Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,483 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $2,195 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,906 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 1% less than in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 10% above, Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$10.82 ₡4,945

21.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$49.25 ₡22.5K

9.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$9.88 ₡4,516

-4.66%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$2.73 ₡1,247

30.04%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$2.04 ₡932

-20.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$1.58 ₡724

-29.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$2.90 ₡1,327

7.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$3.88 ₡1,774

19.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$1.94 ₡885

-12.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$2.90 ₡1,324

-6.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$2.25 ₡1,026

-15.11%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$2.88 ₡1,315

-11.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$9.21 ₡4,209

8.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$8.52 ₡3,894

-5.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$13.45 ₡6,145

-13.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$2.41 ₡1,100

23.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$1.12 ₡513

61.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$1.58 ₡721

27.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$1.83 ₡837

10.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$2.14 ₡978

-0.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$1.91 ₡872

18.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$0.82 ₡377

70.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$1.80 ₡824

-37.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$2.92 ₡1,334

46.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$15.31 ₡6,994

1.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$2.53 ₡1,154

-30.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$2.89 ₡1,322

24.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$1.21 ₡553

-68.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$39.61 ₡18.1K

-51.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$1.62 ₡741

-14.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$1.59 ₡729

-82.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$8.04 ₡3,671

-32.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$1.46 ₡667

-10.96%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$38.0K ₡17.4M

-50.85%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$32.9K ₡15.0M

-29.69%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$92.9 ₡42.5K

-56.03%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$25.71 ₡11.7K

4.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$60.3 ₡27.5K

-50.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$57.3 ₡26.2K

-9.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

$23.90 ₡10.9K

12.30%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$9.70 ₡4,430

-35.05%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$578 ₡264.1K

-24.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$12.8K ₡5.8M

-18.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$60.0 ₡27.4K

-5.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$24.32 ₡11.1K

82.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$89.4 ₡40.9K

15.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$50.2 ₡22.9K

110.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$776 ₡354.4K

31.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$588 ₡268.7K

7.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$1,516 ₡692.7K

40.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$964 ₡440.4K

28.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$993 ₡453.8K

12.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

10.17

11.50%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $776 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 12% 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 $49.00 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon. Groceries flip the comparison at $288 vs $298, with Mexico City cheaper for home cooking.

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 Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $1,483 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 12% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $776 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 107% less than in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $578 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,483 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City 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.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.