Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Tampico Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Tampico

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,618 in Monterrey versus $1,119 in Tampico.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Monterrey versus $1,753 in Tampico.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,552 in Monterrey versus $2,387 in Tampico.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 45% more expensive than in Tampico, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 21% above, Tampico is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.41 MX$234

$6.50 MX$113

106.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.7 MX$917

$42.94 MX$748

22.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.11 MX$176

$6.12 MX$107

65.20%

Cappuccino

$3.73 MX$64.9

$3.17 MX$55.3

17.67%

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

$1.44 MX$25.12

$0.87 MX$15.12

65.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 MX$17.48

$0.77 MX$13.37

29.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.67 MX$46.47

$1.43 MX$24.99

86.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.20 MX$73.1

$2.09 MX$36.37

100.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 MX$28.98

$1.44 MX$25.07

15.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.28

$3.96 MX$69.0

-31.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 MX$33.93

$1.56 MX$27.16

25.00%

Eggs

$2.66 MX$46.37

$4.05 MX$70.5

-34.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.21 MX$178

$4.52 MX$78.7

125.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.91 MX$155

$8.40 MX$146

6.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.78 MX$240

$11.20 MX$195

23.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 MX$52.9

$2.65 MX$46.11

14.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 MX$24.42

$1.21 MX$20.98

15.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 MX$35.09

$1.80 MX$31.33

12.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 MX$36.10

$1.54 MX$26.90

34.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 MX$40.36

$1.77 MX$30.75

31.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.55 MX$44.45

$2.15 MX$37.45

18.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 MX$26.29

$1.64 MX$28.49

-7.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.80

$0.83 MX$14.45

30.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 MX$73.9

$4.15 MX$72.3

2.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.28 MX$249

$11.11 MX$193

28.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 MX$31.09

$1.83 MX$31.87

-2.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 MX$55.3

$2.58 MX$45.00

23.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 MX$13.44

$0.78 MX$13.51

-1.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.89 MX$712

$25.94 MX$452

57.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.76 MX$30.58

$2.62 MX$45.67

-32.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 MX$17.27

$2.41 MX$41.99

-58.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.39 MX$181

$4.93 MX$85.8

110.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.37

$1.33 MX$23.10

0.75%

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

$26.6K MX$463.9K

$41.7K MX$726.8K

-36.16%

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

$25.6K MX$445.0K

$22.4K MX$389.8K

14.17%

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

$121 MX$2,113

$78.8 MX$1,371

54.06%

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

$27.40 MX$477

$25.61 MX$446

6.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.75 MX$518

$23.92 MX$416

24.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.46 MX$652

$37.79 MX$658

-0.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.78 MX$379

$16.00 MX$279

36.13%

Cinema Ticket

$5.75 MX$100

$5.36 MX$93.4

7.28%

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

$348 MX$6,054

$242 MX$4,213

43.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,983 MX$156.4K

$3,565 MX$62.1K

151.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 MX$1,029

$83.8 MX$1,459

-29.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.88 MX$729

$62.6 MX$1,090

-33.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 MX$1,867

$160 MX$2,786

-32.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 MX$2,232

$78.4 MX$1,364

63.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$889 MX$15.5K

$509 MX$8,867

74.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$646 MX$11.2K

$315 MX$5,484

105.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,577 MX$27.5K

$794 MX$13.8K

98.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,378 MX$24.0K

$612 MX$10.7K

125.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,238 MX$73.8K

$1,968 MX$34.3K

115.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,757 MX$48.0K

$1,150 MX$20.0K

139.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,133 MX$19.7K

$585 MX$10.2K

93.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

11.75

-1.70%

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

Last update for Monterrey: July 11, 2026

Last update for Tampico: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $889 in Monterrey and $509 in Tampico. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 94% 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: $53.0 in Monterrey vs $43.00 in Tampico for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $296 vs $264 per month, with Tampico 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

Monterrey vs Tampico: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey and Tampico differ by about 45% in total monthly costs ($1,618 vs $1,119 including rent). Tampico is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 94% higher in Monterrey, 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: $889 in Monterrey versus $509 in Tampico. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Tampico – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $53.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,618 per month in Monterrey versus $1,119 in Tampico – a 45% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,119 in Tampico versus $1,618 in Monterrey, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tampico but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes Tampico 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 Tampico gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.