Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Tepic Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Tepic

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,615 in Monterrey versus $1,054 in Tepic.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,601 in Monterrey versus $1,681 in Tepic.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,587 in Monterrey versus $2,309 in Tepic.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 53% more expensive than in Tepic, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.05 MX$228

$7.78 MX$136

67.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.1 MX$911

$42.91 MX$751

21.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.14 MX$177

$9.36 MX$164

8.33%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$62.5

$3.15 MX$55.0

13.33%

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

$1.40 MX$24.50

$2.07 MX$36.20

-32.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 MX$18.09

$1.37 MX$23.99

-24.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.69 MX$47.06

$2.62 MX$45.75

2.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.12 MX$72.0

$3.99 MX$69.8

3.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 MX$28.00

$1.45 MX$25.41

10.34%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 MX$45.20

$2.36 MX$41.22

9.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$1.08 MX$18.91

73.15%

Eggs

$2.70 MX$47.26

$2.12 MX$37.02

27.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.40 MX$182

$4.80 MX$84.0

116.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.78 MX$154

$13.33 MX$233

-34.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.45 MX$235

$6.94 MX$121

93.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.22 MX$56.4

$2.59 MX$45.38

24.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 MX$24.56

$1.51 MX$26.34

-7.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$35.17

$3.49 MX$61.0

-42.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.58

$1.60 MX$27.92

34.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.35 MX$41.18

$1.92 MX$33.63

22.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.45 MX$42.85

$2.06 MX$35.99

18.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 MX$26.25

$1.37 MX$24.02

9.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.76

$1.03 MX$17.93

3.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$73.2

$4.26 MX$74.5

-1.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.43 MX$252

$11.24 MX$197

28.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 MX$31.04

$0.83 MX$14.50

113.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 MX$55.6

$1.60 MX$27.91

98.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 MX$13.14

$0.52 MX$9.03

44.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.81 MX$714

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.67 MX$29.26

$2.09 MX$36.49

-20.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 MX$16.42

$0.51 MX$8.89

84.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.65 MX$186

$10.76 MX$188

-1.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.94

$1.32 MX$23.10

-0.76%

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

$26.1K MX$457.4K

$18.3K MX$320.2K

42.84%

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

$26.3K MX$459.8K

$19.0K MX$331.5K

38.70%

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

$123 MX$2,145

$42.54 MX$744

188.20%

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

$27.94 MX$489

$11.98 MX$209

133.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$519

$25.32 MX$443

17.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.16 MX$650

$36.01 MX$630

3.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.68 MX$379

$15.98 MX$280

35.67%

Cinema Ticket

$5.88 MX$103

$4.33 MX$75.8

35.80%

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

$339 MX$5,935

$207 MX$3,616

64.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,746 MX$153.0K

$3,426 MX$59.9K

155.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.4 MX$1,038

$42.06 MX$736

41.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.83 MX$749

$15.81 MX$276

170.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 MX$1,875

$65.7 MX$1,149

63.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 MX$2,191

$73.9 MX$1,292

69.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$894 MX$15.6K

$513 MX$8,967

74.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$652 MX$11.4K

$396 MX$6,922

64.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,613 MX$28.2K

$921 MX$16.1K

75.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,380 MX$24.1K

$770 MX$13.5K

79.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,271 MX$74.7K

$1,710 MX$29.9K

149.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,825 MX$49.4K

$1,250 MX$21.9K

125.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,112 MX$19.4K

$694 MX$12.1K

60.19%

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 19, 2026

Last update for Tepic: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $894 in Monterrey and $513 in Tepic. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 60% 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: $52.0 in Monterrey vs $43.00 in Tepic for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $294 vs $254 per month, with Tepic 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 Tepic: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey and Tepic differ by about 53% in total monthly costs ($1,615 vs $1,054 including rent). Tepic is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 60% 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: $894 in Monterrey versus $513 in Tepic. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $339 in Monterrey versus $207 in Tepic. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tepic – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $52.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,054 in Tepic versus $1,615 in Monterrey, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tepic but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes Tepic 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, Monterrey and Tepic 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 Tepic gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.