Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Tamarin Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Tamarin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $1,024 in Tamarin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $1,710 in Tamarin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $2,396 in Tamarin.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 41% more expensive than Tamarin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 8% above, Tamarin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$223

$6.47 MUR 304

100.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$903

$41.92 MUR 1,974

25.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$162

$5.51 MUR 260

71.14%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$61.3

$2.58 MUR 122

38.37%

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

$1.61 MX$27.55

$0.84 MUR 39.63

91.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.81

$0.59 MUR 27.92

94.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$54.0

$1.69 MUR 79.7

86.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$83.4

$1.73 MUR 81.7

180.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.17

$1.49 MUR 70.0

14.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.23

$0.40 MUR 18.77

560.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.67

$1.31 MUR 61.8

45.04%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.62

$2.11 MUR 99.5

20.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$173

$5.35 MUR 252

88.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$142

$6.24 MUR 294

32.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$199

$9.62 MUR 453

20.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.0

$2.07 MUR 97.6

46.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.35

$1.97 MUR 92.7

-13.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.16

$1.46 MUR 68.7

40.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.36

$2.67 MUR 126

-22.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.43

$1.02 MUR 48.09

101.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.25

$0.98 MUR 46.33

121.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.08

$0.78 MUR 36.82

79.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.26

$0.81 MUR 37.96

38.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$73.7

$6.49 MUR 306

-33.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$265

$8.44 MUR 397

82.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.74

$1.71 MUR 80.5

-2.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$63.3

$1.62 MUR 76.1

127.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.55

$1.18 MUR 55.5

-67.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

$10.99 MUR 517

73.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.70

$4.47 MUR 211

-69.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.74

$2.74 MUR 129

-89.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$92.9

$6.69 MUR 315

-18.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$21.98

$1.31 MUR 61.6

-2.29%

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

$19.0K MX$325.8K

$28.3K MUR 1.3M

-32.99%

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

$23.5K MX$402.7K

$27.4K MUR 1.3M

-14.27%

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

$41.02 MX$704

$49.29 MUR 2,321

-16.78%

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

$26.92 MX$462

$16.05 MUR 756

67.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$510

$30.43 MUR 1,433

-2.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$898

$50.9 MUR 2,396

2.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

$11.10 MUR 523

136.31%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$106

$6.12 MUR 288

0.98%

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

$427 MX$7,331

$153 MUR 7,186

179.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$183.6K

$3,115 MUR 146.7K

243.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$975

$59.2 MUR 2,789

-4.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$769

$47.35 MUR 2,230

-5.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,794

$87.1 MUR 4,103

19.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,819

$59.3 MUR 2,794

78.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.1K

$781 MUR 36.8K

27.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.7K

$388 MUR 18.3K

59.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$36.5K

$1,452 MUR 68.4K

46.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.5K

$925 MUR 43.6K

35.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

$851 MUR 40.1K

30.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

89.00%

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

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Last update for Tamarin: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Mexico City and $781 in Tamarin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 30% 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: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $42.00 in Tamarin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $196 per month, with Tamarin 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

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

Mexico City and Tamarin differ by about 41% in total monthly costs ($1,447 vs $1,024 including rent). Tamarin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 30% 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: $995 in Mexico City versus $781 in Tamarin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Tamarin runs roughly 73% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $153 in Tamarin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,024 in Tamarin versus $1,447 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tamarin but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Tamarin 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.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Tamarin are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Tamarin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.