Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Sunny Beach Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Sunny Beach

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,094 in Sunny Beach.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,685 in Sunny Beach.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,276 in Sunny Beach.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 34% more expensive than Sunny Beach, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Sunny Beach is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$8.07 BGN 13.42

63.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$40.91 BGN 68.1

31.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$9.97 BGN 16.58

-5.52%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$1.97 BGN 3.27

80.20%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$1.30 BGN 2.17

24.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$1.05 BGN 1.74

5.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$1.80 BGN 2.99

73.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$1.73 BGN 2.88

167.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.96 BGN 3.26

-13.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$0.57 BGN 0.95

377.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$2.78 BGN 4.63

-31.29%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$3.89 BGN 6.47

-34.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$13.17 BGN 21.91

-23.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$8.20 BGN 13.63

-1.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$12.74 BGN 21.19

-8.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$1.66 BGN 2.77

78.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$2.18 BGN 3.62

-16.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$1.74 BGN 2.89

15.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$2.88 BGN 4.79

-29.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$1.17 BGN 1.94

81.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$1.44 BGN 2.39

57.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$1.22 BGN 2.03

14.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.72 BGN 1.20

56.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$3.73 BGN 6.20

14.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$5.94 BGN 9.88

161.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$1.15 BGN 1.91

53.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$1.69 BGN 2.81

113.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$1.15 BGN 1.92

-66.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$26.89 BGN 44.73

-28.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$1.17 BGN 1.94

17.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.65 BGN 1.08

-56.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$11.61 BGN 19.31

-53.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.54 BGN 2.55

-15.58%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$37.3K BGN 62.0K

-49.86%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$34.9K BGN 58.0K

-33.65%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$121 BGN 201

-66.21%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$17.44 BGN 29.01

53.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$13.50 BGN 22.46

121.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$29.54 BGN 49.15

76.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$14.91 BGN 24.80

80.01%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$7.20 BGN 11.98

-12.50%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$327 BGN 545

33.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$5,399 BGN 8,982

92.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$35.17 BGN 58.5

61.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$28.93 BGN 48.12

53.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$126 BGN 209

-18.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$78.2 BGN 130

34.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$595 BGN 989

71.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$350 BGN 582

80.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$719 BGN 1,196

197.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$539 BGN 897

130.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$1,394 BGN 2,320

179.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$1,168 BGN 1,944

76.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$954 BGN 1,586

16.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

5.1

122.35%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Sunny Beach: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $595 in Sunny Beach. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 17% 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 $41.00 in Sunny Beach for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $254 per month, with Sunny Beach 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 Sunny Beach: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Sunny Beach differ by about 34% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $1,094 including rent). Sunny Beach is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 17% more on average, 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $595 in Sunny Beach. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Sunny Beach runs roughly 40% 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 $327 in Sunny Beach. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,094 in Sunny Beach versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sunny Beach but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Sunny Beach 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 Sunny Beach gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.