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: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $955 in Tamarin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,638 in Tamarin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $2,321 in Tamarin.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 74% more expensive than in Tamarin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Tamarin is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$205

$5.74 MUR 273

107.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$886

$38.06 MUR 1,808

35.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$196

$7.15 MUR 340

59.58%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.6

$2.62 MUR 125

52.29%

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

$1.66 MX$28.48

$1.15 MUR 54.4

44.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.77

$0.66 MUR 31.15

101.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.6

$2.72 MUR 129

27.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$101

$1.74 MUR 82.8

239.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.21

$1.49 MUR 70.6

26.17%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$55.9

$0.20 MUR 9.50

1525.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.10

$1.16 MUR 55.2

86.21%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.72

$2.41 MUR 114

20.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$221

$3.88 MUR 185

231.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$6.20 MUR 295

62.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$272

$11.24 MUR 534

41.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.6

$2.23 MUR 106

47.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.44

$2.19 MUR 104

-8.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.76

$1.46 MUR 69.2

50.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.44

$2.92 MUR 139

-19.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.27

$0.95 MUR 45.19

115.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.64

$1.01 MUR 47.97

88.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.55

$0.74 MUR 35.23

117.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$23.98

$0.83 MUR 39.54

68.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$93.8

$6.13 MUR 291

-10.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$303

$8.33 MUR 396

111.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.28

$1.62 MUR 77.0

27.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.4

$1.87 MUR 88.9

150.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.81

$0.83 MUR 39.33

-59.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$357

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$35.99

$4.27 MUR 203

-50.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.60

$3.20 MUR 152

-82.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$99.8

$6.40 MUR 304

-9.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.56

$1.33 MUR 62.9

21.05%

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

$22.8K MX$392.1K

$29.7K MUR 1.4M

-23.00%

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

$26.8K MX$459.2K

$31.7K MUR 1.5M

-15.62%

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

$65.2 MX$1,119

$45.05 MUR 2,140

44.68%

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

$30.09 MX$517

$10.74 MUR 510

180.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$638

$28.92 MUR 1,374

28.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,026

$42.04 MUR 1,997

42.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$456

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$6.42 MUR 305

9.66%

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

$465 MX$7,976

$130 MUR 6,157

258.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$227.8K

$3,114 MUR 147.9K

326.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,303

$55.9 MUR 2,657

35.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$960

$45.81 MUR 2,176

22.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,920

$85.6 MUR 4,065

30.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,068

$59.1 MUR 2,805

104.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$18.9K

$754 MUR 35.8K

46.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$368 MUR 17.5K

95.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.4K

$1,400 MUR 66.5K

80.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.2K

$907 MUR 43.1K

42.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$35.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.8K

$844 MUR 40.1K

22.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

6.67

69.42%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Tamarin: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $754 in Tamarin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 23% 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: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $38.00 in Tamarin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 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 74% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $955 including rent). Tamarin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 23% 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: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $754 in Tamarin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $130 in Tamarin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tamarin – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $955 in Tamarin versus $1,660 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 74% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.