Cost of Living Comparison Between Setagaya-ku and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Setagaya-ku and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,175 in Setagaya-ku versus $1,646 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,805 in Setagaya-ku versus $2,613 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,434 in Setagaya-ku versus $3,580 in Mexico City.

Living in Setagaya-ku costs roughly 29% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Setagaya-ku is 14% below, Mexico City is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.27 ¥976

$12.11 MX$205

-48.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.53 ¥3,973

$52.2 MX$883

-51.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.47 ¥696

$10.90 MX$184

-58.99%

Cappuccino

$2.89 ¥450

$4.05 MX$68.5

-28.64%

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

$1.07 ¥167

$1.72 MX$29.00

-37.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥93.8

$1.38 MX$23.29

-56.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 ¥349

$3.47 MX$58.6

-35.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 ¥477

$5.81 MX$98.2

-47.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 ¥192

$1.85 MX$31.33

-32.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 ¥265

$3.22 MX$54.5

-46.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.57 ¥556

$2.09 MX$35.25

70.81%

Eggs

$1.22 ¥190

$2.91 MX$49.18

-58.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.57 ¥1,800

$12.49 MX$211

-7.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.85 ¥911

$10.11 MX$171

-42.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.22 ¥2,213

$15.89 MX$269

-10.51%

Apples (1kg)

$5.69 ¥885

$3.31 MX$56.0

71.90%

Banana (1kg)

$2.79 ¥435

$2.13 MX$35.95

30.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.77 ¥431

$2.19 MX$37.03

26.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.07 ¥634

$2.45 MX$41.37

66.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.62 ¥407

$2.19 MX$37.00

19.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 ¥412

$1.90 MX$32.20

39.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 ¥197

$1.62 MX$27.31

-22.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ¥83.5

$1.35 MX$22.82

-60.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.70 ¥576

$5.43 MX$91.7

-31.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.28 ¥978

$17.59 MX$297

-64.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 ¥267

$2.07 MX$34.96

-17.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 ¥312

$4.75 MX$80.2

-57.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.46 ¥227

$0.34 MX$5.75

329.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.8 ¥9,152

$21.58 MX$365

172.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.61 ¥405

$2.04 MX$34.49

27.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.55 ¥397

$0.58 MX$9.77

339.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.04 ¥3,119

$5.97 MX$101

235.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 ¥164

$1.62 MX$27.31

-34.57%

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

$21.6K ¥3.4M

$22.8K MX$385.6K

-5.23%

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

$17.8K ¥2.8M

$26.7K MX$450.7K

-33.28%

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

$130 ¥20.3K

$65.2 MX$1,103

99.57%

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

$24.06 ¥3,745

$29.87 MX$505

-19.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.88 ¥4,962

$36.55 MX$618

-12.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.4 ¥7,851

$61.0 MX$1,031

-17.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$451

Cinema Ticket

$11.79 ¥1,835

$6.85 MX$116

72.12%

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

$635 ¥98.8K

$453 MX$7,664

39.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.5K ¥2.3M

$13.4K MX$226.0K

8.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.87 ¥5,739

$75.0 MX$1,267

-50.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.69 ¥5,087

$55.3 MX$935

-40.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.4 ¥9,402

$114 MX$1,920

-46.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.1 ¥9,660

$123 MX$2,073

-49.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$459 ¥71.4K

$1,134 MX$19.2K

-59.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$320 ¥49.9K

$712 MX$12.0K

-55.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,206 ¥187.8K

$2,571 MX$43.5K

-53.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$693 ¥107.8K

$1,311 MX$22.2K

-47.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,726 ¥735.6K

$3,993 MX$67.5K

18.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,124 ¥330.6K

$2,095 MX$35.4K

1.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,446 ¥225.1K

$1,047 MX$17.7K

38.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

-82.30%

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

Last update for Setagaya-ku: August 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $459 in Setagaya-ku and $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Setagaya-ku pays 38% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $26.00 in Setagaya-ku vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $282 vs $345 per month, with Setagaya-ku 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

Setagaya-ku vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Setagaya-ku and Mexico City differ by about 40% in total monthly costs ($1,175 vs $1,646 including rent). Setagaya-ku is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 38% higher in Setagaya-ku, 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: $459 in Setagaya-ku versus $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Setagaya-ku runs roughly 172% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $635 in Setagaya-ku versus $453 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,175 in Setagaya-ku versus $1,646 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Setagaya-ku but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Setagaya-ku 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, Setagaya-ku 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 Setagaya-ku gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.