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: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $882 in Popovo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $1,324 in Popovo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $1,766 in Popovo.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 64% more expensive than Popovo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 8% above, Popovo is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$223

$8.64 BGN 14.38

50.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$903

$29.46 BGN 49.01

78.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$162

$7.17 BGN 11.93

31.52%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$61.3

$1.20 BGN 1.99

197.50%

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

$1.61 MX$27.55

$0.79 BGN 1.32

103.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.81

$1.48 BGN 2.46

-22.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$54.0

$2.96 BGN 4.93

6.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$83.4

$3.18 BGN 5.30

52.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.17

$1.13 BGN 1.89

50.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.23

$1.01 BGN 1.68

161.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.67

$1.55 BGN 2.58

22.58%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.62

$1.86 BGN 3.09

36.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$173

$6.00 BGN 9.98

68.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$142

$8.35 BGN 13.89

-0.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$199

$13.22 BGN 22.00

-12.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.0

$1.19 BGN 1.98

154.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.35

$1.21 BGN 2.00

41.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.16

$1.20 BGN 1.99

70.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.36

$2.24 BGN 3.72

-8.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.43

$0.90 BGN 1.49

128.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.25

$1.06 BGN 1.76

104.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.08

$0.98 BGN 1.63

42.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.26

$0.64 BGN 1.06

75.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$73.7

$3.79 BGN 6.30

13.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$265

$5.98 BGN 9.95

157.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.74

$0.89 BGN 1.49

87.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$63.3

$0.58 BGN 0.96

536.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.55

$0.87 BGN 1.45

-56.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

$26.71 BGN 44.44

-28.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.70

$0.61 BGN 1.01

126.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.74

$0.55 BGN 0.91

-49.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$92.9

$8.02 BGN 13.35

-32.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$21.98

$1.58 BGN 2.62

-18.99%

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

$19.0K MX$325.8K

$29.5K BGN 49.0K

-35.59%

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

$23.5K MX$402.7K

$22.8K BGN 37.9K

3.10%

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

$41.02 MX$704

$116 BGN 193

-64.59%

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

$26.92 MX$462

$18.25 BGN 30.36

47.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$510

$15.44 BGN 25.68

92.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$898

$28.94 BGN 48.14

80.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

$14.79 BGN 24.61

77.35%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$106

$7.19 BGN 11.95

-14.05%

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

$427 MX$7,331

$645 BGN 1,073

-33.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$183.6K

$5,425 BGN 9,024

97.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$975

$53.7 BGN 89.4

5.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$769

$36.65 BGN 61.0

22.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,794

$70.3 BGN 117

48.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,819

$46.30 BGN 77.0

128.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.1K

$288 BGN 479

245.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.7K

$237 BGN 394

162.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$36.5K

$468 BGN 779

354.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.5K

$354 BGN 590

253.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

$1,336 BGN 2,223

192.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

$1,102 BGN 1,834

90.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

$1,279 BGN 2,128

-13.45%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Popovo: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Mexico City and $288 in Popovo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Popovo pays 16% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $29.00 in Popovo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $198 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 64% in total monthly costs ($1,447 vs $882 including rent). Popovo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Popovo earns 16% 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: $995 in Mexico City versus $288 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 40% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $645 in Popovo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $882 in Popovo versus $1,447 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 64% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.