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: $1,668 in Mexico City versus $1,315 in Tunja.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,613 in Mexico City versus $2,022 in Tunja.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,557 in Mexico City versus $2,729 in Tunja.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 27% more expensive than in Tunja, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 24% above, Tunja is 2% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.03 MX$213

$5.72 COP 18.8K

110.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.8 MX$934

$32.70 COP 107.7K

61.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.69 MX$207

$9.48 COP 31.2K

23.31%

Cappuccino

$3.87 MX$68.4

$2.21 COP 7,278

75.11%

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

$1.75 MX$30.94

$1.41 COP 4,635

24.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$24.65

$1.07 COP 3,515

29.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.36 MX$59.4

$1.71 COP 5,638

96.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 MX$102

$2.64 COP 8,701

118.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 MX$31.92

$1.53 COP 5,028

18.30%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 MX$54.5

$1.49 COP 4,913

106.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 MX$37.65

$1.76 COP 5,788

21.02%

Eggs

$2.98 MX$52.6

$3.30 COP 10.9K

-9.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.53 MX$221

$8.27 COP 27.2K

51.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 MX$181

$14.71 COP 48.5K

-30.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.92 MX$281

$17.90 COP 58.9K

-11.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$59.8

$3.56 COP 11.7K

-4.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 MX$37.24

$1.44 COP 4,744

46.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$37.59

$2.19 COP 7,219

-2.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 MX$43.61

$1.82 COP 5,979

35.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$36.03

$1.44 COP 4,759

41.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$35.59

$1.49 COP 4,920

34.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 MX$28.15

$0.94 COP 3,089

69.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$23.50

$0.94 COP 3,104

41.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.49 MX$97.0

$4.45 COP 14.7K

23.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 MX$310

$12.95 COP 42.6K

35.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 MX$35.61

$1.45 COP 4,790

38.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$83.8

$1.68 COP 5,517

182.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.94

$1.13 COP 3,709

-69.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.07 MX$373

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$36.28

$0.98 COP 3,239

109.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 MX$10.75

$2.05 COP 6,750

-70.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.70 MX$101

$7.82 COP 25.8K

-27.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 MX$28.09

$1.32 COP 4,353

20.45%

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

$22.9K MX$404.6K

$27.5K COP 90.4M

-16.64%

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

$26.4K MX$466.2K

$33.7K COP 111.0M

-21.76%

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

$64.2 MX$1,135

$180 COP 593.5K

-64.35%

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

$29.42 MX$520

$10.94 COP 36.0K

168.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.83 MX$651

$26.31 COP 86.6K

39.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.7 MX$1,038

$36.98 COP 121.8K

58.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.54 MX$469

Cinema Ticket

$6.95 MX$123

$6.51 COP 21.4K

6.76%

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

$463 MX$8,180

$641 COP 2.1M

-27.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MX$236.2K

$6,693 COP 22.0M

99.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.4 MX$1,333

$53.2 COP 175.3K

41.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.2 MX$958

$57.2 COP 188.5K

-5.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 MX$1,965

$125 COP 410.9K

-10.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,160

$98.0 COP 322.9K

24.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,133 MX$20.0K

$698 COP 2.3M

62.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$698 MX$12.3K

$472 COP 1.6M

47.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,442 MX$43.2K

$1,043 COP 3.4M

134.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,303 MX$23.0K

$985 COP 3.2M

32.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,910 MX$69.1K

$1,991 COP 6.6M

96.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,069 MX$36.6K

$1,704 COP 5.6M

21.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

12.4

-8.87%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 21, 2026

Last update for Tunja: September 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,133 in Mexico City and $698 in Tunja. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $33.00 in Tunja for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $343 vs $306 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 ($1,668 vs $1,315 including rent). Tunja is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,502 in Mexico City and $1,972 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: $1,133 in Mexico City versus $698 in Tunja. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $463 in Mexico City versus $641 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 $33.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,315 in Tunja versus $1,668 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.