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: $1,574 in Monterrey versus $1,015 in Tepic.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,529 in Monterrey versus $1,651 in Tepic.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,484 in Monterrey versus $2,288 in Tepic.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 55% more expensive than Tepic, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 17% above, Tepic is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.42 MX$234

$7.99 MX$139

67.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$940

$42.04 MX$734

28.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 MX$180

$9.03 MX$158

14.29%

Cappuccino

$3.58 MX$62.5

$3.21 MX$56.0

11.53%

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

$1.43 MX$25.02

$2.03 MX$35.47

-29.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 MX$17.28

$1.38 MX$24.07

-28.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 MX$45.16

$2.60 MX$45.39

-0.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 MX$74.6

$3.94 MX$68.7

8.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 MX$29.17

$1.49 MX$26.05

12.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$46.06

$2.34 MX$40.76

12.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.70

$1.03 MX$17.96

81.55%

Eggs

$2.67 MX$46.67

$2.03 MX$35.44

31.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.49 MX$183

$4.73 MX$82.6

121.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.13 MX$159

$13.18 MX$230

-30.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.85 MX$242

$6.76 MX$118

104.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 MX$53.1

$2.61 MX$45.57

16.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 MX$24.50

$1.51 MX$26.27

-7.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$37.03

$3.40 MX$59.3

-37.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.92

$1.59 MX$27.68

29.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.90

$1.82 MX$31.80

22.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 MX$44.74

$1.99 MX$34.71

28.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 MX$26.66

$1.45 MX$25.33

5.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.76

$1.01 MX$17.71

5.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.13 MX$72.0

$4.27 MX$74.6

-3.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.34 MX$250

$11.03 MX$192

30.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 MX$31.20

$0.77 MX$13.43

132.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 MX$55.4

$1.60 MX$28.00

98.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 MX$13.38

$0.51 MX$8.84

50.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.85 MX$713

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.73 MX$30.27

$2.18 MX$38.06

-20.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 MX$16.72

$0.50 MX$8.80

92.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.72 MX$187

$10.76 MX$188

-0.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.75

$1.26 MX$22.01

7.94%

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

$26.5K MX$462.6K

$18.5K MX$322.7K

43.36%

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

$25.9K MX$451.3K

$18.4K MX$321.7K

40.26%

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

$123 MX$2,149

$41.95 MX$732

193.47%

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

$27.98 MX$488

$11.76 MX$205

137.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.71 MX$519

$25.28 MX$441

17.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.13 MX$648

$36.42 MX$636

1.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.88 MX$382

$15.66 MX$273

39.72%

Cinema Ticket

$5.71 MX$99.6

$4.27 MX$74.5

33.72%

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

$348 MX$6,072

$210 MX$3,662

65.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,997 MX$157.0K

$3,485 MX$60.8K

158.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 MX$1,046

$42.51 MX$742

40.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.22 MX$754

$16.14 MX$282

167.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$1,910

$66.3 MX$1,157

65.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 MX$2,266

$75.0 MX$1,309

73.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$894 MX$15.6K

$507 MX$8,847

76.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$656 MX$11.4K

$403 MX$7,026

62.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 MX$27.5K

$937 MX$16.4K

68.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,422 MX$24.8K

$770 MX$13.4K

84.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,316 MX$75.3K

$2,109 MX$36.8K

104.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,873 MX$50.1K

$1,268 MX$22.1K

126.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,101 MX$19.2K

$689 MX$12.0K

59.92%

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 8, 2026

Last update for Tepic: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $894 in Monterrey and $507 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: $54.0 in Monterrey vs $42.00 in Tepic for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $251 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 55% in total monthly costs ($1,574 vs $1,015 including rent). Tepic is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Monterrey pays 60% 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: $894 in Monterrey versus $507 in Tepic. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $348 in Monterrey versus $210 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 $42.00 versus $54.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,015 in Tepic versus $1,574 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 55% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.