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: $1,691 in Mexico City versus $1,333 in Tunja.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,599 in Mexico City versus $2,026 in Tunja.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,507 in Mexico City versus $2,720 in Tunja.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 27% more expensive than in Tunja, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 25% above, Tunja is 2% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.91 MX$203

$7.93 COP 24.8K

50.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$881

$40.53 COP 126.8K

27.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 MX$178

$9.52 COP 29.8K

9.35%

Cappuccino

$3.94 MX$67.2

$2.51 COP 7,866

56.97%

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

$1.65 MX$28.20

$1.30 COP 4,082

26.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 MX$22.03

$0.81 COP 2,529

59.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 MX$59.4

$1.91 COP 5,972

82.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.98 MX$102

$3.83 COP 12.0K

56.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 MX$31.04

$1.61 COP 5,049

13.04%

White Bread (500g)

$3.28 MX$56.1

$2.34 COP 7,324

40.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.34

$1.63 COP 5,098

26.99%

Eggs

$3.05 MX$52.1

$3.78 COP 11.8K

-19.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.76 MX$218

$7.03 COP 22.0K

81.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.90 MX$169

$7.31 COP 22.9K

35.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.11 MX$275

$10.80 COP 33.8K

49.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.43 MX$58.6

$3.40 COP 10.6K

0.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.69

$1.71 COP 5,354

22.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.76

$1.91 COP 5,988

9.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 MX$42.82

$1.79 COP 5,598

40.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.56

$1.41 COP 4,417

47.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.52

$1.35 COP 4,237

40.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 MX$25.72

$1.32 COP 4,142

14.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.71

$1.06 COP 3,319

25.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.53 MX$94.5

$4.45 COP 13.9K

24.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.82 MX$304

$12.87 COP 40.3K

38.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 MX$34.25

$1.36 COP 4,242

47.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.77 MX$81.4

$2.97 COP 9,305

60.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 MX$6.19

$1.09 COP 3,414

-66.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.77 MX$355

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 MX$35.15

$1.00 COP 3,121

106.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 MX$10.39

$2.36 COP 7,394

-74.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.79 MX$98.9

$8.52 COP 26.7K

-32.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$27.58

$1.28 COP 4,016

26.56%

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

$22.9K MX$390.4K

$22.3K COP 69.9M

2.42%

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

$26.3K MX$448.3K

$36.1K COP 112.8M

-27.19%

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

$65.7 MX$1,122

$128 COP 401.9K

-48.84%

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

$29.93 MX$511

$16.40 COP 51.3K

82.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.04 MX$615

$31.28 COP 97.8K

15.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.6 MX$1,001

$32.96 COP 103.1K

77.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.07 MX$445

Cinema Ticket

$6.88 MX$117

$7.96 COP 24.9K

-13.57%

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

$448 MX$7,646

$472 COP 1.5M

-5.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.1K MX$224.1K

$6,540 COP 20.5M

100.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.3 MX$1,252

$79.3 COP 248.1K

-7.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.2 MX$925

$50.3 COP 157.3K

7.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,915

$138 COP 433.1K

-18.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 MX$2,092

$112 COP 351.5K

9.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,102 MX$18.8K

$657 COP 2.1M

67.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$12.1K

$491 COP 1.5M

44.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,524 MX$43.1K

$1,006 COP 3.1M

150.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,343 MX$22.9K

$935 COP 2.9M

43.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,913 MX$66.8K

$2,032 COP 6.4M

92.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,095 MX$35.8K

$1,561 COP 4.9M

34.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,066 MX$18.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

12.71

-10.70%

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

Last update for Mexico City: August 10, 2026

Last update for Tunja: August 10, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,102 in Mexico City and $657 in Tunja. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $41.00 in Tunja for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $259 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 27% in total monthly costs ($1,691 vs $1,333 including rent). Tunja is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,537 in Mexico City and $1,999 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: $1,102 in Mexico City versus $657 in Tunja. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $448 in Mexico City versus $472 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 $41.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,333 in Tunja versus $1,691 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 27% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.