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: $1,646 in Mexico City versus $1,081 in Sunny Beach.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,613 in Mexico City versus $1,619 in Sunny Beach.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,580 in Mexico City versus $2,157 in Sunny Beach.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 52% more expensive than in Sunny Beach, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 20% above, Sunny Beach is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.11 MX$205

$8.41 BGN 13.99

44.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$883

$47.69 BGN 79.3

9.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$184

$10.04 BGN 16.71

8.57%

Cappuccino

$4.05 MX$68.5

$2.90 BGN 4.82

39.66%

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

$1.72 MX$29.00

$1.76 BGN 2.93

-2.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MX$23.29

$1.59 BGN 2.64

-13.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$58.6

$2.39 BGN 3.98

45.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 MX$98.2

$1.76 BGN 2.92

230.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.33

$1.80 BGN 2.99

2.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 MX$54.5

$0.83 BGN 1.38

287.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.25

$2.29 BGN 3.80

-8.73%

Eggs

$2.91 MX$49.18

$3.88 BGN 6.45

-25.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 MX$211

$8.84 BGN 14.70

41.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$8.77 BGN 14.58

15.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.89 MX$269

$14.56 BGN 24.21

9.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 MX$56.0

$1.78 BGN 2.97

85.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.95

$1.87 BGN 3.12

13.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.03

$2.07 BGN 3.45

5.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$41.37

$2.63 BGN 4.37

-6.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.00

$1.13 BGN 1.88

93.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.20

$1.12 BGN 1.87

69.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 MX$27.31

$1.18 BGN 1.96

37.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$22.82

$0.75 BGN 1.25

80.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.43 MX$91.7

$4.05 BGN 6.74

34.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.59 MX$297

$6.31 BGN 10.49

178.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$34.96

$1.22 BGN 2.03

69.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 MX$80.2

$2.05 BGN 3.40

131.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.75

$1.16 BGN 1.94

-70.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 MX$365

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 MX$34.49

$1.33 BGN 2.21

53.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.77

$0.63 BGN 1.06

-7.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 MX$101

$10.88 BGN 18.11

-45.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$27.31

$1.59 BGN 2.64

1.89%

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

$22.8K MX$385.6K

$31.1K BGN 51.8K

-26.77%

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

$26.7K MX$450.7K

$25.2K BGN 42.0K

5.63%

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

$65.2 MX$1,103

$117 BGN 195

-44.47%

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

$29.87 MX$505

$19.67 BGN 32.73

51.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.55 MX$618

$15.78 BGN 26.26

131.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 MX$1,031

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$451

Cinema Ticket

$6.85 MX$116

$9.42 BGN 15.67

-27.28%

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

$453 MX$7,664

$541 BGN 899

-16.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MX$226.0K

$5,768 BGN 9,595

131.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 MX$1,267

$34.75 BGN 57.8

115.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 MX$935

$43.51 BGN 72.4

27.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 MX$1,920

$98.4 BGN 164

15.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 MX$2,073

$108 BGN 179

14.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 MX$19.2K

$600 BGN 999

88.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 MX$12.0K

$362 BGN 602

96.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,571 MX$43.5K

$708 BGN 1,177

263.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 MX$22.2K

$543 BGN 903

141.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,993 MX$67.5K

$1,397 BGN 2,325

185.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,095 MX$35.4K

$1,168 BGN 1,943

79.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,047 MX$17.7K

$962 BGN 1,600

8.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

3.1

264.52%

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

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Last update for Sunny Beach: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,134 in Mexico City and $600 in Sunny Beach. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 9% 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: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $48.00 in Sunny Beach for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $249 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 52% in total monthly costs ($1,646 vs $1,081 including rent). Sunny Beach is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 9% higher in Mexico City, 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: $1,134 in Mexico City versus $600 in Sunny Beach. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $453 in Mexico City versus $541 in Sunny Beach. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Sunny Beach – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,081 in Sunny Beach versus $1,646 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 52% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.