Cost of Living Comparison Between Guadalajara and Tampico Cost of Living Comparison Between Guadalajara and Tampico

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,149 in Guadalajara versus $1,119 in Tampico.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,858 in Guadalajara versus $1,753 in Tampico.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,568 in Guadalajara versus $2,387 in Tampico.

Living in Guadalajara is roughly 3% more expensive than in Tampico, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Guadalajara 14% lower, Tampico 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.71 MX$186

$6.50 MX$113

64.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.63 MX$655

$42.94 MX$748

-12.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.08 MX$141

$6.12 MX$107

32.03%

Cappuccino

$3.24 MX$56.4

$3.17 MX$55.3

2.21%

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

$1.37 MX$23.82

$0.87 MX$15.12

57.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 MX$15.74

$0.77 MX$13.37

16.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 MX$37.24

$1.43 MX$24.99

49.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 MX$67.2

$2.09 MX$36.37

84.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 MX$24.14

$1.44 MX$25.07

-3.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.69 MX$46.91

$3.96 MX$69.0

-32.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 MX$29.32

$1.56 MX$27.16

7.69%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.26

$4.05 MX$70.5

-37.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.19 MX$160

$4.52 MX$78.7

103.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 MX$138

$8.40 MX$146

-5.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.98 MX$174

$11.20 MX$195

-10.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$47.04

$2.65 MX$46.11

1.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.49

$1.21 MX$20.98

20.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.48

$1.80 MX$31.33

3.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.33

$1.54 MX$26.90

-1.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.80

$1.77 MX$30.75

-3.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.61

$2.15 MX$37.45

-7.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 MX$24.03

$1.64 MX$28.49

-15.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.46

$0.83 MX$14.45

34.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.56 MX$79.5

$4.15 MX$72.3

9.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.22 MX$195

$11.11 MX$193

0.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 MX$27.16

$1.83 MX$31.87

-14.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$2.58 MX$45.00

25.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.04

$0.78 MX$13.51

-33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.06 MX$454

$25.94 MX$452

0.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 MX$46.35

$2.62 MX$45.67

1.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 MX$28.10

$2.41 MX$41.99

-33.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.77 MX$205

$4.93 MX$85.8

138.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 MX$23.14

$1.33 MX$23.10

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

$23.6K MX$410.5K

$41.7K MX$726.8K

-43.52%

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

$24.2K MX$420.9K

$22.4K MX$389.8K

7.98%

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

$30.98 MX$539

$78.8 MX$1,371

-60.67%

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

$23.74 MX$413

$25.61 MX$446

-7.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.13 MX$472

$23.92 MX$416

13.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.02 MX$592

$37.79 MX$658

-9.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.92 MX$347

$16.00 MX$279

24.50%

Cinema Ticket

$4.85 MX$84.5

$5.36 MX$93.4

-9.51%

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

$189 MX$3,296

$242 MX$4,213

-21.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,333 MX$110.3K

$3,565 MX$62.1K

77.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.35 MX$859

$83.8 MX$1,459

-41.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 MX$885

$62.6 MX$1,090

-18.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 MX$1,737

$160 MX$2,786

-37.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.1 MX$1,621

$78.4 MX$1,364

18.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$720 MX$12.5K

$509 MX$8,867

41.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$438 MX$7,634

$315 MX$5,484

39.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,321 MX$23.0K

$794 MX$13.8K

66.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$847 MX$14.7K

$612 MX$10.7K

38.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,277 MX$57.1K

$1,968 MX$34.3K

66.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,021 MX$35.2K

$1,150 MX$20.0K

75.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$797 MX$13.9K

$585 MX$10.2K

36.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.48

11.75

-2.30%

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

Last update for Guadalajara: July 12, 2026

Last update for Tampico: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $720 in Guadalajara and $509 in Tampico. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Guadalajara pays 36% 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: $38.00 in Guadalajara vs $43.00 in Tampico for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $257 vs $264 per month, with Guadalajara 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

Guadalajara vs Tampico: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tampico wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Guadalajara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Tampico the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 36% higher in Guadalajara, 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: $720 in Guadalajara versus $509 in Tampico. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Guadalajara pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Tampico – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $38.00 in Guadalajara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,119 in Tampico versus $1,149 in Guadalajara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tampico but tight or insufficient in Guadalajara. The gap between the two cities makes Tampico the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Tampico delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,119 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Tampico hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Tampico gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Guadalajara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.