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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,093 in Tula.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,771 in Tula.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $2,449 in Tula.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 33% more expensive than in Tula, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Tula is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$12.82 ₽1,007

1.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$58.2 ₽4,575

-7.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$6.22 ₽489

55.63%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$2.04 ₽160

83.33%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$1.39 ₽109

16.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.63 ₽49.37

84.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$1.98 ₽156

63.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$3.12 ₽245

51.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.31 ₽103

25.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$0.61 ₽47.96

350.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$1.67 ₽131

11.98%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$1.93 ₽152

29.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$12.67 ₽995

-19.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$5.32 ₽418

55.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$5.53 ₽435

113.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$1.89 ₽148

59.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$2.06 ₽162

-12.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$1.93 ₽152

3.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$2.65 ₽208

-24.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$1.03 ₽80.6

101.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$0.78 ₽61.6

191.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$1.69 ₽133

-13.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.79 ₽62.1

36.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$2.48 ₽195

75.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$7.75 ₽609

119.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$1.03 ₽81.3

67.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$1.05 ₽82.2

240.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.47 ₽37.12

-17.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$17.48 ₽1,374

6.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$1.36 ₽107

-2.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$0.32 ₽25.52

-12.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$8.22 ₽646

-36.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$0.80 ₽63.2

67.50%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$23.0K ₽1.8M

-15.52%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$30.4K ₽2.4M

-21.48%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$149 ₽11.7K

-72.69%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$8.07 ₽634

232.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$8.16 ₽641

273.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$16.86 ₽1,325

213.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$19.60 ₽1,540

35.97%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$6.40 ₽503

1.72%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$705 ₽55.4K

-39.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$14.6K ₽1.1M

-27.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$88.3 ₽6,933

-35.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$53.8 ₽4,224

-15.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$134 ₽10.6K

-22.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$163 ₽12.8K

-33.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$383 ₽30.1K

161.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$318 ₽25.0K

95.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$691 ₽54.3K

205.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$571 ₽44.9K

113.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$1,981 ₽155.6K

96.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$1,181 ₽92.8K

72.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$973 ₽76.4K

6.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

14.86

-23.69%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Tula: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $383 in Tula. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 7% 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $58.0 in Tula. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $201, with Tula cheaper for home cooking.

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 Tula: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Tula differ by about 33% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $1,093 including rent). Tula is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 7% higher in Mexico City, 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $383 in Tula. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Tula runs roughly 7% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $705 in Tula. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,093 in Tula versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tula but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Tula 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 Tula 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 Tula gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.