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: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $1,587 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $2,498 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $3,410 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 6% more expensive than in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 22% above, Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$12.22 ₡5,471

-0.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$916

$45.39 ₡20.3K

18.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$11.22 ₡5,024

-1.16%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.6

$3.95 ₡1,768

3.80%

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

$1.68 MX$28.57

$2.35 ₡1,054

-28.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.58

$1.89 ₡844

-26.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.6

$3.31 ₡1,482

0.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.9

$4.23 ₡1,894

39.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.45

$2.11 ₡946

-12.32%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.9

$3.17 ₡1,418

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.18

$2.54 ₡1,136

-18.50%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.74

$3.18 ₡1,423

-7.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$6.48 ₡2,900

94.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$7.96 ₡3,565

27.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$14.44 ₡6,464

11.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.6

$2.73 ₡1,220

24.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.31

$1.14 ₡510

82.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.02

$1.31 ₡586

61.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$41.01

$1.77 ₡792

36.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.17

$2.65 ₡1,187

-19.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.07

$2.01 ₡901

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.25

$0.69 ₡309

124.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.19

$1.94 ₡870

-29.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$98.0

$3.11 ₡1,393

85.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$15.43 ₡6,907

14.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.16

$2.84 ₡1,272

-27.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.4

$3.60 ₡1,610

28.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

$1.38 ₡617

-73.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$360

$45.04 ₡20.2K

-52.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.89

$1.82 ₡813

12.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.80

$1.57 ₡702

-63.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$9.01 ₡4,030

-32.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.38

$1.50 ₡673

3.33%

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

$22.9K MX$388.6K

$21.7K ₡9.7M

5.55%

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

$27.2K MX$462.7K

$35.1K ₡15.7M

-22.35%

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

$67.4 MX$1,145

$95.8 ₡42.9K

-29.62%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$36.38 ₡16.3K

-15.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$633

$33.90 ₡15.2K

9.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,044

$74.9 ₡33.5K

-17.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$461

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$8.40 ₡3,759

-15.36%

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

$456 MX$7,750

$1,008 ₡451.3K

-54.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.6K

$17.2K ₡7.7M

-20.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,260

$66.1 ₡29.6K

12.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$969

$26.33 ₡11.8K

116.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,961

$101 ₡45.2K

14.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,064

$56.5 ₡25.3K

114.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$792 ₡354.5K

44.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.1K

$642 ₡287.1K

10.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.8K

$1,844 ₡825.5K

39.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

$1,257 ₡562.7K

2.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$68.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

$1,017 ₡455.0K

6.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

8.78

28.70%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $792 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 6% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $45.00 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $303 per month, with Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon 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 Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($1,677 vs $1,587 including rent). Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 6% higher in Mexico City, 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: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $792 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 Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon runs roughly 113% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $456 in Mexico City versus $1,008 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,587 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon versus $1,677 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon 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 Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.