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: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $1,015 in Tepic.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $1,651 in Tepic.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $2,288 in Tepic.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 43% more expensive than Tepic, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 8% above, Tepic is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$7.99 MX$139

62.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$918

$42.04 MX$734

25.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$165

$9.03 MX$158

4.43%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$62.3

$3.21 MX$56.0

11.21%

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

$1.61 MX$28.02

$2.03 MX$35.47

-20.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$20.14

$1.38 MX$24.07

-16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$55.0

$2.60 MX$45.39

21.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$84.8

$3.94 MX$68.7

23.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.66

$1.49 MX$26.05

14.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.99

$2.34 MX$40.76

12.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$33.22

$1.03 MX$17.96

84.47%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.35

$2.03 MX$35.44

25.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$4.73 MX$82.6

113.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$13.18 MX$230

-37.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$202

$6.76 MX$118

71.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.8

$2.61 MX$45.57

16.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.85

$1.51 MX$26.27

13.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.76

$3.40 MX$59.3

-39.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.95

$1.59 MX$27.68

29.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$36.03

$1.82 MX$31.80

13.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.87

$1.99 MX$34.71

9.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.49

$1.45 MX$25.33

-3.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.58

$1.01 MX$17.71

10.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$74.9

$4.27 MX$74.6

0.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$269

$11.03 MX$192

39.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$29.23

$0.77 MX$13.43

116.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$64.3

$1.60 MX$28.00

130.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.66

$0.51 MX$8.84

-25.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$333

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$24.10

$2.18 MX$38.06

-36.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.82

$0.50 MX$8.80

-44.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.5

$10.76 MX$188

-49.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$22.35

$1.26 MX$22.01

1.59%

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

$19.0K MX$331.3K

$18.5K MX$322.7K

2.67%

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

$23.5K MX$409.5K

$18.4K MX$321.7K

27.28%

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

$41.02 MX$716

$41.95 MX$732

-2.22%

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

$26.92 MX$470

$11.76 MX$205

128.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$518

$25.28 MX$441

17.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$913

$36.42 MX$636

43.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$458

$15.66 MX$273

67.50%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$108

$4.27 MX$74.5

44.73%

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

$427 MX$7,454

$210 MX$3,662

103.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$186.7K

$3,485 MX$60.8K

206.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$992

$42.51 MX$742

33.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$782

$16.14 MX$282

177.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,824

$66.3 MX$1,157

57.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,849

$75.0 MX$1,309

41.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.4K

$507 MX$8,847

96.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.8K

$403 MX$7,026

54.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$37.1K

$937 MX$16.4K

126.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.9K

$770 MX$13.4K

62.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$68.1K

$2,109 MX$36.8K

85.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.6K

$1,268 MX$22.1K

65.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.3K

$689 MX$12.0K

60.82%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Tepic: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Mexico City and $507 in Tepic. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 61% 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: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $42.00 in Tepic for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $251 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 43% in total monthly costs ($1,447 vs $1,015 including rent). Tepic is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 61% 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: $995 in Mexico City versus $507 in Tepic. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $210 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 $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,015 in Tepic versus $1,447 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 43% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.