Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Tamale

For one person, living is cheaper in Tamale: $144 a month against $1,561 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $17,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,561

/mo nomad

Tamale

🇬🇭 Ghana

$144

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Tamale

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Tamale actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,561 in Mexico City versus $144 in Tamale.

Mexico City $1,561
Tamale $144

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,440 in Mexico City versus $217 in Tamale.

Mexico City $2,440
Tamale $217

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,319 in Mexico City versus $289 in Tamale.

Mexico City $3,319
Tamale $289

Living in Mexico City is roughly 981% more expensive than in Tamale, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 16% above, Tamale is 89% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.12 MX$202

$3.35 GHS 39.33

231.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.99 MX$891

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.23 MX$204

$10.23 GHS 120

9.78%

Cappuccino

$3.76 MX$68.4

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

$1.65 MX$30.05

$0.88 GHS 10.32

87.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 MX$23.27

$0.41 GHS 4.82

212.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 MX$59.2

$0.89 GHS 10.41

266.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.66 MX$103

$1.32 GHS 15.50

328.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 MX$32.92

$3.04 GHS 35.71

-40.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 MX$53.5

$1.72 GHS 20.13

70.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 MX$37.27

$3.85 GHS 45.21

-46.75%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$53.2

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.95 MX$217

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.51 MX$173

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.84 MX$270

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 MX$57.2

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$36.65

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$37.75

Tomato (1kg)

$2.22 MX$40.35

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$37.47

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 MX$34.14

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$26.93

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$24.47

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.41 MX$98.4

Wine (Bottle)

$16.86 MX$307

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$36.09

$1.25 GHS 14.69

58.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 MX$78.7

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.27

$0.82 GHS 9.67

-58.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.23 MX$368

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$38.11

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.65

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$98.3

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$27.65

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

$21.7K MX$395.3K

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

$24.8K MX$451.4K

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

$63.0 MX$1,145

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

$28.88 MX$525

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.93 MX$617

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 MX$1,015

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.90 MX$453

Cinema Ticket

$6.77 MX$123

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

$428 MX$7,781

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K MX$216.0K

$8,668 GHS 101.7K

36.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 MX$1,274

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.7 MX$977

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 MX$1,997

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 MX$2,096

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 MX$19.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 MX$12.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,379 MX$43.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 MX$22.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,716 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,976 MX$35.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$997 MX$18.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 6, 2026

Last update for Tamale: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$671 42.4%

Tamale

–

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$327 20.7%

Tamale

–

Eating Out

Mexico City

$207 13.1%

Tamale

–

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$157 9.9%

Tamale

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 8%

Tamale

–

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$69 4.4%

Tamale

–

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Tamale

–

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇬🇭 Tamale

🕒 Local time

04:29 4:29 AM

10:29 10:29 AM

6 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

950,124

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Ghanaian Cedi GHS ₵

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.5 USD

100 MXN = 4.91 EUR

100 GHS = 8.53 USD

100 GHS = 7.61 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GHS, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.19 MXN (100 MXN = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20.38 MXN (100 MXN = 4.91 EUR).

Ghanaian Cedi exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 11.73 GHS (100 GHS = 8.53 USD). 1 EUR = 13.14 GHS (100 GHS = 7.61 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Tamale 10,520 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Tamale

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Mexico City vs Tamale: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Tamale differ by about 981% in total monthly costs ($1,561 vs $144 including rent). Tamale is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,341 in Mexico City and $217 in Tamale to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 372% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,561 per month in Mexico City versus $144 in Tamale – a 981% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $144 in Tamale versus $1,561 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tamale but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Tamale 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 Tamale gentler on the wallet – expenses run 981% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.