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: $1,728 in Monterrey versus $1,198 in Tepic.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,711 in Monterrey versus $1,980 in Tepic.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,694 in Monterrey versus $2,762 in Tepic.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 44% more expensive than in Tepic, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 25% above, Tepic is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.63 MX$247

$14.61 MX$247

0.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$897

$49.08 MX$829

8.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.02 MX$203

$9.66 MX$163

24.43%

Cappuccino

$4.18 MX$70.6

$3.48 MX$58.8

20.11%

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

$1.70 MX$28.68

$1.79 MX$30.24

-5.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$18.86

$1.32 MX$22.22

-15.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$49.30

$2.89 MX$48.81

1.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.71 MX$79.5

$5.51 MX$93.0

-14.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 MX$33.34

$1.67 MX$28.22

17.96%

White Bread (500g)

$3.16 MX$53.4

$2.73 MX$46.02

15.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.84

$1.72 MX$29.09

16.28%

Eggs

$2.68 MX$45.23

$2.25 MX$37.91

19.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.14 MX$222

$5.25 MX$88.7

150.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.98 MX$169

$10.24 MX$173

-2.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.79 MX$233

$12.28 MX$207

12.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 MX$60.8

$3.02 MX$51.1

19.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 MX$27.94

$1.78 MX$29.98

-7.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 MX$39.07

$2.09 MX$35.21

10.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.58 MX$43.50

$1.97 MX$33.30

30.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 MX$42.19

$2.18 MX$36.84

14.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 MX$49.79

$1.93 MX$32.65

52.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 MX$27.40

$1.47 MX$24.88

10.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 MX$22.59

$1.19 MX$20.05

12.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.34 MX$90.2

$4.80 MX$81.0

11.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 MX$250

$11.36 MX$192

30.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 MX$34.12

$0.92 MX$15.56

119.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 MX$54.5

$3.60 MX$60.8

-10.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 MX$14.71

$0.86 MX$14.51

1.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.53 MX$566

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.88 MX$31.67

$2.38 MX$40.13

-21.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.15 MX$19.42

$1.50 MX$25.32

-23.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.99 MX$203

$12.71 MX$215

-5.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.45

$1.53 MX$25.82

9.80%

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

$22.7K MX$383.2K

$23.0K MX$388.1K

-1.26%

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

$27.3K MX$460.6K

$26.1K MX$440.9K

4.48%

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

$124 MX$2,099

$46.23 MX$781

168.89%

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

$28.42 MX$480

$13.37 MX$226

112.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.37 MX$479

$32.63 MX$551

-13.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.01 MX$557

$36.98 MX$624

-10.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.10 MX$390

$21.38 MX$361

8.04%

Cinema Ticket

$5.51 MX$93.1

$7.21 MX$122

-23.58%

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

$738 MX$12.5K

$268 MX$4,522

175.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K MX$210.1K

$11.5K MX$193.5K

8.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.9 MX$1,366

$62.2 MX$1,049

30.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.74 MX$772

$44.80 MX$756

2.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 MX$2,036

$116 MX$1,953

4.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 MX$2,284

$92.9 MX$1,569

45.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,045 MX$17.7K

$664 MX$11.2K

57.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$728 MX$12.3K

$418 MX$7,059

74.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,014 MX$34.0K

$1,100 MX$18.6K

83.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,403 MX$23.7K

$836 MX$14.1K

67.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,411 MX$74.5K

$1,989 MX$33.6K

121.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,630 MX$44.4K

$1,244 MX$21.0K

111.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,170 MX$19.8K

$709 MX$12.0K

65.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.56

11.68

-1.03%

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

Last update for Monterrey: September 7, 2026

Last update for Tepic: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,045 in Monterrey and $664 in Tepic. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 65% 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: $53.0 in Monterrey vs $49.00 in Tepic for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $273 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 44% in total monthly costs ($1,728 vs $1,198 including rent). Tepic is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 65% 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: $1,045 in Monterrey versus $664 in Tepic. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $738 in Monterrey versus $268 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 $49.00 versus $53.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,198 in Tepic versus $1,728 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 44% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.