Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Sliven

For one person, living is cheaper in Sliven: $779 a month against $1,548 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Sliven
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Sliven Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Sliven

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$779

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Sliven

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Sliven actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,548 in Mexico City versus $779 in Sliven.

Mexico City $1,548
Sliven $779

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,436 in Mexico City versus $1,232 in Sliven.

Mexico City $2,436
Sliven $1,232

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,323 in Mexico City versus $1,684 in Sliven.

Mexico City $3,323
Sliven $1,684

Living in Mexico City is roughly 99% more expensive than in Sliven, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 14% above, Sliven is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 MX$204

$11.37 BGN 19.78

-3.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.68 MX$900

$35.06 BGN 61.0

38.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$201

$10.19 BGN 17.74

6.97%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

$1.79 BGN 3.11

105.59%

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

$1.63 MX$30.18

$1.25 BGN 2.17

30.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$23.07

$0.88 BGN 1.53

42.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$60.1

$1.71 BGN 2.97

90.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 MX$102

$2.36 BGN 4.10

134.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$31.50

$1.55 BGN 2.70

9.68%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$0.79 BGN 1.37

282.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.53

$2.58 BGN 4.49

-25.58%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$50.5

$2.09 BGN 3.63

30.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 MX$218

$8.12 BGN 14.12

44.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 MX$176

$5.50 BGN 9.57

73.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.41 MX$266

$6.67 BGN 11.61

116.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$1.47 BGN 2.56

105.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.01

$1.65 BGN 2.88

14.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.70

$1.45 BGN 2.52

37.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.38

$2.16 BGN 3.77

1.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.43

$0.51 BGN 0.88

276.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$34.49

$0.88 BGN 1.53

112.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MX$26.62

$1.02 BGN 1.77

41.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.39

$0.48 BGN 0.83

164.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 MX$96.4

$3.49 BGN 6.08

49.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.17 MX$299

$6.14 BGN 10.68

163.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 MX$35.03

$1.01 BGN 1.77

88.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 MX$78.0

$1.27 BGN 2.21

232.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.30

$0.70 BGN 1.22

-51.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.65 MX$363

$34.80 BGN 60.6

-43.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.90

$1.12 BGN 1.96

78.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MX$9.67

$0.59 BGN 1.03

-11.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 MX$98.7

$8.71 BGN 15.16

-38.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.13

$1.53 BGN 2.66

-0.65%

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

$22.1K MX$408.0K

$30.3K BGN 52.7K

-27.10%

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

$24.5K MX$452.9K

$22.2K BGN 38.6K

10.40%

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

$61.1 MX$1,129

$86.7 BGN 151

-29.56%

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

$28.58 MX$528

$20.37 BGN 35.44

40.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.47 MX$637

$9.44 BGN 16.43

265.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,042

$23.32 BGN 40.58

141.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$6.66 MX$123

$5.80 BGN 10.09

14.83%

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

$427 MX$7,891

$508 BGN 885

-16.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K MX$215.0K

$6,395 BGN 11.1K

81.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 MX$1,253

$58.1 BGN 101

16.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 MX$960

$22.56 BGN 39.25

130.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 MX$1,959

$69.1 BGN 120

53.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MX$2,080

$61.6 BGN 107

82.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 MX$18.9K

$231 BGN 402

344.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 MX$12.1K

$146 BGN 253

349.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 MX$42.7K

$329 BGN 572

602.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 MX$22.9K

$254 BGN 441

389.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,613 MX$66.8K

$1,147 BGN 1,996

214.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,936 MX$35.8K

$915 BGN 1,593

111.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$964 MX$17.8K

$1,325 BGN 2,306

-27.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

2.82

300.71%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Sliven: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$654 42.3%

Sliven

$146 18.7% 77.8% $509

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$318 20.6%

Sliven

$181 23.2% 43.2% $137

Eating Out

Mexico City

$204 13.2%

Sliven

$165 21.1% 19.2% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$152 9.8%

Sliven

$95 12.2% 37.6% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$124 8%

Sliven

$117 15% 6.1% $7.6

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Sliven

$35 4.5% 49.9% $35

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Sliven

$42 5.4% 62.6% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,025 in Mexico City and $231 in Sliven. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sliven pays 37% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $49.00 in Mexico City vs $35.00 in Sliven for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $181 per month, with Sliven cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇧🇬 Sliven

🕒 Local time

02:10 2:10 AM

10:10 10:10 AM

8 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

95,806

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Sliven 11,140 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Sliven

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Sliven: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Sliven differ by about 99% in total monthly costs ($1,548 vs $779 including rent). Sliven is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 37% lower in Sliven. 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: $1,025 in Mexico City versus $231 in Sliven. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Sliven runs roughly 77% 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 $508 in Sliven. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $779 in Sliven versus $1,548 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sliven but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Sliven 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 Sliven 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 Sliven gentler on the wallet – expenses run 99% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.