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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $761 in Sliven.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,207 in Sliven.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,653 in Sliven.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 93% more expensive than Sliven, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Sliven is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$8.77 BGN 14.59

50.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$35.75 BGN 59.5

50.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$8.71 BGN 14.49

8.15%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$1.84 BGN 3.06

92.93%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$1.27 BGN 2.11

27.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.91 BGN 1.51

21.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$1.74 BGN 2.90

79.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$2.29 BGN 3.81

102.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.59 BGN 2.64

6.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$0.80 BGN 1.33

240.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$2.21 BGN 3.68

-13.57%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$2.15 BGN 3.57

18.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$8.08 BGN 13.44

24.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$5.51 BGN 9.16

46.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$6.94 BGN 11.54

67.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$1.45 BGN 2.40

104.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.72 BGN 2.86

5.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$1.48 BGN 2.47

35.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$2.26 BGN 3.75

-10.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$0.51 BGN 0.85

315.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$0.90 BGN 1.51

152.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$1.05 BGN 1.74

33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.48 BGN 0.79

135.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$3.53 BGN 5.87

20.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$6.20 BGN 10.31

150.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$1.04 BGN 1.74

69.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$1.27 BGN 2.12

183.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.74 BGN 1.23

-48.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$36.12 BGN 60.1

-46.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$1.16 BGN 1.94

18.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.77 BGN 1.29

-63.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$8.96 BGN 14.90

-39.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.43 BGN 2.37

-9.09%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$31.9K BGN 53.1K

-41.50%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$27.8K BGN 46.2K

-16.78%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$89.0 BGN 148

-54.09%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$17.99 BGN 29.94

49.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$9.21 BGN 15.33

225.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$23.18 BGN 38.57

124.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$14.92 BGN 24.82

79.89%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$6.03 BGN 10.04

4.48%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$422 BGN 703

3.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$7,038 BGN 11.7K

48.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$60.0 BGN 99.8

-5.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$23.21 BGN 38.62

91.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$69.6 BGN 116

47.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$64.6 BGN 107

63.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$233 BGN 387

339.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$150 BGN 249

321.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$336 BGN 559

535.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$269 BGN 447

362.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$1,181 BGN 1,965

230.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$965 BGN 1,605

114.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$1,395 BGN 2,320

-20.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

4.25

166.82%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Sliven: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $233 in Sliven. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sliven pays 25% 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 $288 vs $182 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 93% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $761 including rent). Sliven is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Sliven earns 25% 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $233 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 88% 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 $422 in Sliven. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $761 in Sliven versus $1,467 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 93% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.