Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Tula

For one person, living is cheaper in Tula: $912 a month against $1,548 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,548
/mo nomad
Tula
🇷🇺 Russia
$912
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Tula

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Tula actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,548 in Mexico City versus $912 in Tula.

  • Mexico City $1,548
  • Tula $912

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,436 in Mexico City versus $1,496 in Tula.

  • Mexico City $2,436
  • Tula $1,496

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,323 in Mexico City versus $2,080 in Tula.

  • Mexico City $3,323
  • Tula $2,080

Living in Mexico City is roughly 70% more expensive than in Tula, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 14% above, Tula is 33% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mexico City
Tula
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.02 MX$204
$12.07 ₽1,007
-8.70%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$48.68 MX$900
$59.9 ₽5,002
-18.77%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.90 MX$201
$7.29 ₽608
49.52%
Cappuccino
$3.68 MX$68.1
$3.93 ₽328
-6.36%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.63 MX$30.18
$1.62 ₽136
0.62%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.25 MX$23.07
$0.84 ₽70.4
48.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.25 MX$60.1
$4.81 ₽401
-32.43%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.53 MX$102
$4.99 ₽416
10.82%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
Tula
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.70 MX$31.50
$1.24 ₽103
37.10%
White Bread (500g)
$3.02 MX$55.8
$1.06 ₽88.6
184.91%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.92 MX$35.53
$1.68 ₽140
14.29%
Eggs
$2.73 MX$50.5
$1.94 ₽162
40.72%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.77 MX$218
$14.55 ₽1,214
-19.11%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.53 MX$176
$6.67 ₽557
42.88%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.41 MX$266
$12.13 ₽1,012
18.80%
Apples (1kg)
$3.02 MX$55.8
$2.14 ₽179
41.12%
Banana (1kg)
$1.89 MX$35.01
$1.88 ₽157
0.53%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.99 MX$36.70
$2.06 ₽172
-3.40%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.19 MX$40.38
$4.17 ₽348
-47.48%
Potato (1kg)
$1.92 MX$35.43
$0.91 ₽76.1
110.99%
Onion (1kg)
$1.87 MX$34.49
$0.71 ₽59.0
163.38%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.44 MX$26.62
$1.59 ₽133
-9.43%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 MX$23.39
$0.99 ₽82.3
28.28%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.22 MX$96.4
$3.51 ₽293
48.72%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.17 MX$299
$11.98 ₽999
34.97%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.90 MX$35.03
$1.25 ₽104
52.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.22 MX$78.0
$2.66 ₽222
58.65%
🚌 Getting Around
Mexico City
Tula
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.34 MX$6.30
$0.56 ₽46.98
-39.29%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.65 MX$363
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.00 MX$36.90
$1.85 ₽154
8.11%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.52 MX$9.67
$0.86 ₽72.0
-39.53%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.34 MX$98.7
$12.12 ₽1,012
-55.94%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.52 MX$28.13
$0.86 ₽71.6
76.74%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.1K MX$408.0K
$43.2K ₽3.6M
-48.87%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.5K MX$452.9K
$38.9K ₽3.2M
-36.92%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
Tula
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$61.1 MX$1,129
$165 ₽13.8K
-63.05%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.58 MX$528
$8.76 ₽731
226.26%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.47 MX$637
$10.18 ₽850
238.61%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
Tula
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.4 MX$1,042
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.88 MX$460
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.66 MX$123
$9.46 ₽790
-29.60%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mexico City
Tula
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$427 MX$7,891
$848 ₽70.8K
-49.65%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.6K MX$215.0K
$28.7K ₽2.4M
-59.43%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
Tula
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$67.8 MX$1,253
$114 ₽9,518
-40.55%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$52.0 MX$960
$68.5 ₽5,720
-24.18%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 MX$1,959
$149 ₽12.5K
-28.93%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$113 MX$2,080
$183 ₽15.3K
-38.55%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
Tula
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,025 MX$18.9K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$654 MX$12.1K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,308 MX$42.7K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,242 MX$22.9K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,613 MX$66.8K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,936 MX$35.8K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mexico City
Tula
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$964 MX$17.8K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.3
19.56
-42.23%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Tula: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
$654
Tula
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
$318
Tula
$260 18.3% $58
Eating Out
Mexico City
$204
Tula
$209 2.7% $5.6
Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
$152
Tula
$232 52.2% $79
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
$124
Tula
$184 48.4% $60
Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
$70
Tula
$19 * 72.8% $51
Getting Around
Mexico City
$26
Tula
$8.4 * 67.2% $17

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $49.00 in Mexico City vs $60.0 in Tula. Groceries flip the comparison at $318 vs $260, with Tula cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🇷🇺 Tula
🕒 Local time
11:49 11:49 AM
20:49 8:49 PM
9 h ahead of Mexico City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,209,944 Capital
475,161
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mexico City Tula 10,850 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mexico City
  • Tula

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
What is the total cost difference between living in Mexico City and in Tula?
Mexico City and Tula differ by about 70% in total monthly costs ($1,548 vs $912 including rent). Tula is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Mexico City compared to Tula?
You'd need roughly $2,322 in Mexico City and $1,369 in Tula 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.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Mexico City and Tula?
Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $848 in Tula. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Tula – a meal for two runs $60.0 versus $49.00 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
At $912 in Tula versus $1,548 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.
How does quality of life compare between Mexico City and Tula?
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.
Is Mexico City or Tula safer for residents?
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.
Where should expats move: Mexico City or Tula?
Expats usually find Tula gentler on the wallet – expenses run 70% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Mexico City vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?