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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $703 in Tunja.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,078 in Tunja.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $1,453 in Tunja.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 111% more expensive than Tunja, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Tunja is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$2.60 COP 9,387

399.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$14.73 COP 53.2K

260.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$6.90 COP 24.9K

40.87%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$1.07 COP 3,867

250.47%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$0.76 COP 2,747

106.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.59 COP 2,128

91.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$1.22 COP 4,410

160.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$2.04 COP 7,382

128.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$1.23 COP 4,436

31.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$1.06 COP 3,835

155.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$1.19 COP 4,298

57.98%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$2.26 COP 8,143

11.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$4.04 COP 14.6K

149.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$5.93 COP 21.4K

39.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$7.48 COP 27.0K

59.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$2.58 COP 9,330

10.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$1.22 COP 4,422

43.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$0.88 COP 3,178

136.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$0.91 COP 3,303

116.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$1.20 COP 4,330

80.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$0.97 COP 3,495

124.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$0.97 COP 3,520

43.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$0.78 COP 2,833

43.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$1.74 COP 6,278

141.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$8.34 COP 30.1K

70.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$0.83 COP 2,979

112.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$1.51 COP 5,440

143.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.52 COP 1,876

-25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$0.70 COP 2,518

98.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$1.56 COP 5,616

-80.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$5.88 COP 21.2K

-7.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$0.92 COP 3,313

46.74%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$19.6K COP 70.8M

-3.78%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$28.0K COP 101.0M

-17.26%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$74.5 COP 268.8K

-45.19%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$8.80 COP 31.8K

212.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$20.58 COP 74.3K

47.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$17.27 COP 62.4K

209.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$3.76 COP 13.6K

66.76%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$240 COP 867.2K

81.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$2,469 COP 8.9M

324.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$65.5 COP 236.6K

-13.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$33.11 COP 119.5K

35.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$84.1 COP 303.7K

22.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$38.28 COP 138.2K

181.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$294 COP 1.1M

240.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$232 COP 839.0K

166.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$529 COP 1.9M

304.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$426 COP 1.5M

190.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

15.25

-25.64%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Last update for Tunja: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $294 in Tunja. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $15.00 in Tunja for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $172 per month, with Tunja 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 Tunja: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Tunja differ by about 111% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $703 including rent). Tunja is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,225 in Mexico City and $1,055 in Tunja 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $294 in Tunja. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $240 in Tunja. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tunja – a meal for two runs $15.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $703 in Tunja versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tunja but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Tunja 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 Tunja 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 Tunja gentler on the wallet – expenses run 111% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.