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: $1,715 in Monterrey versus $1,308 in Tampico.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,683 in Monterrey versus $2,053 in Tampico.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,652 in Monterrey versus $2,798 in Tampico.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 31% more expensive than in Tampico, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 25% above, Tampico is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.60 MX$247

$8.59 MX$145

69.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$905

$47.51 MX$803

12.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.95 MX$202

$8.96 MX$151

33.37%

Cappuccino

$4.29 MX$72.5

$3.25 MX$55.0

32.00%

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

$1.73 MX$29.18

$1.31 MX$22.06

32.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 MX$17.98

$0.84 MX$14.18

26.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$49.90

$2.88 MX$48.74

2.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.73 MX$79.9

$4.34 MX$73.4

8.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 MX$33.74

$1.61 MX$27.29

24.22%

White Bread (500g)

$3.15 MX$53.2

$4.56 MX$77.1

-30.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$34.90

$1.51 MX$25.51

37.09%

Eggs

$2.78 MX$47.04

$4.44 MX$75.1

-37.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.18 MX$223

$5.18 MX$87.5

154.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$10.68 MX$180

-5.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 MX$236

$13.85 MX$234

0.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.49 MX$59.0

$3.62 MX$61.1

-3.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 MX$27.68

$1.22 MX$20.70

34.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 MX$38.46

$2.27 MX$38.31

0.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.60 MX$43.91

$2.29 MX$38.75

13.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 MX$42.80

$2.28 MX$38.51

10.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 MX$48.09

$3.08 MX$52.1

-7.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 MX$26.33

$2.29 MX$38.74

-31.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 MX$21.77

$1.00 MX$16.93

29.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.21 MX$88.0

$4.80 MX$81.1

8.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.84 MX$251

$10.34 MX$175

43.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 MX$34.00

$1.95 MX$33.00

3.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 MX$53.0

$3.43 MX$57.9

-8.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 MX$15.14

$0.83 MX$14.10

8.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.72 MX$570

$29.49 MX$498

14.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 MX$31.31

$2.75 MX$46.45

-32.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 MX$20.17

$3.00 MX$50.7

-60.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.82 MX$200

$11.91 MX$201

-0.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.67 MX$28.29

$1.49 MX$25.22

12.08%

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

$22.6K MX$381.5K

$35.4K MX$597.6K

-36.16%

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

$27.1K MX$458.2K

$25.8K MX$435.7K

5.16%

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

$128 MX$2,164

$62.8 MX$1,061

103.89%

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

$28.03 MX$474

$29.60 MX$500

-5.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.47 MX$481

$25.10 MX$424

13.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.66 MX$552

$45.94 MX$776

-28.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.24 MX$393

$17.40 MX$294

33.56%

Cinema Ticket

$5.58 MX$94.3

$5.42 MX$91.7

2.95%

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

$734 MX$12.4K

$248 MX$4,190

195.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K MX$204.8K

$4,922 MX$83.2K

146.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.5 MX$1,343

$81.7 MX$1,381

-2.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.39 MX$784

$70.5 MX$1,192

-34.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 MX$2,027

$176 MX$2,975

-31.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 MX$2,254

$93.9 MX$1,586

42.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 MX$17.8K

$560 MX$9,465

87.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$739 MX$12.5K

$421 MX$7,119

75.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 MX$34.1K

$1,124 MX$19.0K

79.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,358 MX$22.9K

$731 MX$12.3K

85.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,486 MX$75.8K

$1,829 MX$30.9K

145.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,663 MX$45.0K

$1,109 MX$18.7K

140.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,153 MX$19.5K

$587 MX$9,922

96.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.56

11.3

2.30%

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

Last update for Monterrey: August 31, 2026

Last update for Tampico: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,052 in Monterrey and $560 in Tampico. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 96% 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 $48.00 in Tampico for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $314 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 31% in total monthly costs ($1,715 vs $1,308 including rent). Tampico is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 96% 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: $1,052 in Monterrey versus $560 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 $48.00 versus $54.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,715 per month in Monterrey versus $1,308 in Tampico – a 31% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,308 in Tampico versus $1,715 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 31% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.