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: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $992 in Tamarin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,697 in Tamarin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $2,402 in Tamarin.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 48% more expensive than in Tamarin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Tamarin is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$6.59 MUR 309

99.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$42.54 MUR 1,993

25.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$5.37 MUR 252

73.74%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$2.58 MUR 121

43.41%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$0.92 MUR 42.92

73.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.61 MUR 28.52

83.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$1.62 MUR 75.7

93.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$1.77 MUR 83.1

174.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$1.53 MUR 71.9

7.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$0.37 MUR 17.18

632.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$1.33 MUR 62.5

43.61%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$2.18 MUR 102

18.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$5.61 MUR 263

74.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$6.33 MUR 297

33.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$9.93 MUR 465

20.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$1.98 MUR 92.8

48.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$1.97 MUR 92.3

-11.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$1.44 MUR 67.5

41.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$2.71 MUR 127

-23.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$0.95 MUR 44.64

126.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$0.95 MUR 44.64

137.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$0.80 MUR 37.69

73.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$0.81 MUR 37.86

38.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$6.77 MUR 317

-37.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$8.47 MUR 397

106.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$1.80 MUR 84.3

-5.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$1.62 MUR 75.7

124.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$1.12 MUR 52.3

-68.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

$11.17 MUR 523

72.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$4.30 MUR 202

-67.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$2.64 MUR 123

-89.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$6.78 MUR 318

-22.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$1.31 MUR 61.5

3.82%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$28.9K MUR 1.4M

-33.84%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$27.5K MUR 1.3M

-14.12%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$48.69 MUR 2,281

-16.76%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$16.10 MUR 754

70.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$29.81 MUR 1,396

1.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$50.5 MUR 2,365

3.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

$11.17 MUR 523

137.06%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$6.16 MUR 289

0.49%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$151 MUR 7,080

181.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$3,192 MUR 149.5K

236.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$59.1 MUR 2,770

-1.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$47.47 MUR 2,223

-6.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$87.8 MUR 4,115

17.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$58.9 MUR 2,757

84.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$756 MUR 35.4K

34.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$380 MUR 17.8K

63.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$1,435 MUR 67.2K

47.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$952 MUR 44.6K

28.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

$831 MUR 38.9K

26.54%

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Tamarin: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $756 in Tamarin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 27% 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $43.00 in Tamarin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $199 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 48% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $992 including rent). Tamarin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 27% higher in Mexico City, 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: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $756 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 $425 in Mexico City versus $151 in Tamarin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $992 in Tamarin versus $1,472 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 48% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.