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: $1,466 in Mexico City versus $996 in Tehuacan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,325 in Mexico City versus $1,571 in Tehuacan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,184 in Mexico City versus $2,146 in Tehuacan.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Tehuacan is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.30 MX$231

$4.74 MX$82.1

180.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$932

$26.75 MX$464

101.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$5.41 MX$93.7

74.12%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.3

$2.66 MX$46.08

34.96%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$1.33 MX$23.07

21.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.49

$0.77 MX$13.36

45.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$1.77 MX$30.62

83.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.65 MX$80.6

$3.78 MX$65.5

23.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$1.46 MX$25.35

12.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 MX$46.00

$1.68 MX$29.05

57.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.99

$1.38 MX$23.86

42.03%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.08

$1.69 MX$29.27

50.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.97 MX$173

$6.39 MX$111

56.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 MX$145

$6.09 MX$106

37.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.83 MX$205

$9.48 MX$164

24.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$49.62

$2.13 MX$36.95

34.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 MX$30.05

$1.28 MX$22.18

35.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.50

$1.62 MX$28.15

22.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.51

$1.62 MX$28.04

26.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$2.05 MX$35.47

0.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 MX$39.54

$1.45 MX$25.05

57.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MX$25.05

$0.98 MX$16.92

47.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.83

$0.66 MX$11.37

65.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$4.12 MX$71.3

3.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.67 MX$254

$14.40 MX$250

1.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.58

$0.66 MX$11.44

166.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 MX$61.8

$1.08 MX$18.67

230.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.67

$0.60 MX$10.38

-36.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.73 MX$325

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.09

$1.37 MX$23.78

1.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.26

$0.30 MX$5.27

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$93.8

$5.44 MX$94.4

-0.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.22

$1.25 MX$21.62

7.20%

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

$18.9K MX$326.7K

$18.7K MX$324.0K

0.85%

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

$23.2K MX$402.0K

$23.0K MX$399.0K

0.76%

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

$40.30 MX$698

$40.91 MX$709

-1.49%

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

$27.15 MX$471

$26.82 MX$465

1.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$510

$20.56 MX$356

43.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 MX$914

$36.51 MX$633

44.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.17 MX$454

$16.13 MX$280

62.24%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$107

$4.18 MX$72.4

47.85%

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

$441 MX$7,637

$437 MX$7,573

0.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.4K

$3,616 MX$62.7K

195.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.2 MX$992

$57.0 MX$988

0.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.04 MX$781

$45.96 MX$796

-2.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,793

$102 MX$1,771

1.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,884

$108 MX$1,873

0.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.3K

$508 MX$8,798

96.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 MX$11.0K

$400 MX$6,939

57.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,141 MX$37.1K

$941 MX$16.3K

127.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,253 MX$21.7K

$750 MX$13.0K

67.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,745 MX$64.9K

$2,010 MX$34.8K

86.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,381 MX$41.3K

$1,281 MX$22.2K

85.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,079 MX$18.7K

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Tehuacan: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $508 in Tehuacan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54 in Mexico City vs $27 in Tehuacan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $210 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 ($1,466 vs $996 including rent). Tehuacan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,199 in Mexico City and $1,495 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $508 in Tehuacan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $441 in Mexico City versus $437 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 $996 in Tehuacan versus $1,466 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.