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: $1,596 in Monterrey versus $1,052 in Tepic.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,550 in Monterrey versus $1,678 in Tepic.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,504 in Monterrey versus $2,305 in Tepic.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 52% more expensive than Tepic, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 19% above, Tepic is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.45 MX$233

$7.96 MX$138

68.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.8 MX$915

$42.12 MX$730

25.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.25 MX$178

$9.17 MX$159

11.78%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$64.8

$3.13 MX$54.2

19.49%

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

$1.40 MX$24.28

$2.07 MX$35.89

-32.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$17.98

$1.33 MX$22.99

-21.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.66 MX$46.07

$2.55 MX$44.12

4.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 MX$75.1

$4.11 MX$71.3

5.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 MX$27.59

$1.52 MX$26.37

4.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.62 MX$45.41

$2.33 MX$40.30

12.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$33.66

$1.08 MX$18.78

79.63%

Eggs

$2.68 MX$46.39

$2.01 MX$34.83

33.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.37 MX$180

$4.90 MX$84.9

111.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.24 MX$160

$12.95 MX$224

-28.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 MX$234

$6.70 MX$116

101.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 MX$55.3

$2.58 MX$44.72

23.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 MX$25.06

$1.57 MX$27.22

-7.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.92

$3.52 MX$60.9

-41.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.88

$1.61 MX$27.82

28.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.37

$1.85 MX$32.02

22.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.57 MX$44.60

$2.06 MX$35.73

24.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 MX$26.00

$1.44 MX$24.96

4.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.68

$1.02 MX$17.67

5.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$74.3

$4.22 MX$73.1

1.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.95 MX$207

$11.44 MX$198

4.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.85

$0.77 MX$13.31

123.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 MX$54.4

$1.68 MX$29.03

86.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 MX$14.27

$0.55 MX$9.61

49.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.89 MX$709

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 MX$29.18

$2.11 MX$36.53

-20.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 MX$17.45

$0.51 MX$8.88

98.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.41 MX$180

$10.51 MX$182

-0.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.31

$1.28 MX$22.15

5.47%

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

$25.9K MX$449.3K

$18.5K MX$320.3K

40.30%

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

$26.2K MX$454.0K

$18.8K MX$325.4K

39.51%

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

$121 MX$2,095

$42.49 MX$736

184.56%

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

$27.83 MX$482

$12.00 MX$208

131.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.04 MX$521

$25.61 MX$444

17.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.56 MX$651

$36.65 MX$635

2.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.96 MX$381

$15.81 MX$274

38.90%

Cinema Ticket

$5.75 MX$99.7

$4.19 MX$72.7

37.23%

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

$336 MX$5,820

$208 MX$3,607

61.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,005 MX$156.0K

$3,460 MX$60.0K

160.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 MX$1,034

$42.16 MX$731

41.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 MX$741

$15.88 MX$275

169.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$1,875

$65.5 MX$1,135

65.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 MX$2,199

$73.6 MX$1,276

72.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 MX$15.7K

$514 MX$8,908

76.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 MX$11.5K

$398 MX$6,890

66.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,572 MX$27.2K

$934 MX$16.2K

68.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,424 MX$24.7K

$749 MX$13.0K

90.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,254 MX$73.7K

$2,220 MX$38.5K

91.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,862 MX$49.6K

$1,251 MX$21.7K

128.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,129 MX$19.6K

$696 MX$12.1K

62.14%

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: April 21, 2026

Last update for Tepic: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $908 in Monterrey and $514 in Tepic. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 62% 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 in Monterrey vs $42 in Tepic for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $253 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 52% in total monthly costs ($1,596 vs $1,052 including rent). Tepic is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Monterrey pays 62% 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: $908 in Monterrey versus $514 in Tepic. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $336 in Monterrey versus $208 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 $53.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,052 in Tepic versus $1,596 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 52% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.