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: $1,601 in Monterrey versus $1,093 in Tampico.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Monterrey versus $1,742 in Tampico.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,568 in Monterrey versus $2,390 in Tampico.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 46% more expensive than Tampico, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 20% above, Tampico is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.01 MX$226

$6.47 MX$112

101.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$932

$41.92 MX$727

28.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.21 MX$177

$5.99 MX$104

70.45%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$63.8

$3.34 MX$57.8

10.18%

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

$1.46 MX$25.34

$0.86 MX$14.93

69.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 MX$17.31

$0.82 MX$14.26

21.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 MX$46.70

$1.42 MX$24.69

90.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$2.09 MX$36.30

104.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 MX$28.86

$1.45 MX$25.05

15.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 MX$46.43

$3.89 MX$67.4

-31.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.41

$1.55 MX$26.79

24.52%

Eggs

$2.63 MX$45.57

$3.98 MX$69.0

-33.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.34 MX$179

$4.47 MX$77.5

131.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.22 MX$160

$8.46 MX$147

8.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.84 MX$240

$11.05 MX$191

25.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 MX$54.6

$2.77 MX$47.99

13.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 MX$24.06

$1.20 MX$20.78

15.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.65

$1.75 MX$30.41

14.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$37.10

$1.59 MX$27.59

34.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.26

$1.83 MX$31.76

24.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 MX$44.08

$2.17 MX$37.68

17.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 MX$27.14

$1.64 MX$28.48

-4.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.53

$0.90 MX$15.52

18.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 MX$73.6

$4.27 MX$73.9

-0.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.36 MX$249

$10.82 MX$188

32.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 MX$30.87

$1.76 MX$30.50

1.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 MX$54.5

$2.60 MX$45.01

20.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 MX$13.89

$0.77 MX$13.28

3.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.54 MX$703

$26.44 MX$458

53.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 MX$29.11

$2.66 MX$46.01

-36.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 MX$16.31

$2.49 MX$43.15

-62.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.76 MX$186

$4.94 MX$85.6

117.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 MX$23.72

$1.33 MX$22.98

3.01%

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

$26.7K MX$463.4K

$41.7K MX$722.3K

-35.84%

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

$25.6K MX$443.3K

$22.0K MX$380.9K

16.38%

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

$122 MX$2,108

$79.0 MX$1,369

53.96%

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

$27.19 MX$471

$25.85 MX$448

5.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.82 MX$517

$23.95 MX$415

24.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.49 MX$667

$38.83 MX$673

-0.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.46 MX$372

$15.82 MX$274

35.65%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 MX$103

$5.19 MX$89.9

14.07%

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

$346 MX$5,990

$238 MX$4,122

45.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,997 MX$155.9K

$3,662 MX$63.5K

145.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.4 MX$1,012

$84.7 MX$1,468

-31.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.55 MX$737

$62.7 MX$1,087

-32.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$1,896

$161 MX$2,787

-31.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 MX$2,235

$78.6 MX$1,362

64.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$913 MX$15.8K

$502 MX$8,695

81.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$647 MX$11.2K

$317 MX$5,496

104.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,565 MX$27.1K

$819 MX$14.2K

91.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,401 MX$24.3K

$617 MX$10.7K

127.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,371 MX$75.7K

$1,682 MX$29.1K

159.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,839 MX$49.2K

$1,410 MX$24.4K

101.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,104 MX$19.1K

$597 MX$10.3K

84.84%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Tampico: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $913 in Monterrey and $502 in Tampico. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 85% 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 Monterrey vs $42.00 in Tampico for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $263 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 46% in total monthly costs ($1,601 vs $1,093 including rent). Tampico is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Monterrey pays 85% 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: $913 in Monterrey versus $502 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 $42.00 versus $54.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,601 per month in Monterrey versus $1,093 in Tampico – a 46% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,093 in Tampico versus $1,601 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 46% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.