46 ₩5,261

$1.71 MX$29.35

102.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 ₩8,371

$2.05 MX$35.16

168.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.43 ₩9,770

$2.06 MX$35.36

212.14%

Potato (1kg)

$3.59 ₩5,456

$2.06 MX$35.43

74.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.96 ₩4,491

$2.17 MX$37.25

36.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 ₩3,882

$1.40 MX$24.08

82.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 ₩1,435

$1.12 MX$19.26

-15.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.22 ₩4,889

$4.29 MX$73.7

-24.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.20 ₩24.6K

$15.41 MX$265

5.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ₩2,771

$1.67 MX$28.74

8.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 ₩2,863

$3.69 MX$63.3

-48.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 ₩1,594

$0.38 MX$6.55

176.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 ₩5,440

$1.38 MX$23.70

159.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.54 ₩812

$0.28 MX$4.74

92.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.69 ₩13.2K

$5.42 MX$92.9

60.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 ₩1,818

$1.28 MX$21.98

-6.25%

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

$27.2K ₩41.3M

$19.0K MX$325.8K

43.27%

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

$24.9K ₩37.8M

$23.5K MX$402.7K

6.08%

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

$165 ₩250.4K

$41.02 MX$704

302.00%

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

$34.89 ₩53.0K

$26.92 MX$462

29.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.27 ₩33.8K

$29.69 MX$510

-24.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.97 ₩71.3K

$52.3 MX$898

-10.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

Cinema Ticket

$11.11 ₩16.9K

$6.18 MX$106

79.77%

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

$410 ₩622.1K

$427 MX$7,331

-4.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₩35.4M

$10.7K MX$183.6K

117.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.4 ₩90.2K

$56.8 MX$975

4.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.64 ₩70.8K

$44.83 MX$769

4.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.3 ₩118.9K

$105 MX$1,794

-25.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 ₩175.6K

$106 MX$1,819

9.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$440 ₩668.1K

$995 MX$17.1K

-55.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$660 ₩1.0M

$621 MX$10.7K

6.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,085 ₩1.6M

$2,126 MX$36.5K

-48.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 ₩1.6M

$1,254 MX$21.5K

-18.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.6K ₩20.6M

$3,903 MX$67.0K

248.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,955 ₩9.0M

$2,096 MX$36.0K

184.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,328 ₩6.6M

$1,107 MX$19.0K

290.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.14

11.34

-63.49%

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

Last update for Seongnam: June 7, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $440 in Seongnam and $995 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seongnam pays 291% 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: $43.00 in Seongnam vs $53.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $434 vs $288, 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 15% in total monthly costs ($1,661 vs $1,447 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Seongnam pays 291% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $440 in Seongnam versus $995 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $410 in Seongnam versus $427 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 Mexico City – a meal for two runs $53.0 versus $43.00 in Seongnam. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,447 in Mexico City versus $1,661 in Seongnam, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Seongnam. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City 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 Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Seongnam. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.