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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $1,197 in Varna.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,871 in Varna.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $2,545 in Varna.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 24% more expensive than Varna, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Varna is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$11.83 BGN 19.76

9.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$48.05 BGN 80.2

10.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$9.08 BGN 15.17

7.05%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$2.52 BGN 4.21

48.81%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$1.75 BGN 2.92

-10.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$1.34 BGN 2.23

-15.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$3.02 BGN 5.04

5.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$2.88 BGN 4.81

61.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$1.87 BGN 3.12

-13.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$1.08 BGN 1.80

150.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$2.54 BGN 4.24

-25.98%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$3.32 BGN 5.54

-24.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$10.96 BGN 18.31

-8.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$8.13 BGN 13.57

1.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$12.21 BGN 20.40

-2.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$1.67 BGN 2.79

71.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$2.04 BGN 3.40

-14.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$1.80 BGN 3.00

15.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$2.68 BGN 4.48

-26.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$1.15 BGN 1.92

87.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$1.14 BGN 1.91

91.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$1.04 BGN 1.73

33.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$0.74 BGN 1.24

51.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$3.85 BGN 6.42

9.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$7.64 BGN 12.75

86.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$1.11 BGN 1.85

58.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$1.84 BGN 3.07

100.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$1.15 BGN 1.91

-66.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

$29.53 BGN 49.32

-36.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$1.35 BGN 2.25

2.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$0.67 BGN 1.11

-55.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$12.27 BGN 20.49

-55.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$1.54 BGN 2.57

-12.34%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$32.9K BGN 54.9K

-42.54%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$28.8K BGN 48.2K

-19.73%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$124 BGN 207

-67.00%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$18.70 BGN 31.23

47.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$15.83 BGN 26.43

91.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$40.64 BGN 67.9

31.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

$14.50 BGN 24.21

81.38%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$8.61 BGN 14.37

-27.18%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$412 BGN 688

5.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$5,541 BGN 9,254

88.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$62.0 BGN 104

-8.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$33.87 BGN 56.6

32.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$91.6 BGN 153

12.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$102 BGN 170

6.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$506 BGN 846

97.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$390 BGN 652

59.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$895 BGN 1,495

138.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$639 BGN 1,067

93.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$3,152 BGN 5,264

22.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$2,018 BGN 3,371

15.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

$1,222 BGN 2,040

-12.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

4.71

140.76%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Last update for Varna: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $506 in Varna. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Varna pays 14% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $48.00 in Varna for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $248 per month, with Varna 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 Varna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Varna differ by about 24% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $1,197 including rent). Varna is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Varna earns 14% 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $506 in Varna. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Varna runs roughly 58% 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 $412 in Varna. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,197 in Varna versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Varna but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Varna 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 Varna 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 Varna gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.