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: $1,157 in Guadalajara versus $1,093 in Tampico.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,844 in Guadalajara versus $1,742 in Tampico.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,530 in Guadalajara versus $2,390 in Tampico.

Living in Guadalajara is roughly 6% more expensive than Tampico, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Guadalajara 14% lower, Tampico 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.46 MX$181

$6.47 MX$112

61.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.85 MX$673

$41.92 MX$727

-7.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.99 MX$139

$5.99 MX$104

33.39%

Cappuccino

$3.19 MX$55.2

$3.34 MX$57.8

-4.49%

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

$1.38 MX$23.99

$0.86 MX$14.93

60.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 MX$16.15

$0.82 MX$14.26

13.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.10 MX$36.45

$1.42 MX$24.69

47.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 MX$67.4

$2.09 MX$36.30

86.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.29

$1.45 MX$25.05

-3.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 MX$45.84

$3.89 MX$67.4

-31.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 MX$28.85

$1.55 MX$26.79

7.10%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.52

$3.98 MX$69.0

-36.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.63 MX$167

$4.47 MX$77.5

115.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.67 MX$133

$8.46 MX$147

-9.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.37 MX$180

$11.05 MX$191

-6.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$45.85

$2.77 MX$47.99

-4.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 MX$25.21

$1.20 MX$20.78

20.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 MX$31.25

$1.75 MX$30.41

2.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.11

$1.59 MX$27.59

-1.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 MX$31.18

$1.83 MX$31.76

-1.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.79

$2.17 MX$37.68

-7.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 MX$23.17

$1.64 MX$28.48

-18.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.64

$0.90 MX$15.52

20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 MX$76.2

$4.27 MX$73.9

3.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.22 MX$195

$10.82 MX$188

3.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$28.05

$1.76 MX$30.50

-7.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 MX$55.9

$2.60 MX$45.01

23.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$8.94

$0.77 MX$13.28

-32.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.91 MX$466

$26.44 MX$458

1.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.71 MX$46.94

$2.66 MX$46.01

1.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 MX$27.63

$2.49 MX$43.15

-36.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.68 MX$202

$4.94 MX$85.6

136.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.87

$1.33 MX$22.98

-0.75%

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

$24.2K MX$419.0K

$41.7K MX$722.3K

-41.99%

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

$23.7K MX$410.4K

$22.0K MX$380.9K

7.74%

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

$31.32 MX$543

$79.0 MX$1,369

-60.36%

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

$24.53 MX$425

$25.85 MX$448

-5.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.53 MX$477

$23.95 MX$415

14.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.01 MX$572

$38.83 MX$673

-14.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.54 MX$339

$15.82 MX$274

23.51%

Cinema Ticket

$5.03 MX$87.2

$5.19 MX$89.9

-3.08%

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

$187 MX$3,234

$238 MX$4,122

-21.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,425 MX$111.3K

$3,662 MX$63.5K

75.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.73 MX$862

$84.7 MX$1,468

-41.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 MX$879

$62.7 MX$1,087

-19.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 MX$1,706

$161 MX$2,787

-38.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.9 MX$1,575

$78.6 MX$1,362

15.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$706 MX$12.2K

$502 MX$8,695

40.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$438 MX$7,590

$317 MX$5,496

38.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 MX$23.5K

$819 MX$14.2K

65.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$842 MX$14.6K

$617 MX$10.7K

36.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,208 MX$55.6K

$1,682 MX$29.1K

90.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,998 MX$34.6K

$1,410 MX$24.4K

41.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$797 MX$13.8K

$597 MX$10.3K

33.50%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Tampico: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $706 in Guadalajara and $502 in Tampico. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Guadalajara pays 34% 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: $39.00 in Guadalajara vs $42.00 in Tampico for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $257 vs $263 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 6% 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.

Guadalajara pays 34% more on average, 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: $706 in Guadalajara versus $502 in Tampico. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Guadalajara pay roughly 2% 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 $42.00 versus $39.00 in Guadalajara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,093 in Tampico versus $1,157 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 $1,093 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 6% less than in Guadalajara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.