Most parking meter rates in the Seaport District will change by 50 cents starting on Monday, a first step toward introducing flexible parking rates to busy city neighborhoods.

The cost to park at a majority of the estimated 550 parking meters in the district will drop to $1 per hour, while others will increase to $2 per hour, the city announced Tuesday.

“This price change is a result of tracking peak parking times, which allows us to make smarter decisions about how much parking should cost,’’ said Mayor Martin J. Walsh in a statement.

The price change is based on data collected by sensors installed in the meters that measure demand for a parking spot. Prices will be adjusted every two months, the city said.

Other spots will remain at $1.50 per hour, the base price set when the city rolled out the Performance Parking Pilot in January as a way to address traffic congestion in the Seaport District and the Back Bay. The hourly rate for the Back Bay was increased to a fixed price of $3.75, from $1.25 per hour. Parking on Sunday will be free.

The program is testing new pricing models in each neighborhood. The goal is to have at least one open spot per block, city officials said.

“The goal of performance parking is for Boston drivers to park easier and circle less,’’ said Chris Osgood, chief of streets, in the statement. “These new rates are expected to signal to drivers blocks where it’s easier to find a parking space, cutting down on the time it takes to find a parking spot and reducing congestion on our streets and emissions in our air.’’

Prices will be posted on meters and in the city’s Park Boston App.