Cost of Living Comparison Between Guadalajara and Tulum Cost of Living Comparison Between Guadalajara and Tulum

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,180 in Guadalajara versus $1,061 in Tulum.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,856 in Guadalajara versus $1,905 in Tulum.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,533 in Guadalajara versus $2,748 in Tulum.

Living in Guadalajara is roughly 11% more expensive than Tulum, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Guadalajara 12% lower, Tulum 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.74 MX$184

$10.76 MX$185

-0.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.89 MX$667

$49.52 MX$850

-21.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.95 MX$136

$7.89 MX$135

0.76%

Cappuccino

$3.17 MX$54.4

$3.70 MX$63.5

-14.32%

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

$1.37 MX$23.58

$1.21 MX$20.72

13.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 MX$14.96

$1.06 MX$18.26

-17.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.11 MX$36.19

$2.80 MX$48.04

-24.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 MX$66.6

$4.04 MX$69.4

-3.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.57

$1.45 MX$24.91

-1.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.59 MX$44.52

$1.15 MX$19.66

125.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.09

$1.49 MX$25.66

10.07%

Eggs

$2.45 MX$42.00

$1.93 MX$33.20

26.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.60 MX$165

$5.36 MX$92.1

79.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.06 MX$138

$7.12 MX$122

13.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.07 MX$173

$6.19 MX$106

62.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$44.73

$2.06 MX$35.35

26.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$24.74

$1.36 MX$23.39

5.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 MX$31.57

$1.42 MX$24.35

29.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 MX$27.35

$1.40 MX$24.10

13.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.33

$2.17 MX$37.27

-21.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.49

$1.89 MX$32.51

6.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 MX$22.54

$1.07 MX$18.42

22.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.51

$0.92 MX$15.80

17.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.39 MX$75.3

$4.10 MX$70.3

7.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.06 MX$190

$8.48 MX$146

30.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$27.27

$1.35 MX$23.23

17.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 MX$55.7

$1.25 MX$21.41

159.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.75

$1.17 MX$20.14

-56.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.21 MX$450

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 MX$45.65

$2.16 MX$37.08

23.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 MX$26.73

$2.22 MX$38.10

-29.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.83 MX$203

$5.35 MX$91.8

121.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.68

$1.32 MX$22.58

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

$23.6K MX$405.7K

$16.0K MX$273.8K

48.14%

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

$24.2K MX$414.6K

$21.3K MX$365.8K

13.34%

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

$30.68 MX$527

$83.7 MX$1,436

-63.33%

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

$24.03 MX$412

$22.27 MX$382

7.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.77 MX$459

$29.53 MX$507

-9.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.29 MX$571

$32.48 MX$557

2.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.53 MX$335

$16.06 MX$276

21.61%

Cinema Ticket

$4.81 MX$82.5

$4.74 MX$81.4

1.48%

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

$189 MX$3,243

$203 MX$3,479

-6.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,258 MX$107.4K

$2,841 MX$48.8K

120.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.66 MX$852

$26.93 MX$462

84.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.6 MX$885

$32.06 MX$550

60.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MX$1,729

$80.6 MX$1,383

24.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.1 MX$1,598

$45.12 MX$774

106.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$697 MX$12.0K

$712 MX$12.2K

-2.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$452 MX$7,750

$391 MX$6,713

15.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,326 MX$22.8K

$1,442 MX$24.8K

-8.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$847 MX$14.5K

$1,216 MX$20.9K

-30.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,268 MX$56.1K

$3,272 MX$56.2K

-0.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,003 MX$34.4K

$1,899 MX$32.6K

5.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$788 MX$13.5K

$783 MX$13.4K

0.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.48

4.36%

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

Last update for Guadalajara: June 9, 2026

Last update for Tulum: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $697 in Guadalajara and $712 in Tulum. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Guadalajara pays 1% 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 $50.0 in Tulum. Groceries flip the comparison at $257 vs $193, with Tulum 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

Guadalajara vs Tulum: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tulum wins on cost – living expenses run 11% lower than in Guadalajara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Tulum the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Guadalajara pays 1% 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: $697 in Guadalajara versus $712 in Tulum. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $189 in Guadalajara versus $203 in Tulum. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tulum – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $39.00 in Guadalajara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,061 in Tulum versus $1,180 in Guadalajara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tulum but tight or insufficient in Guadalajara. The gap between the two cities makes Tulum the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Tulum delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,061 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Tulum hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Tulum gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Guadalajara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.