Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Pleven

For one person, living is cheaper in Pleven: $887 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 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
43

Cost of Living Index in Pleven
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Pleven Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Pleven

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$887

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $887 in Pleven.

Mexico City $1,608
Pleven $887

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $1,418 in Pleven.

Mexico City $2,549
Pleven $1,418

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $1,948 in Pleven.

Mexico City $3,490
Pleven $1,948

Living in Mexico City is roughly 81% more expensive than in Pleven, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 18% above, Pleven is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$199

$8.72 BGN 15.26

21.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$908

$29.16 BGN 51.0

65.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$194

$6.35 BGN 11.12

62.99%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$69.3

$2.10 BGN 3.67

75.71%

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

$1.67 MX$31.29

$1.27 BGN 2.22

31.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.76

$1.15 BGN 2.02

10.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.9

$2.18 BGN 3.81

46.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$99.6

$2.24 BGN 3.93

137.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.38

$1.64 BGN 2.88

4.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$57.1

$1.16 BGN 2.02

162.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.44

$1.71 BGN 2.99

13.45%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$54.2

$3.57 BGN 6.25

-19.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$206

$8.93 BGN 15.63

22.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$174

$7.88 BGN 13.79

17.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$284

$14.28 BGN 24.99

5.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$57.2

$1.25 BGN 2.18

144.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.45

$1.99 BGN 3.48

-2.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$38.02

$2.13 BGN 3.74

-4.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.46

$2.26 BGN 3.96

2.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$38.21

$1.17 BGN 2.05

74.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.79

$1.07 BGN 1.88

68.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.77

$1.06 BGN 1.85

39.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.80

$0.74 BGN 1.30

71.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$99.6

$3.63 BGN 6.36

46.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$302

$6.37 BGN 11.14

152.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$37.23

$0.78 BGN 1.36

153.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.8

$1.13 BGN 1.97

276.11%

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

$40.38 BGN 70.7

-51.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.50

$1.62 BGN 2.83

13.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$10.02

$0.90 BGN 1.57

-41.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$99.4

$12.02 BGN 21.04

-55.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.36

$1.64 BGN 2.86

-7.93%

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

$21.8K MX$408.4K

$29.4K BGN 51.5K

-26.12%

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

$24.0K MX$450.3K

$24.9K BGN 43.7K

-3.85%

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

$63.0 MX$1,182

$95.6 BGN 167

-34.15%

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

$27.39 MX$514

$15.87 BGN 27.78

72.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$670

$10.80 BGN 18.89

230.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,107

$35.45 BGN 62.0

66.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$444

$24.29 BGN 42.52

-2.68%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$120

$8.66 BGN 15.16

-26.10%

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

$432 MX$8,103

$505 BGN 884

-14.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$214.5K

$6,321 BGN 11.1K

80.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,281

$40.48 BGN 70.9

68.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$997

$28.02 BGN 49.04

89.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,023

$94.0 BGN 165

14.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,202

$100 BGN 176

16.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.9K

$331 BGN 578

236.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.3K

$171 BGN 300

314.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.6K

$568 BGN 993

356.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.4K

$333 BGN 582

322.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$68.2K

$1,450 BGN 2,537

150.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$40.1K

$1,133 BGN 1,982

88.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.8K

$939 BGN 1,643

0.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

2.82

302.48%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Pleven: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Pleven

$171 19.3% 75.9% $539

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Pleven

$234 26.4% 26.8% $86

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Pleven

$139 15.7% 30% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Pleven

$118 13.3% 24.1% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Pleven

$122 13.8% 3% $3.7

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Pleven

$53 6% 26.4% $19

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Pleven

$50 5.6% 95.8% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Mexico City and $331 in Pleven. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48 in Mexico City vs $29 in Pleven for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $234 per month, with Pleven cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇧🇬 Pleven

🕒 Local time

21:57 9:57 PM

05:57 5:57 AM

8 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

111,567

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.33 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 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 1, 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Pleven 10,980 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Pleven

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 Pleven: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,608 in Mexico City and $887 in Pleven, so Pleven is about 45% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $2,412 in Mexico City and $1,331 in Pleven to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,113 in Mexico City versus $331 in Pleven. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 51% less than in Pleven. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $432 in Mexico City versus $505 in Pleven. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $887 in Pleven versus $1,608 in Mexico City, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Pleven but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Pleven 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.