Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Budva

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,608 a month against $1,657 in Budva, rent and utilities included – about $590 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Mexico City, Mexico
Budva, Montenegro
Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,608
/mo nomad
Budva
🇲🇪 Montenegro
$1,657
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Budva

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Budva actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,608 per month in Mexico City vs $1,657 in Budva, rent included.

  • Mexico City $1,608
  • Budva $1,657

A couple spends around $2,549 per month in Mexico City vs $2,645 in Budva, rent included.

  • Mexico City $2,549
  • Budva $2,645

A family of three spends $3,490 per month in Mexico City vs $3,632 in Budva, rent included.

  • Mexico City $3,490
  • Budva $3,632

Mexico City is about 3% cheaper than Budva, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Mexico City and Budva sit above the global median – Mexico City by 18%, Budva by 22%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mexico City
Budva
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.62 MX$200
$15.79 €14.15
-32.74%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$48.35 MX$909
$75.8 €67.9
-36.21%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.35 MX$194
$13.51 €12.11
-23.39%
Cappuccino
$3.69 MX$69.4
$3.63 €3.25
1.65%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.67 MX$31.32
$2.57 €2.31
-35.02%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.27 MX$23.78
$1.67 €1.49
-23.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.19 MX$60.0
$4.87 €4.37
-34.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.31 MX$99.7
$4.36 €3.91
21.79%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
Budva
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.72 MX$32.41
$1.28 €1.15
34.37%
White Bread (500g)
$3.04 MX$57.1
$1.07 €0.96
184.11%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.48
$2.07 €1.85
-6.28%
Eggs
$2.89 MX$54.3
$3.04 €2.72
-4.93%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.97 MX$206
$8.62 €7.73
27.26%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.25 MX$174
$9.47 €8.48
-2.32%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.13 MX$284
$12.19 €10.93
24.12%
Apples (1kg)
$3.05 MX$57.3
$1.33 €1.20
129.32%
Banana (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.48
$1.73 €1.55
12.14%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.03 MX$38.06
$1.53 €1.37
32.68%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.31 MX$43.50
$2.92 €2.61
-20.89%
Potato (1kg)
$2.04 MX$38.25
$0.93 €0.83
119.35%
Onion (1kg)
$1.80 MX$33.83
$1.11 €0.99
62.16%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.48 MX$27.80
$1.74 €1.56
-14.94%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 MX$23.82
$1.04 €0.93
22.12%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.30 MX$99.7
$4.50 €4.03
17.78%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.10 MX$303
$9.07 €8.13
77.51%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.98 MX$37.27
$1.09 €0.97
81.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.25 MX$79.9
$1.89 €1.69
124.87%
🚌 Getting Around
Mexico City
Budva
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.31 MX$5.73
$3.26 €2.92
-90.49%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.73 MX$371
$39.24 €35.16
-49.72%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.84 MX$34.53
$1.10 €0.99
67.27%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 MX$10.03
$1.09 €0.97
-51.38%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.30 MX$99.5
$16.74 €15.00
-68.34%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.51 MX$28.39
$1.79 €1.61
-15.64%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.8K MX$408.8K
$29.3K €26.3K
-25.74%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.0K MX$450.8K
$26.2K €23.5K
-8.49%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
Budva
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$63.0 MX$1,184
$160 €144
-60.70%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$27.39 MX$515
$14.43 €12.93
89.81%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$35.67 MX$670
$33.34 €29.87
6.99%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
Budva
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$58.9 MX$1,108
$61.7 €55.3
-4.50%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.64 MX$444
$21.74 €19.48
8.74%
Cinema Ticket
$6.40 MX$120
$6.05 €5.42
5.79%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mexico City
Budva
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$432 MX$8,111
$408 €366
5.77%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.4K MX$214.7K
$10.2K €9,133
12.08%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
Budva
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$68.2 MX$1,282
$106 €95.2
-35.80%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$53.1 MX$999
$44.55 €39.92
19.26%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 MX$2,026
$107 €95.6
1.03%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$117 MX$2,204
$182 €163
-35.48%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
Budva
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,113 MX$20.9K
$828 €742
34.46%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$710 MX$13.4K
$614 €551
15.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,588 MX$48.6K
$1,671 €1,498
54.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,406 MX$26.4K
$1,213 €1,087
15.90%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,631 MX$68.2K
$4,087 €3,663
-11.16%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,135 MX$40.1K
$2,973 €2,664
-28.19%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mexico City
Budva
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$946 MX$17.8K
$1,037 €929
-8.76%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.35
5.95
90.76%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Budva: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
$710
Budva
$614 13.5% $96
Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
$320
Budva
$243 23.8% $76
Eating Out
Mexico City
$199
Budva
$261 31.2% $62
Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
$156
Budva
$198 26.8% $42
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
$126
Budva
$208 65% $82
Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
$72
Budva
$74 2.9% $2.1
Getting Around
Mexico City
$25
Budva
$59 131% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,113 in Mexico City versus $828 in Budva. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 10% higher in Budva. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Mexico City versus $76 in Budva. Groceries tell a different story – $320 in Mexico City vs $243 in Budva – so Budva wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🇲🇪 Budva
🕒 Local time
22:55 10:55 PM
05:55 5:55 AM
7 h ahead of Mexico City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,209,944 Capital
13,338
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mexico City Budva 10,670 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mexico City
  • Budva

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Mexico City vs Budva: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Mexico City and in Budva compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City, $1,657 in Budva – Mexico City comes out roughly 3% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Mexico City compared to Budva?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,412 per month in Mexico City and $2,485 in Budva. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Mexico City and Budva?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Budva, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $828 there versus $1,113 in Mexico City.
Which city is more expensive overall: Mexico City or Budva?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,608 in Mexico City and $1,657 in Budva. That makes Mexico City about 3% cheaper.
How do commuting costs compare in Mexico City and in Budva?
Public transport costs about 50% less in Mexico City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
How far does $3,000 go in Mexico City compared to Budva?
$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,608 in Mexico City and $1,657 in Budva, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
How does quality of life compare between Mexico City and Budva?
It depends on your priorities. Mexico City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,608 in Mexico City to $1,657 in Budva. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How do I decide between Mexico City and Budva?
If budget matters most, go with Mexico City. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Budva makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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