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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $1,326 in Tampico.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $2,040 in Tampico.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $2,754 in Tampico.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 25% more expensive than in Tampico, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Tampico is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$206

$8.55 MX$147

39.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$890

$45.85 MX$791

12.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$8.64 MX$149

32.06%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.9

$3.23 MX$55.6

23.53%

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

$1.66 MX$28.61

$1.34 MX$23.10

23.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.87

$0.90 MX$15.48

47.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.9

$2.95 MX$50.9

17.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$4.32 MX$74.6

36.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.36

$1.60 MX$27.62

17.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$4.43 MX$76.4

-26.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.26

$1.49 MX$25.68

44.97%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.94

$4.36 MX$75.2

-33.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$222

$5.33 MX$92.0

141.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$10.84 MX$187

-7.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$14.22 MX$245

11.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.8

$3.65 MX$62.9

-9.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.60

$1.27 MX$21.82

58.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.93

$2.26 MX$39.05

-2.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.63

$2.39 MX$41.22

-1.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.43

$2.27 MX$39.11

-9.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.79

$3.02 MX$52.1

-37.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$2.28 MX$39.27

-29.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.09

$0.95 MX$16.39

47.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.2

$4.56 MX$78.7

19.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$11.16 MX$192

58.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.44

$1.97 MX$34.00

4.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.8

$3.14 MX$54.1

49.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.84

$0.84 MX$14.42

-59.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$359

$29.39 MX$507

-29.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.15

$2.73 MX$47.00

-23.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.64

$2.88 MX$49.58

-80.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$12.02 MX$207

-51.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$1.42 MX$24.52

13.38%

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

$22.8K MX$393.8K

$34.8K MX$599.9K

-34.35%

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

$26.8K MX$461.2K

$25.5K MX$439.6K

4.93%

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

$65.2 MX$1,124

$61.5 MX$1,060

5.98%

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

$30.09 MX$519

$29.63 MX$511

1.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$641

$25.15 MX$434

47.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,030

$45.40 MX$783

31.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$458

$17.20 MX$297

54.36%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$5.51 MX$95.0

27.77%

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

$465 MX$8,012

$246 MX$4,236

89.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.9K

$4,846 MX$83.6K

173.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,308

$78.8 MX$1,359

-3.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$965

$70.7 MX$1,218

-20.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,929

$178 MX$3,070

-37.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,078

$90.9 MX$1,567

32.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$558 MX$9,623

97.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$412 MX$7,099

75.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$1,092 MX$18.8K

131.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$701 MX$12.1K

84.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.8K

$1,810 MX$31.2K

120.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

$1,393 MX$24.0K

50.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

$587 MX$10.1K

76.86%

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: September 14, 2026

Last update for Tampico: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $558 in Tampico. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 77% 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 $46.00 in Tampico for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $315 per month, with Tampico 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 Tampico: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Tampico differ by about 25% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $1,326 including rent). Tampico is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 77% 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 $558 in Tampico. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Tampico runs roughly 41% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $246 in Tampico. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,326 in Tampico versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tampico but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Tampico 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 Tampico gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.