Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,483 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,195 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,906 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon is roughly 1% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon 11% above, Mexico City 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.82 ₡4,923

$13.18 MX$228

-17.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.25 ₡22.4K

$53.9 MX$932

-8.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.88 ₡4,496

$9.42 MX$163

4.88%

Cappuccino

$2.73 ₡1,242

$3.55 MX$61.4

-23.10%

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

$2.04 ₡928

$1.62 MX$27.98

25.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 ₡720

$1.11 MX$19.27

42.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.90 ₡1,321

$3.12 MX$54.0

-7.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 ₡1,766

$4.63 MX$80.1

-16.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 ₡881

$1.70 MX$29.43

14.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.90 ₡1,318

$2.72 MX$47.02

6.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ₡1,022

$1.91 MX$33.07

17.80%

Eggs

$2.88 ₡1,309

$2.54 MX$43.86

13.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.21 ₡4,190

$10.03 MX$174

-8.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.52 ₡3,877

$8.09 MX$140

5.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.45 ₡6,117

$11.62 MX$201

15.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,095

$2.97 MX$51.3

-18.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.12 ₡510

$1.81 MX$31.24

-38.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 ₡718

$2.01 MX$34.82

-21.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 ₡833

$2.03 MX$35.20

-9.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 ₡973

$2.12 MX$36.75

0.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 ₡868

$2.27 MX$39.25

-15.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.82 ₡375

$1.40 MX$24.22

-41.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ₡820

$1.13 MX$19.55

59.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.92 ₡1,328

$4.27 MX$73.9

-31.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.31 ₡6,962

$15.56 MX$269

-1.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 ₡1,149

$1.76 MX$30.39

43.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 ₡1,316

$3.60 MX$62.2

-19.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 ₡550

$0.38 MX$6.62

218.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.61 ₡18.0K

$19.18 MX$332

106.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 ₡738

$1.38 MX$23.79

17.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 ₡725

$0.28 MX$4.78

467.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.04 ₡3,655

$5.45 MX$94.2

47.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 ₡664

$1.30 MX$22.55

12.31%

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

$38.0K ₡17.3M

$18.7K MX$323.2K

103.46%

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

$32.9K ₡15.0M

$23.1K MX$400.1K

42.24%

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

$92.9 ₡42.3K

$40.86 MX$707

127.44%

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

$25.71 ₡11.7K

$26.81 MX$464

-4.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.3 ₡27.4K

$29.96 MX$518

101.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.3 ₡26.1K

$52.0 MX$900

10.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.90 ₡10.9K

$26.84 MX$464

-10.95%

Cinema Ticket

$9.70 ₡4,410

$6.30 MX$109

53.97%

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

$578 ₡262.9K

$436 MX$7,544

32.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K ₡5.8M

$10.4K MX$180.2K

22.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 ₡27.3K

$56.7 MX$980

5.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.32 ₡11.1K

$44.38 MX$768

-45.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.4 ₡40.7K

$103 MX$1,780

-13.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.2 ₡22.8K

$106 MX$1,825

-52.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$776 ₡352.8K

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-24.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$588 ₡267.5K

$631 MX$10.9K

-6.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,516 ₡689.6K

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-29.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$964 ₡438.4K

$1,243 MX$21.5K

-22.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$993 ₡451.7K

$1,115 MX$19.3K

-10.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.17

11.34

-10.32%

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

Last update for Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $776 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $49.00 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon vs $54.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $298 vs $288, with Mexico City cheaper for home cooking.

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

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon and Mexico City differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($1,483 vs $1,467 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Mexico City earns 12% 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: $776 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon versus $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 107% less than in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $578 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,483 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City 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 Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.