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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,099 in Tula.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,770 in Tula.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,442 in Tula.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 34% more expensive than Tula, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Tula is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$12.74 ₽930

3.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$57.5 ₽4,199

-6.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$6.48 ₽473

45.37%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$2.07 ₽151

71.50%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$1.38 ₽101

17.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.62 ₽45.19

79.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$2.06 ₽151

51.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$3.07 ₽224

50.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.23 ₽90.0

38.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$0.61 ₽44.87

345.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.75 ₽128

9.14%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$1.94 ₽142

30.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$12.52 ₽914

-19.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$5.49 ₽401

47.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$5.47 ₽399

112.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$1.89 ₽138

57.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$2.03 ₽148

-10.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$1.86 ₽136

8.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$2.79 ₽204

-27.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$1.00 ₽72.9

112.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$0.78 ₽57.0

191.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$1.62 ₽119

-13.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.75 ₽54.9

50.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$2.50 ₽182

70.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$8.55 ₽624

81.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$1.00 ₽72.7

76.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$1.04 ₽75.9

246.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.44 ₽32.20

-13.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$17.73 ₽1,294

8.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$1.34 ₽98.2

2.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.32 ₽23.68

-12.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$7.97 ₽582

-31.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$0.78 ₽57.1

66.67%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$23.0K ₽1.7M

-18.70%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$30.3K ₽2.2M

-23.54%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$153 ₽11.1K

-73.23%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$8.09 ₽591

231.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$8.20 ₽598

265.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$16.74 ₽1,222

210.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$19.59 ₽1,430

37.01%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$6.30 ₽460

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

$436 MX$7,544

$703 ₽51.3K

-37.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$14.8K ₽1.1M

-29.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$87.7 ₽6,404

-35.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$52.7 ₽3,848

-15.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$132 ₽9,631

-22.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$161 ₽11.8K

-34.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$388 ₽28.3K

163.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$312 ₽22.8K

101.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$689 ₽50.3K

210.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$565 ₽41.3K

119.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$2,054 ₽149.9K

90.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$1,262 ₽92.1K

63.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$1,042 ₽76.0K

7.06%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Tula: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $388 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 $288 vs $202, 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 34% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $1,099 including rent). Tula is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 7% 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $388 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 8% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $703 in Tula. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,099 in Tula versus $1,467 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 34% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.