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: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $876 in Popovo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,339 in Popovo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $1,801 in Popovo.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 69% more expensive than Popovo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Popovo is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$8.99 BGN 15.02

44.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$29.33 BGN 48.98

80.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$7.27 BGN 12.15

33.70%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$1.15 BGN 1.92

226.09%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$0.79 BGN 1.32

98.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$1.41 BGN 2.35

-19.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$2.89 BGN 4.83

10.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$3.31 BGN 5.53

40.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$1.10 BGN 1.83

47.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$1.03 BGN 1.72

163.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$1.55 BGN 2.58

21.29%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$1.93 BGN 3.22

30.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$5.74 BGN 9.59

75.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$8.76 BGN 14.63

-5.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$12.94 BGN 21.60

-7.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$1.16 BGN 1.94

146.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$1.19 BGN 1.99

47.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$1.16 BGN 1.94

79.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$2.21 BGN 3.70

-10.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$0.96 BGN 1.61

125.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$1.04 BGN 1.74

109.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$0.98 BGN 1.63

41.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$0.60 BGN 1.01

86.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$3.80 BGN 6.35

10.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$7.36 BGN 12.30

93.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$0.85 BGN 1.42

107.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$0.57 BGN 0.95

545.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.90 BGN 1.50

-56.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

$26.72 BGN 44.63

-30.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$0.61 BGN 1.02

127.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$0.54 BGN 0.91

-44.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$8.24 BGN 13.77

-34.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$1.58 BGN 2.64

-14.56%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$29.6K BGN 49.5K

-36.28%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$22.3K BGN 37.2K

3.82%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$116 BGN 194

-64.91%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$17.83 BGN 29.78

54.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$15.44 BGN 25.78

96.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$29.36 BGN 49.03

81.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

$14.91 BGN 24.90

76.39%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$7.15 BGN 11.95

-12.31%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$628 BGN 1,049

-30.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$5,379 BGN 8,983

94.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$52.8 BGN 88.2

7.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$36.14 BGN 60.4

23.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$70.2 BGN 117

46.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$46.90 BGN 78.3

130.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$290 BGN 484

244.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$235 BGN 393

163.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$478 BGN 797

347.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$358 BGN 598

245.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$1,583 BGN 2,644

144.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$1,081 BGN 1,805

115.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

$1,326 BGN 2,215

-19.52%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Popovo: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $290 in Popovo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Popovo pays 24% 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 $286 vs $200 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 69% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $876 including rent). Popovo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Popovo earns 24% 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $290 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 43% 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 $628 in Popovo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $876 in Popovo versus $1,484 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 69% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.