Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Montana

For one person, living is cheaper in Montana: $829 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Montana
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Montana Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Montana

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$829

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Montana actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $829 in Montana.

Mexico City $1,608
Montana $829

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $1,329 in Montana.

Mexico City $2,549
Montana $1,329

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $1,830 in Montana.

Mexico City $3,490
Montana $1,830

Living in Mexico City is roughly 94% more expensive than in Montana, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 18% above, Montana is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$200

$8.92 BGN 15.61

19.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$909

$35.11 BGN 61.5

37.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$194

$9.78 BGN 17.11

5.83%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$69.4

$1.44 BGN 2.52

156.25%

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

$1.67 MX$31.32

$1.39 BGN 2.43

20.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.78

$1.12 BGN 1.95

13.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$60.0

$1.33 BGN 2.33

139.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$99.7

$1.00 BGN 1.75

431.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.41

$1.68 BGN 2.93

2.38%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$57.1

$1.06 BGN 1.85

186.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.48

$2.12 BGN 3.71

-8.49%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$54.3

$2.71 BGN 4.74

6.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$206

$9.60 BGN 16.79

14.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$174

$3.24 BGN 5.67

185.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$284

$12.34 BGN 21.60

22.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$57.3

$1.21 BGN 2.13

152.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.48

$1.84 BGN 3.22

5.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$38.06

$1.69 BGN 2.96

20.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.50

$2.54 BGN 4.44

-9.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$38.25

$0.71 BGN 1.25

187.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.83

$0.88 BGN 1.54

104.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.80

$0.86 BGN 1.51

72.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.82

$0.52 BGN 0.91

144.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$99.7

$3.57 BGN 6.25

48.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$303

$6.04 BGN 10.57

166.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$37.27

$0.90 BGN 1.57

120.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.9

$1.15 BGN 2.02

269.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.73

$0.84 BGN 1.47

-63.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$371

$25.73 BGN 45.02

-23.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.53

$0.61 BGN 1.07

201.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$10.03

$0.44 BGN 0.78

20.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$99.5

$10.40 BGN 18.20

-49.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.39

$1.57 BGN 2.75

-3.82%

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

$21.8K MX$408.8K

$19.4K BGN 33.9K

12.15%

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

$24.0K MX$450.8K

$24.2K BGN 42.4K

-1.04%

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

$63.0 MX$1,184

$100 BGN 175

-37.02%

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

$27.39 MX$515

$18.53 BGN 32.42

47.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$670

$8.68 BGN 15.19

310.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,108

$31.54 BGN 55.2

86.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$444

$16.76 BGN 29.33

41.05%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$120

$5.49 BGN 9.60

16.58%

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

$432 MX$8,111

$604 BGN 1,057

-28.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$214.7K

$5,536 BGN 9,688

106.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,282

$67.0 BGN 117

1.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$999

$41.29 BGN 72.3

28.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,026

$96.3 BGN 169

11.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,204

$102 BGN 179

14.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.9K

$210 BGN 368

429.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.4K

$155 BGN 270

359.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.6K

$405 BGN 708

539.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.4K

$294 BGN 515

378.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$68.2K

$1,341 BGN 2,347

170.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$40.1K

$1,115 BGN 1,951

91.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.8K

$983 BGN 1,719

-3.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

3.1

266.13%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Montana: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Montana

$155 18.7% 78.2% $556

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Montana

$198 23.9% 38.1% $122

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Montana

$137 16.5% 31.2% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Montana

$138 16.7% 11.4% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Montana

$127 15.4% 0.9% $1.2

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Montana

$43 5.1% 40.7% $29

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Montana

$32 3.9% 25.4% $6.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Mexico City and $210 in Montana. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montana pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48 in Mexico City vs $35 in Montana for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $198 per month, with Montana cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇧🇬 Montana

🕒 Local time

23:45 11:45 PM

07:45 7:45 AM

8 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

44,502

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

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).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BGN (1 BGN = 0.512 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

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Between locations

Mexico City Montana 10,890 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Montana

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 Montana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,608 in Mexico City and $829 in Montana, so Montana is about 48% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 4% lower in Mexico City. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,113 in Mexico City versus $210 in Montana. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 23% less than in Montana. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $432 in Mexico City versus $604 in Montana. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $829 in Montana versus $1,608 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Montana but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Montana 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.