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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,057 in Tulum.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,922 in Tulum.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,787 in Tulum.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 39% more expensive than Tulum, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Tulum is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$10.75 MX$186

22.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$50.8 MX$878

6.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$7.79 MX$135

20.92%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$3.83 MX$66.2

-7.31%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$1.22 MX$21.18

32.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$1.12 MX$19.31

-0.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$2.72 MX$47.07

14.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$3.95 MX$68.3

17.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.42 MX$24.62

19.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$1.18 MX$20.38

130.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.55 MX$26.75

23.23%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$1.93 MX$33.41

31.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$5.27 MX$91.2

90.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$6.98 MX$121

15.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$6.33 MX$109

83.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$2.16 MX$37.43

37.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.41 MX$24.40

28.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$1.45 MX$25.11

38.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$1.41 MX$24.37

43.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$2.18 MX$37.73

-2.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$1.96 MX$33.93

15.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$1.08 MX$18.71

29.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.90 MX$15.65

25.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$4.28 MX$74.1

-0.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$8.57 MX$148

81.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$1.32 MX$22.85

33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$1.31 MX$22.62

174.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$1.16 MX$20.00

-67.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$2.13 MX$36.84

-35.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$2.16 MX$37.33

-87.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$5.26 MX$91.0

3.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.26 MX$21.84

3.17%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$15.7K MX$270.9K

19.32%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$21.3K MX$367.9K

8.74%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$83.7 MX$1,447

-51.15%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$22.49 MX$389

19.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$28.48 MX$493

5.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$32.57 MX$563

59.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$15.60 MX$270

72.05%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$4.56 MX$79.0

38.16%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$206 MX$3,569

111.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$2,852 MX$49.3K

265.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$26.76 MX$463

111.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$31.13 MX$539

42.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$79.0 MX$1,366

30.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$45.00 MX$778

134.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$722 MX$12.5K

41.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$391 MX$6,770

61.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$1,483 MX$25.6K

44.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$1,214 MX$21.0K

2.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$3,338 MX$57.7K

16.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$1,893 MX$32.7K

9.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$769 MX$13.3K

44.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

3.09%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Tulum: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $722 in Tulum. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 45% 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 $51.0 in Tulum for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $194 per month, with Tulum 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 Tulum: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Tulum differ by about 39% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $1,057 including rent). Tulum is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 45% 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 $722 in Tulum. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $206 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 $51.0 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,057 in Tulum versus $1,467 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 39% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.