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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,444 in Ulsan versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,188 in Ulsan versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,932 in Ulsan versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Ulsan costs roughly 2% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ulsan 8% above, Mexico City 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.46 ₩9,791

$13.18 MX$228

-50.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.90 ₩45.3K

$53.9 MX$932

-44.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.83 ₩7,313

$9.42 MX$163

-48.73%

Cappuccino

$3.15 ₩4,766

$3.55 MX$61.4

-11.27%

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

$1.12 ₩1,691

$1.62 MX$27.98

-30.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ₩591

$1.11 MX$19.27

-64.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.60 ₩3,935

$3.12 MX$54.0

-16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 ₩4,984

$4.63 MX$80.1

-28.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ₩2,640

$1.70 MX$29.43

2.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 ₩3,315

$2.72 MX$47.02

-19.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 ₩2,717

$1.91 MX$33.07

-6.28%

Eggs

$2.88 ₩4,362

$2.54 MX$43.86

13.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₩16.0K

$10.03 MX$174

5.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.30 ₩12.6K

$8.09 MX$140

2.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.12 ₩41.1K

$11.62 MX$201

133.39%

Apples (1kg)

$7.16 ₩10.8K

$2.97 MX$51.3

141.08%

Banana (1kg)

$3.28 ₩4,975

$1.81 MX$31.24

81.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.29 ₩11.0K

$2.01 MX$34.82

262.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.43 ₩6,712

$2.03 MX$35.20

118.23%

Potato (1kg)

$3.74 ₩5,662

$2.12 MX$36.75

76.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.47 ₩3,738

$2.27 MX$39.25

8.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 ₩3,151

$1.40 MX$24.22

48.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ₩1,365

$1.13 MX$19.55

-20.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 ₩5,032

$4.27 MX$73.9

-22.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.65 ₩25.2K

$15.56 MX$269

7.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 ₩2,560

$1.76 MX$30.39

-3.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 ₩5,260

$3.60 MX$62.2

-3.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 ₩1,418

$0.38 MX$6.62

147.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.40 ₩3,630

$1.38 MX$23.79

73.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 ₩1,191

$0.28 MX$4.78

182.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.48 ₩25.0K

$5.45 MX$94.2

202.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 ₩1,785

$1.30 MX$22.55

-9.23%

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

$27.6K ₩41.9M

$18.7K MX$323.2K

47.86%

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

$25.2K ₩38.2M

$23.1K MX$400.1K

8.95%

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

$187 ₩283.3K

$40.86 MX$707

357.51%

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

$50.3 ₩76.2K

$26.81 MX$464

87.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.92 ₩42.3K

$29.96 MX$518

-6.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.4 ₩90.0K

$52.0 MX$900

14.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

Cinema Ticket

$10.27 ₩15.6K

$6.30 MX$109

63.02%

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

$252 ₩382.6K

$436 MX$7,544

-42.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.9K ₩21.0M

$10.4K MX$180.2K

33.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 ₩154.3K

$56.7 MX$980

79.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.53 ₩72.0K

$44.38 MX$768

7.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 ₩131.7K

$103 MX$1,780

-15.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 ₩174.9K

$106 MX$1,825

9.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$275 ₩416.9K

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-73.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 ₩562.0K

$631 MX$10.9K

-41.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 ₩1.6M

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-50.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$764 ₩1.2M

$1,243 MX$21.5K

-38.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 ₩5.9M

$3,903 MX$67.5K

0.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,353 ₩3.6M

$2,064 MX$35.7K

13.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,022 ₩3.1M

$1,115 MX$19.3K

81.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

-64.73%

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

Last update for Ulsan: June 2, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $275 in Ulsan and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ulsan pays 81% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $30.00 in Ulsan vs $54.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $403 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

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

Ulsan and Mexico City differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($1,444 vs $1,467 including rent). Ulsan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Ulsan pays 81% 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: $275 in Ulsan versus $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $252 in Ulsan 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 Ulsan – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,444 in Ulsan versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ulsan but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Ulsan 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, Ulsan 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 Ulsan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.