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: $1,640 in Seongnam versus $1,484 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,448 in Seongnam versus $2,381 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,256 in Seongnam versus $3,278 in Mexico City.

Living in Seongnam is roughly 11% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seongnam 22% above, Mexico City 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.04 ₩8,956

$12.98 MX$227

-53.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.21 ₩62.6K

$53.1 MX$929

-20.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.44 ₩6,591

$9.72 MX$170

-54.32%

Cappuccino

$3.76 ₩5,580

$3.75 MX$65.6

0.27%

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

$1.55 ₩2,293

$1.57 MX$27.46

-1.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 ₩1,177

$1.13 MX$19.76

-30.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.50 ₩3,712

$3.18 MX$55.7

-21.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ₩5,525

$4.66 MX$81.6

-20.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 ₩3,167

$1.62 MX$28.37

32.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.12 ₩3,145

$2.71 MX$47.36

-21.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.22 ₩4,781

$1.88 MX$32.89

71.28%

Eggs

$3.07 ₩4,557

$2.51 MX$43.90

22.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.96 ₩13.3K

$10.08 MX$176

-11.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.78 ₩11.5K

$8.29 MX$145

-6.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$33.70 ₩50.0K

$11.94 MX$209

182.24%

Apples (1kg)

$7.92 ₩11.7K

$2.86 MX$50.1

176.92%

Banana (1kg)

$3.47 ₩5,140

$1.75 MX$30.62

98.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.67 ₩8,417

$2.08 MX$36.48

172.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.40 ₩9,492

$1.97 MX$34.46

224.87%

Potato (1kg)

$3.52 ₩5,225

$2.16 MX$37.79

62.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 ₩4,279

$2.18 MX$38.16

32.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 ₩3,786

$1.39 MX$24.34

83.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 ₩1,392

$1.12 MX$19.69

-16.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.38 ₩5,009

$4.20 MX$73.5

-19.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.64 ₩24.7K

$14.25 MX$249

16.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ₩2,662

$1.76 MX$30.85

1.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 ₩2,785

$3.68 MX$64.5

-48.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 ₩1,550

$0.39 MX$6.74

166.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.50 ₩5,199

$1.39 MX$24.26

151.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ₩852

$0.30 MX$5.32

90.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.72 ₩12.9K

$5.42 MX$94.9

60.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 ₩1,837

$1.35 MX$23.63

-8.15%

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

$27.8K ₩41.3M

$18.9K MX$330.5K

47.33%

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

$25.1K ₩37.2M

$23.2K MX$405.2K

8.39%

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

$163 ₩241.1K

$40.82 MX$714

298.14%

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

$34.58 ₩51.3K

$27.50 MX$481

25.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.44 ₩33.3K

$30.38 MX$532

-26.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 ₩71.3K

$53.4 MX$935

-9.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$10.95 ₩16.2K

$6.27 MX$110

74.64%

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

$411 ₩609.8K

$436 MX$7,632

-5.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K ₩35.1M

$10.5K MX$183.2K

125.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ₩88.3K

$56.8 MX$993

4.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.41 ₩70.3K

$44.79 MX$784

5.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₩117.6K

$103 MX$1,799

-22.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 ₩173.1K

$108 MX$1,888

8.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$449 ₩666.6K

$1,000 MX$17.5K

-55.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 ₩970.5K

$620 MX$10.9K

5.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 ₩1.6M

$2,137 MX$37.4K

-49.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,047 ₩1.6M

$1,235 MX$21.6K

-15.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.2K ₩18.2M

$3,865 MX$67.6K

216.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,803 ₩8.6M

$2,332 MX$40.8K

148.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,453 ₩5.1M

$1,067 MX$18.7K

223.50%

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: April 28, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $449 in Seongnam and $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seongnam pays 224% 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: $42.00 in Seongnam vs $53.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $433 vs $286, 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 11% in total monthly costs ($1,640 vs $1,484 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Seongnam pays 224% 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: $449 in Seongnam versus $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $411 in Seongnam versus $436 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 $42.00 in Seongnam. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,484 in Mexico City versus $1,640 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 11% less than in Seongnam. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.