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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,093 in Tampico.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,742 in Tampico.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,390 in Tampico.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 34% more expensive than Tampico, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Tampico is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$6.47 MX$112

103.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$41.92 MX$727

28.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$5.99 MX$104

57.26%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$3.34 MX$57.8

6.29%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$0.86 MX$14.93

88.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$0.82 MX$14.26

35.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$1.42 MX$24.69

119.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$2.09 MX$36.30

121.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$1.45 MX$25.05

17.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$3.89 MX$67.4

-30.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$1.55 MX$26.79

23.23%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$3.98 MX$69.0

-36.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$4.47 MX$77.5

124.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$8.46 MX$147

-4.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$11.05 MX$191

5.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$2.77 MX$47.99

7.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$1.20 MX$20.78

50.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$1.75 MX$30.41

14.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$1.59 MX$27.59

27.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$1.83 MX$31.76

15.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$2.17 MX$37.68

4.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$1.64 MX$28.48

-14.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$0.90 MX$15.52

25.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$4.27 MX$73.9

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$10.82 MX$188

43.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$1.76 MX$30.50

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$2.60 MX$45.01

38.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$0.77 MX$13.28

-50.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$26.44 MX$458

-27.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$2.66 MX$46.01

-48.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$2.49 MX$43.15

-88.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$4.94 MX$85.6

10.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$1.33 MX$22.98

-2.26%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$41.7K MX$722.3K

-55.17%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$22.0K MX$380.9K

5.23%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$79.0 MX$1,369

-48.29%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$25.85 MX$448

3.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$23.95 MX$415

25.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$38.83 MX$673

33.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

$15.82 MX$274

69.66%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$5.19 MX$89.9

21.39%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$238 MX$4,122

83.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$3,662 MX$63.5K

184.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$84.7 MX$1,468

-33.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$62.7 MX$1,087

-29.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$161 MX$2,787

-36.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$78.6 MX$1,362

34.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$502 MX$8,695

103.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$317 MX$5,496

98.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$819 MX$14.2K

160.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$617 MX$10.7K

101.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

$1,682 MX$29.1K

132.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

$1,410 MX$24.4K

46.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$597 MX$10.3K

86.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

11.75

-3.49%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Tampico: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $502 in Tampico. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 87% 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 $42.00 in Tampico for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $263 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 34% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $1,093 including rent). Tampico is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 87% 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $502 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 38% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $238 in Tampico. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,093 in Tampico versus $1,467 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 34% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.