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: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $1,002 in Tehuacan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $1,570 in Tehuacan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $2,137 in Tehuacan.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 44% more expensive than Tehuacan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 8% above, Tehuacan is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$223

$4.72 MX$81.0

175.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$903

$25.95 MX$445

102.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$162

$5.63 MX$96.7

67.50%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$61.3

$2.71 MX$46.47

31.73%

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

$1.61 MX$27.55

$1.29 MX$22.10

24.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.81

$0.76 MX$12.98

51.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$54.0

$1.80 MX$30.87

75.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$83.4

$3.75 MX$64.4

29.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.17

$1.42 MX$24.30

19.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.23

$1.67 MX$28.67

58.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.67

$1.37 MX$23.45

38.69%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.62

$1.62 MX$27.84

56.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$173

$6.45 MX$111

56.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$142

$5.80 MX$99.5

42.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$199

$9.54 MX$164

21.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.0

$2.05 MX$35.21

47.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.35

$1.23 MX$21.10

39.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.16

$1.55 MX$26.61

32.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.36

$1.60 MX$27.41

28.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.43

$2.09 MX$35.80

-1.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.25

$1.46 MX$25.10

48.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.08

$1.02 MX$17.46

37.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.26

$0.60 MX$10.38

86.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$73.7

$4.10 MX$70.3

4.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$265

$15.12 MX$260

1.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.74

$0.67 MX$11.42

149.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$63.3

$1.08 MX$18.53

241.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.55

$0.62 MX$10.63

-38.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.70

$1.33 MX$22.78

3.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.74

$0.28 MX$4.75

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$92.9

$5.55 MX$95.3

-2.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$21.98

$1.22 MX$20.88

4.92%

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

$19.0K MX$325.8K

$18.8K MX$322.2K

1.11%

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

$23.5K MX$402.7K

$23.0K MX$395.3K

1.86%

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

$41.02 MX$704

$40.36 MX$693

1.64%

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

$26.92 MX$462

$27.08 MX$465

-0.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$510

$20.19 MX$347

47.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$898

$36.20 MX$621

44.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

$15.65 MX$269

67.60%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$106

$4.16 MX$71.5

48.56%

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

$427 MX$7,331

$428 MX$7,340

-0.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$183.6K

$3,651 MX$62.7K

192.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$975

$57.7 MX$991

-1.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$769

$45.46 MX$780

-1.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,794

$104 MX$1,788

0.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,819

$105 MX$1,801

0.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.1K

$519 MX$8,901

91.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.7K

$392 MX$6,732

58.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$36.5K

$941 MX$16.2K

125.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.5K

$750 MX$12.9K

67.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

$1,989 MX$34.1K

96.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

$1,226 MX$21.0K

70.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Tehuacan: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Mexico City and $519 in Tehuacan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $26.00 in Tehuacan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $208 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 44% in total monthly costs ($1,447 vs $1,002 including rent). Tehuacan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,171 in Mexico City and $1,503 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: $995 in Mexico City versus $519 in Tehuacan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $428 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 $26.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,002 in Tehuacan versus $1,447 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 44% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.