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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,466 in Mexico City versus $1,052 in Tepic.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,325 in Mexico City versus $1,678 in Tepic.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,184 in Mexico City versus $2,305 in Tepic.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 39% more expensive than Tepic, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Tepic is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.30 MX$231

$7.96 MX$138

67.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$932

$42.12 MX$730

27.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$9.17 MX$159

2.73%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.3

$3.13 MX$54.2

14.70%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$2.07 MX$35.89

-21.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.49

$1.33 MX$22.99

-15.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$2.55 MX$44.12

27.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.65 MX$80.6

$4.11 MX$71.3

13.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$1.52 MX$26.37

7.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 MX$46.00

$2.33 MX$40.30

13.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.99

$1.08 MX$18.78

81.48%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.08

$2.01 MX$34.83

26.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.97 MX$173

$4.90 MX$84.9

103.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 MX$145

$12.95 MX$224

-35.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.83 MX$205

$6.70 MX$116

76.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$49.62

$2.58 MX$44.72

10.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 MX$30.05

$1.57 MX$27.22

10.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.50

$3.52 MX$60.9

-43.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.51

$1.61 MX$27.82

27.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$1.85 MX$32.02

11.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 MX$39.54

$2.06 MX$35.73

10.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MX$25.05

$1.44 MX$24.96

0.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.83

$1.02 MX$17.67

6.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$4.22 MX$73.1

1.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.67 MX$254

$11.44 MX$198

28.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.58

$0.77 MX$13.31

128.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 MX$61.8

$1.68 MX$29.03

112.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.67

$0.55 MX$9.61

-30.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.73 MX$325

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.09

$2.11 MX$36.53

-34.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.26

$0.51 MX$8.88

-41.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$93.8

$10.51 MX$182

-48.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.22

$1.28 MX$22.15

4.69%

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

$18.9K MX$326.7K

$18.5K MX$320.3K

2.00%

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

$23.2K MX$402.0K

$18.8K MX$325.4K

23.56%

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

$40.30 MX$698

$42.49 MX$736

-5.15%

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

$27.15 MX$471

$12.00 MX$208

126.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$510

$25.61 MX$444

15.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 MX$914

$36.65 MX$635

43.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.17 MX$454

$15.81 MX$274

65.53%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$107

$4.19 MX$72.7

47.49%

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

$441 MX$7,637

$208 MX$3,607

111.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.4K

$3,460 MX$60.0K

209.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.2 MX$992

$42.16 MX$731

35.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.04 MX$781

$15.88 MX$275

183.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,793

$65.5 MX$1,135

57.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,884

$73.6 MX$1,276

47.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.3K

$514 MX$8,908

94.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 MX$11.0K

$398 MX$6,890

58.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,141 MX$37.1K

$934 MX$16.2K

129.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,253 MX$21.7K

$749 MX$13.0K

67.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,745 MX$64.9K

$2,220 MX$38.5K

68.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,381 MX$41.3K

$1,251 MX$21.7K

90.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,079 MX$18.7K

$696 MX$12.1K

55.02%

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Tepic: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $514 in Tepic. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 55% 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 in Mexico City vs $42 in Tepic for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $253 per month, with Tepic 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 Tepic: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Tepic differ by about 39% in total monthly costs ($1,466 vs $1,052 including rent). Tepic is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 55% 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $514 in Tepic. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $441 in Mexico City versus $208 in Tepic. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tepic – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,052 in Tepic versus $1,466 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tepic but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Tepic 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.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Tepic are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Tepic gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.