Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Plovdiv Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Plovdiv

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,102 in Plovdiv.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,712 in Plovdiv.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,321 in Plovdiv.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 33% more expensive than Plovdiv, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Plovdiv is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$8.70 BGN 14.47

51.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$47.28 BGN 78.7

14.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$8.69 BGN 14.46

8.40%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$2.49 BGN 4.15

42.57%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$1.49 BGN 2.48

8.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.91 BGN 1.51

21.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$2.99 BGN 4.97

4.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$2.93 BGN 4.88

58.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.81 BGN 3.02

-6.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$1.07 BGN 1.78

154.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$2.11 BGN 3.51

-9.48%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$3.40 BGN 5.66

-25.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$11.61 BGN 19.31

-13.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$7.95 BGN 13.22

1.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$12.02 BGN 19.99

-3.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$1.50 BGN 2.49

98.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.76 BGN 2.93

2.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$1.66 BGN 2.76

21.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$2.48 BGN 4.12

-18.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$1.02 BGN 1.70

107.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$1.14 BGN 1.90

99.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$1.09 BGN 1.82

28.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.77 BGN 1.28

46.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$3.61 BGN 6.01

18.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$6.07 BGN 10.11

156.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$1.04 BGN 1.73

69.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$1.80 BGN 2.99

100.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.60 BGN 1.00

-36.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$28.44 BGN 47.32

-32.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$1.16 BGN 1.93

18.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.66 BGN 1.09

-57.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$10.48 BGN 17.44

-48.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.50 BGN 2.50

-13.33%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$31.9K BGN 53.1K

-41.48%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$28.7K BGN 47.8K

-19.54%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$97.8 BGN 163

-58.23%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$18.10 BGN 30.11

48.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$15.31 BGN 25.47

95.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$37.70 BGN 62.7

37.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$14.69 BGN 24.44

82.71%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$8.96 BGN 14.90

-29.69%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$425 BGN 706

2.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$7,126 BGN 11.9K

46.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$61.5 BGN 102

-7.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$35.35 BGN 58.8

25.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$98.1 BGN 163

4.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$106 BGN 176

-0.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$482 BGN 802

112.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$336 BGN 558

88.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$816 BGN 1,357

161.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$609 BGN 1,013

104.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$2,299 BGN 3,824

69.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$1,556 BGN 2,589

32.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$1,160 BGN 1,929

-3.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

4.49

152.56%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Plovdiv: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $482 in Plovdiv. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Plovdiv 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $47.00 in Plovdiv for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $238 per month, with Plovdiv cheaper across the board.

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 Plovdiv: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Plovdiv differ by about 33% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $1,102 including rent). Plovdiv is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Plovdiv earns 4% less. 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $482 in Plovdiv. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Plovdiv runs roughly 48% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $425 in Plovdiv. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,102 in Plovdiv versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Plovdiv but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Plovdiv 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.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Plovdiv are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Plovdiv gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.