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: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,119 in Tampico.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,753 in Tampico.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $2,387 in Tampico.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 30% more expensive than in Tampico, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Tampico is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$6.50 MX$113

101.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$42.94 MX$748

25.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$6.12 MX$107

58.17%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$3.17 MX$55.3

17.98%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$0.87 MX$15.12

86.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.77 MX$13.37

50.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$1.43 MX$24.99

125.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$2.09 MX$36.37

126.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.44 MX$25.07

14.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$3.96 MX$69.0

-30.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$1.56 MX$27.16

19.87%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$4.05 MX$70.5

-38.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$4.52 MX$78.7

125.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$8.40 MX$146

-1.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$11.20 MX$195

5.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$2.65 MX$46.11

13.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.21 MX$20.98

49.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$1.80 MX$31.33

11.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$1.54 MX$26.90

29.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$1.77 MX$30.75

17.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$2.15 MX$37.45

5.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$1.64 MX$28.49

-10.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.83 MX$14.45

30.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$4.15 MX$72.3

4.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$11.11 MX$193

52.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$1.83 MX$31.87

-5.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$2.58 MX$45.00

38.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.78 MX$13.51

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$25.94 MX$452

-27.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$2.62 MX$45.67

-49.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$2.41 MX$41.99

-88.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$4.93 MX$85.8

6.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.33 MX$23.10

0.75%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$41.7K MX$726.8K

-53.49%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$22.4K MX$389.8K

6.46%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$78.8 MX$1,371

-48.34%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$25.61 MX$446

4.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$23.92 MX$416

27.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$37.79 MX$658

39.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$16.00 MX$279

66.56%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$5.36 MX$93.4

21.46%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$242 MX$4,213

76.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$3,565 MX$62.1K

194.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$83.8 MX$1,459

-31.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$62.6 MX$1,090

-27.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$160 MX$2,786

-34.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$78.4 MX$1,364

37.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$509 MX$8,867

97.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$315 MX$5,484

97.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$794 MX$13.8K

165.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$612 MX$10.7K

99.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$1,968 MX$34.3K

97.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$1,150 MX$20.0K

76.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$585 MX$10.2K

77.46%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Tampico: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $509 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $43.00 in Tampico for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $264 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 30% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $1,119 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $509 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 39% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $242 in Tampico. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,119 in Tampico versus $1,456 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 30% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.