Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Sliven Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Sliven

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $814 in Sliven.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $1,284 in Sliven.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $1,754 in Sliven.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 106% more expensive than in Sliven, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, Sliven is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$205

$11.94 BGN 19.86

1.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$911

$35.86 BGN 59.7

50.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$187

$10.48 BGN 17.43

5.82%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.3

$1.93 BGN 3.21

112.44%

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

$1.68 MX$28.44

$1.28 BGN 2.12

31.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.47

$0.91 BGN 1.51

52.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.3

$1.74 BGN 2.89

91.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.4

$2.32 BGN 3.86

153.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.30

$1.59 BGN 2.65

16.35%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.6

$0.79 BGN 1.32

301.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.01

$2.81 BGN 4.68

-26.33%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.51

$2.24 BGN 3.73

30.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$213

$8.08 BGN 13.44

55.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$5.58 BGN 9.29

81.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$272

$6.66 BGN 11.08

141.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.3

$1.53 BGN 2.55

121.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.14

$1.66 BGN 2.77

25.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.85

$1.45 BGN 2.41

46.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.82

$2.20 BGN 3.66

9.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.00

$0.51 BGN 0.85

317.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$33.90

$0.86 BGN 1.43

133.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.13

$1.09 BGN 1.81

42.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.08

$0.49 BGN 0.81

177.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.5

$3.64 BGN 6.05

58.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$300

$6.36 BGN 10.59

178.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.00

$1.10 BGN 1.83

88.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.0

$1.35 BGN 2.24

241.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.19

$0.68 BGN 1.13

-45.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$358

$37.20 BGN 61.9

-43.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.73

$1.21 BGN 2.02

69.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.75

$0.60 BGN 1.00

-3.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$8.66 BGN 14.41

-29.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.25

$1.55 BGN 2.57

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

$22.9K MX$386.8K

$30.8K BGN 51.2K

-25.69%

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

$27.2K MX$460.5K

$23.3K BGN 38.7K

16.99%

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

$67.4 MX$1,140

$87.8 BGN 146

-23.18%

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

$30.62 MX$518

$21.17 BGN 35.21

44.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$630

$9.25 BGN 15.39

302.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,039

$24.00 BGN 39.93

156.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$459

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$120

$5.97 BGN 9.92

19.10%

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

$456 MX$7,714

$529 BGN 880

-13.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$231.5K

$6,434 BGN 10.7K

112.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,255

$58.8 BGN 97.8

26.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$964

$24.13 BGN 40.14

136.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,951

$71.5 BGN 119

61.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,055

$64.8 BGN 108

87.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.4K

$235 BGN 392

387.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$146 BGN 243

386.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.6K

$340 BGN 565

658.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$21.9K

$269 BGN 447

381.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.7K

$1,174 BGN 1,954

241.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.0K

$966 BGN 1,607

120.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.3K

$1,383 BGN 2,301

-21.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

2.87

293.73%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Sliven: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $235 in Sliven. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sliven pays 28% 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 $36.00 in Sliven for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $185 per month, with Sliven 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 Sliven: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Sliven differ by about 106% in total monthly costs ($1,677 vs $814 including rent). Sliven is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 28% 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: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $235 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 76% 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 $529 in Sliven. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $814 in Sliven versus $1,677 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 106% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.