Cost of Living · KR vs MX
🇰🇷 Seoul vs 🇲🇽 Mexico City: what everyday life costs
Monthly essentials: $1,390 in South Korea vs $1,258 in Mexico — 9.47% cheaper.
Biggest differences
Much cheaper in Mexico
- 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center: -10.76%
- 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center: -10.76%
- 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center: -10.76%
Closest to South Korea prices
- ⛽ Petrol/gasoline, 1L: -2.53%
- 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle: -3.14%
- 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand): -3.19%
The full basket (32 items)
| Item | South Korea | Mexico | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center | $937 | $836 (16,084 MXN) | -10.76% |
| 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center | $750 | $669 (12,867 MXN) | -10.76% |
| 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center | $1,713 | $1,529 (29,410 MXN) | -10.76% |
| Food out | |||
| 🍜 Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $11.02 | $10.07 (194 MXN) | -8.62% |
| 🍽️ Dinner for two, mid-range | $45.90 | $41.98 (808 MXN) | -8.54% |
| 🍔 Fast-food combo meal | $7.04 | $6.49 (125 MXN) | -7.81% |
| Groceries | |||
| 🥛 Milk, 1L | $0.77 | $0.72 (14 MXN) | -6.49% |
| 🍞 Bread, fresh loaf 500g | $2.24 | $2.10 (40 MXN) | -6.25% |
| 🥚 Eggs, dozen | $2.38 | $2.23 (43 MXN) | -6.3% |
| 🍗 Chicken breast, 1kg | $7.00 | $6.56 (126 MXN) | -6.29% |
| 🍚 White rice, 1kg | $2.80 | $2.62 (50 MXN) | -6.43% |
| 🍎 Apples, 1kg | $3.36 | $3.15 (61 MXN) | -6.25% |
| 🧀 Local cheese, 1kg | $8.40 | $7.87 (151 MXN) | -6.31% |
| 💧 Water, 1.5L bottle | $1.40 | $1.31 (25 MXN) | -6.43% |
| Drinks | |||
| 🍺 Domestic beer, pint (draught) | $3.67 | $3.36 (65 MXN) | -8.45% |
| 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle | $6.69 | $6.48 (125 MXN) | -3.14% |
| ☕ Cappuccino | $3.06 | $2.80 (54 MXN) | -8.5% |
| 🥤 Coke/Pepsi, 330ml | $1.61 | $1.51 (29 MXN) | -6.21% |
| Transport | |||
| 🚇 Public transport, monthly pass | $41.60 | $38.35 (738 MXN) | -7.81% |
| 🎫 Public transport, one-way | $1.76 | $1.62 (31 MXN) | -7.95% |
| 🚕 Taxi start (normal tariff) | $2.45 | $2.24 (43 MXN) | -8.57% |
| 🛣️ Taxi, per km | $1.10 | $1.01 (19 MXN) | -8.18% |
| ⛽ Petrol/gasoline, 1L | $0.79 | $0.77 (15 MXN) | -2.53% |
| Utilities & comms | |||
| 💡 Basic utilities, 85m² apartment | $128 | $118 (2,270 MXN) | -7.81% |
| 🌐 Internet, 60Mbps+ unlimited | $44.80 | $41.30 (795 MXN) | -7.81% |
| 📱 Mobile plan, 10GB+ data | $28.80 | $26.55 (511 MXN) | -7.81% |
| Lifestyle | |||
| 🏋️ Gym membership, month | $30.60 | $27.98 (538 MXN) | -8.56% |
| 🎬 Cinema seat | $8.57 | $7.84 (151 MXN) | -8.52% |
| 💈 Men's haircut | $18.36 | $16.79 (323 MXN) | -8.55% |
| 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand) | $46.01 | $44.54 (857 MXN) | -3.19% |
| 👟 Running shoes (brand) | $75.29 | $72.88 (1,402 MXN) | -3.2% |
| 💻 Coworking hot desk, month | $153 | $140 (2,692 MXN) | -8.56% |
Estimated from World Bank — Consumption price levels with per-item elasticity — model figures, not quotes. Compare any pair in the interactive tool.
Related
Frequently asked questions
- How much cheaper is Mexico than South Korea?
- A single person's monthly essentials run about $1,258 in Mexico versus $1,390 in South Korea — 9.47% less. Rents differ the most; world-priced goods like petrol and electronics the least.
- What does a beer cost in Mexico?
- A domestic draught pint is roughly $3.36 in Mexico (≈ 64.64 MXN), versus about $3.67 in South Korea.
- How much is rent in Mexico compared to South Korea?
- A 1-bedroom city-center apartment is estimated at $836/month in Mexico versus $937/month in South Korea (-10.76%). Housing is the most locally-priced item in the basket.
- How are these prices estimated?
- Curated US baseline prices scaled by each country's purchasing-power price level with per-item elasticities (housing 1.4, services 1.1, groceries 0.8, world-priced goods 0.4) — model estimates for orientation, not quotes.