MEXICO CITY, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Mexican breadmaker Grupo Bimbo's third-quarter net profit plummeted 31% from the year-ago period, hit by a stronger Mexican peso, weaker North American sales and higher costs, the company said on Thursday.

Profits for the July-to-September period totaled 4.18 billion pesos ($240 million).

Revenue for the seller of buns, cakes, cookies, bagels and tortillas in more than 30 countries fell 3.4% to 99.18 billion pesos. Net sales would have risen more than 8% if the Mexican currency had not appreciated, the company said in a filing.

Third-quarter net sales in North America fell nearly 11%, but would have risen 6.3% on a currency-neutral basis.

Foreign earnings shrank as the peso rose 14% versus the U.S. dollar from the 2022 third quarter.

Adjusted core earnings slipped 0.23% to 14.47 billion pesos.

Comprehensive financial costs jumped nearly 32% over the same period, driven by higher interest expenses and interest rates, and the accounting effect of refinancing some U.S.-denominated debt earlier in the year.

($1 = 17.4279 Mexican pesos at end-September) (Reporting by Valentine Hilaire and Marion Giraldo; Editing by David Alire Garcia and Richard Chang)