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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,646 in Mexico City versus $1,331 in Tulum.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,613 in Mexico City versus $2,231 in Tulum.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,580 in Mexico City versus $3,130 in Tulum.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 24% more expensive than in Tulum, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 20% above, Tulum is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.11 MX$206

$8.73 MX$148

38.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$887

$59.4 MX$1,009

-12.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$185

$8.71 MX$148

25.14%

Cappuccino

$4.05 MX$68.8

$4.14 MX$70.3

-2.17%

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

$1.72 MX$29.13

$1.16 MX$19.76

48.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MX$23.40

$1.23 MX$20.84

12.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$58.9

$2.98 MX$50.6

16.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 MX$98.7

$3.92 MX$66.6

48.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.48

$1.74 MX$29.58

6.32%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 MX$54.7

$2.13 MX$36.13

51.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.42

$1.86 MX$31.58

12.37%

Eggs

$2.91 MX$49.41

$2.06 MX$35.02

41.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 MX$212

$5.86 MX$99.5

113.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$8.44 MX$143

19.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.89 MX$270

$9.53 MX$162

66.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 MX$56.3

$2.79 MX$47.42

18.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.12

$1.49 MX$25.30

42.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.20

$1.61 MX$27.28

36.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$41.57

$1.63 MX$27.69

50.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.18

$2.45 MX$41.65

-10.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.35

$1.96 MX$33.33

-3.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 MX$27.44

$1.58 MX$26.85

2.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$22.92

$0.86 MX$14.60

56.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.43 MX$92.1

$4.90 MX$83.2

10.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.59 MX$299

$8.95 MX$152

96.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.12

$1.48 MX$25.08

39.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 MX$80.6

$1.44 MX$24.53

229.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.77

$1.51 MX$25.65

-77.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 MX$366

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 MX$34.65

$2.91 MX$49.43

-29.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.82

$2.58 MX$43.75

-77.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 MX$101

$5.93 MX$101

0.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$27.44

$1.50 MX$25.46

8.00%

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

$22.8K MX$387.4K

$22.7K MX$385.8K

0.41%

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

$26.7K MX$452.8K

$25.1K MX$426.7K

6.13%

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

$65.2 MX$1,108

$115 MX$1,946

-43.06%

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

$29.87 MX$507

$17.42 MX$296

71.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.55 MX$621

$36.64 MX$622

-0.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 MX$1,036

$37.09 MX$630

64.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$453

Cinema Ticket

$6.85 MX$116

$7.08 MX$120

-3.25%

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

$453 MX$7,700

$274 MX$4,654

65.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MX$227.1K

$3,157 MX$53.6K

323.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 MX$1,273

$43.29 MX$735

73.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 MX$939

$34.86 MX$592

58.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 MX$1,929

$105 MX$1,777

8.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 MX$2,083

$64.2 MX$1,091

90.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 MX$19.3K

$643 MX$10.9K

76.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 MX$12.1K

$563 MX$9,568

26.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,571 MX$43.7K

$1,633 MX$27.7K

57.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 MX$22.3K

$1,358 MX$23.1K

-3.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,993 MX$67.8K

$3,430 MX$58.2K

16.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,095 MX$35.6K

$1,935 MX$32.9K

8.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,047 MX$17.8K

$853 MX$14.5K

22.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

10.8

4.63%

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

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Last update for Tulum: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,134 in Mexico City and $643 in Tulum. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 23% 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: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $59.0 in Tulum. Groceries flip the comparison at $345 vs $236, with Tulum 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 Tulum: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Tulum differ by about 24% in total monthly costs ($1,646 vs $1,331 including rent). Tulum is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 23% 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: $1,134 in Mexico City versus $643 in Tulum. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $453 in Mexico City versus $274 in Tulum. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tulum – a meal for two runs $59.0 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,331 in Tulum versus $1,646 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tulum but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Tulum 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.

Expats usually find Tulum gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.