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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $877 in Popovo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,324 in Popovo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $1,772 in Popovo.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 68% more expensive than in Popovo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Popovo is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$9.00 BGN 14.97

46.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$30.08 BGN 50.0

77.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$6.97 BGN 11.59

33.86%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$1.21 BGN 2.02

205.79%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$0.74 BGN 1.23

116.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$1.40 BGN 2.34

-20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$2.98 BGN 4.95

5.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$3.17 BGN 5.27

53.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$1.11 BGN 1.85

48.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$1.03 BGN 1.71

163.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$1.58 BGN 2.62

20.89%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$1.83 BGN 3.04

41.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$6.01 BGN 10.01

63.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$8.36 BGN 13.90

0.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$13.04 BGN 21.69

-8.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$1.16 BGN 1.92

154.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$1.16 BGN 1.93

50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$1.16 BGN 1.93

75.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$2.13 BGN 3.55

-3.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$0.90 BGN 1.49

138.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$1.01 BGN 1.68

123.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$0.92 BGN 1.53

51.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$0.65 BGN 1.08

72.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$3.72 BGN 6.19

13.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$6.21 BGN 10.33

181.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$0.91 BGN 1.51

87.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$0.61 BGN 1.02

495.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$0.89 BGN 1.48

-60.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

$26.05 BGN 43.34

-25.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$0.56 BGN 0.94

146.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$0.51 BGN 0.85

-45.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$8.18 BGN 13.61

-35.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$1.56 BGN 2.59

-12.82%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$29.8K BGN 49.5K

-35.83%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$22.2K BGN 36.9K

6.34%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$118 BGN 196

-65.65%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$17.96 BGN 29.88

52.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$15.20 BGN 25.28

99.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$30.02 BGN 49.94

73.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

$14.60 BGN 24.29

81.37%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$7.15 BGN 11.89

-13.43%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$624 BGN 1,038

-31.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$5,422 BGN 9,019

98.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$53.1 BGN 88.3

9.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$36.45 BGN 60.6

22.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$71.2 BGN 118

45.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$46.97 BGN 78.1

131.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$292 BGN 485

247.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$234 BGN 389

166.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$479 BGN 796

342.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$351 BGN 584

248.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

$1,196 BGN 1,989

217.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

$980 BGN 1,631

115.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

$1,279 BGN 2,127

-17.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

3.09

266.99%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Last update for Popovo: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $292 in Popovo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Popovo pays 22% 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 $30.00 in Popovo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $196 per month, with Popovo 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 Popovo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Popovo differ by about 68% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $877 including rent). Popovo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 22% lower in Popovo. 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: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $292 in Popovo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Popovo runs roughly 35% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $624 in Popovo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $877 in Popovo versus $1,472 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Popovo but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Popovo 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 Popovo 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 Popovo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.