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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $1,004 in Tehuacan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,570 in Tehuacan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $2,136 in Tehuacan.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 47% more expensive than in Tehuacan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$4.66 MX$80.7

181.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$26.66 MX$461

100.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$5.64 MX$97.5

65.43%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$2.67 MX$46.26

38.58%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$1.30 MX$22.45

23.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.80 MX$13.90

40.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$1.71 MX$29.66

83.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$3.61 MX$62.5

34.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$1.45 MX$25.09

13.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$1.72 MX$29.80

57.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$1.36 MX$23.56

40.44%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$1.64 MX$28.46

57.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$6.46 MX$112

51.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$5.93 MX$103

42.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$9.53 MX$165

25.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$2.05 MX$35.52

43.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$1.30 MX$22.41

33.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$1.59 MX$27.57

28.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$1.62 MX$28.06

27.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$2.12 MX$36.63

1.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$1.46 MX$25.23

54.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$0.97 MX$16.83

43.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$0.65 MX$11.26

72.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$4.19 MX$72.5

0.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$17.28 MX$299

1.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$0.72 MX$12.48

137.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$1.09 MX$18.83

233.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$0.66 MX$11.38

-46.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$1.33 MX$23.02

3.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$0.30 MX$5.26

-6.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$5.32 MX$92.1

-0.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$1.26 MX$21.79

7.94%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$18.7K MX$324.2K

1.94%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$23.2K MX$400.5K

1.97%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$40.25 MX$696

0.70%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$27.16 MX$470

0.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$20.77 MX$359

46.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$36.59 MX$633

42.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

$15.65 MX$271

69.20%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$4.20 MX$72.6

47.38%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$434 MX$7,508

-2.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$3,619 MX$62.6K

196.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$58.6 MX$1,014

-0.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$45.33 MX$784

-1.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$104 MX$1,805

-0.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$107 MX$1,854

1.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$511 MX$8,842

98.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$391 MX$6,770

59.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$922 MX$15.9K

129.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$768 MX$13.3K

59.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

$1,906 MX$33.0K

98.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

$1,247 MX$21.6K

69.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Last update for Tehuacan: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $511 in Tehuacan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $27.00 in Tehuacan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $215 per month, with Tehuacan 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 Tehuacan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Tehuacan differ by about 47% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $1,004 including rent). Tehuacan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,208 in Mexico City and $1,506 in Tehuacan to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $511 in Tehuacan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $434 in Tehuacan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tehuacan – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,004 in Tehuacan versus $1,472 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tehuacan but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Tehuacan 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 Tehuacan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.