Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Stara Zagora Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Stara Zagora

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $846 in Stara Zagora.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,330 in Stara Zagora.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $1,814 in Stara Zagora.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 72% more expensive than in Stara Zagora, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Stara Zagora is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$9.10 BGN 15.13

43.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$35.43 BGN 58.9

51.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$9.16 BGN 15.23

5.68%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$1.91 BGN 3.18

95.81%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$1.28 BGN 2.13

26.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.73 BGN 1.22

58.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$1.20 BGN 2.00

169.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$2.04 BGN 3.40

132.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.90 BGN 3.15

-13.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$0.82 BGN 1.37

235.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$1.55 BGN 2.58

20.65%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$2.27 BGN 3.78

10.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$9.13 BGN 15.19

11.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$7.36 BGN 12.25

12.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$8.49 BGN 14.12

39.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$1.37 BGN 2.28

119.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.66 BGN 2.76

9.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$1.85 BGN 3.08

8.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$2.16 BGN 3.60

-7.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$1.01 BGN 1.69

105.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$0.81 BGN 1.35

180.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$0.56 BGN 0.93

160.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.71 BGN 1.19

52.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$3.92 BGN 6.52

10.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$5.31 BGN 8.84

219.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$1.23 BGN 2.05

40.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$2.16 BGN 3.60

65.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.91 BGN 1.51

-57.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$19.02 BGN 31.65

-1.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$1.34 BGN 2.23

-0.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$0.67 BGN 1.12

-58.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$11.59 BGN 19.27

-54.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.49 BGN 2.47

-10.07%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$24.8K BGN 41.3K

-21.85%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$17.4K BGN 29.0K

36.67%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$101 BGN 169

-59.90%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$15.19 BGN 25.26

76.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$11.35 BGN 18.88

168.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$19.34 BGN 32.17

172.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$17.37 BGN 28.90

53.43%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$7.88 BGN 13.11

-17.39%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$232 BGN 386

84.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$2,400 BGN 3,993

337.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$38.78 BGN 64.5

47.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$19.03 BGN 31.65

139.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$77.9 BGN 130

33.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$75.2 BGN 125

43.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$248 BGN 413

304.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$226 BGN 376

175.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$399 BGN 664

428.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$356 BGN 592

241.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$1,497 BGN 2,490

159.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$1,082 BGN 1,800

87.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$1,044 BGN 1,737

-0.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

3.4

233.53%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Stara Zagora: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $248 in Stara Zagora. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stara Zagora pays 1% 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 $35.00 in Stara Zagora for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $204 per month, with Stara Zagora 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 Stara Zagora: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Stara Zagora differ by about 72% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $846 including rent). Stara Zagora is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 1% lower in Stara Zagora. 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $248 in Stara Zagora. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Stara Zagora runs roughly 2% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $232 in Stara Zagora. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $846 in Stara Zagora versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Stara Zagora but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Stara Zagora 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 Stara Zagora 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 Stara Zagora gentler on the wallet – expenses run 72% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.