Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Tulum Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Tulum

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,595 in Monterrey versus $1,046 in Tulum.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,536 in Monterrey versus $1,936 in Tulum.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,477 in Monterrey versus $2,827 in Tulum.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 52% more expensive than Tulum, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.02 MX$228

$10.40 MX$182

25.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.6 MX$938

$51.2 MX$897

4.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.17 MX$178

$8.16 MX$143

24.63%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$3.70 MX$64.7

1.35%

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

$1.44 MX$25.24

$1.21 MX$21.21

19.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.16

$1.11 MX$19.37

-6.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 MX$45.11

$2.76 MX$48.32

-6.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 MX$71.9

$3.98 MX$69.6

3.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 MX$29.31

$1.43 MX$25.08

16.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.63 MX$46.07

$1.18 MX$20.72

122.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.81

$1.54 MX$27.02

25.32%

Eggs

$2.60 MX$45.51

$1.99 MX$34.77

30.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.47 MX$183

$5.44 MX$95.2

92.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.07 MX$159

$7.00 MX$123

29.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.42 MX$235

$6.52 MX$114

105.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 MX$55.2

$2.16 MX$37.85

46.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 MX$24.58

$1.42 MX$24.85

-1.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.60

$1.40 MX$24.48

49.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.56

$1.36 MX$23.86

53.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 MX$40.64

$2.18 MX$38.07

6.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.53 MX$44.35

$1.95 MX$34.14

29.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$27.16

$1.08 MX$18.83

43.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.50

$1.00 MX$17.43

11.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 MX$74.4

$4.28 MX$74.8

-0.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.83 MX$207

$8.79 MX$154

34.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 MX$31.46

$1.31 MX$22.95

37.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 MX$54.5

$1.30 MX$22.69

140.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 MX$13.16

$1.11 MX$19.47

-32.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.49 MX$691

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.76 MX$30.78

$2.06 MX$36.09

-14.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 MX$17.35

$2.23 MX$39.06

-55.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.60 MX$186

$5.16 MX$90.2

105.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.88

$1.30 MX$22.79

0.77%

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

$26.6K MX$465.7K

$15.8K MX$276.4K

68.47%

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

$25.7K MX$450.3K

$21.2K MX$371.3K

21.25%

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

$124 MX$2,164

$84.2 MX$1,474

46.77%

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

$27.80 MX$486

$22.28 MX$390

24.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.57 MX$517

$29.45 MX$515

0.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.39 MX$672

$33.29 MX$583

15.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.87 MX$383

$15.80 MX$277

38.42%

Cinema Ticket

$5.95 MX$104

$4.65 MX$81.5

27.96%

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

$337 MX$5,896

$204 MX$3,564

65.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,908 MX$155.9K

$2,835 MX$49.6K

214.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,020

$25.94 MX$454

124.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.99 MX$735

$31.52 MX$552

33.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$1,897

$80.8 MX$1,414

34.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 MX$2,207

$45.62 MX$798

176.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$911 MX$15.9K

$699 MX$12.2K

30.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$660 MX$11.5K

$397 MX$6,945

66.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,570 MX$27.5K

$1,432 MX$25.1K

9.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,426 MX$25.0K

$1,256 MX$22.0K

13.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,178 MX$73.1K

$3,268 MX$57.2K

27.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,845 MX$49.8K

$1,855 MX$32.5K

53.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,113 MX$19.5K

$781 MX$13.7K

42.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

5.00%

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

Last update for Monterrey: April 27, 2026

Last update for Tulum: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $911 in Monterrey and $699 in Tulum. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 42% 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 $51.0 in Tulum for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $196 per month, with Tulum 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 Tulum: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey and Tulum differ by about 52% in total monthly costs ($1,595 vs $1,046 including rent). Tulum is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Monterrey pays 42% 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: $911 in Monterrey versus $699 in Tulum. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $337 in Monterrey versus $204 in Tulum. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tulum – a meal for two runs $51.0 versus $54.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,046 in Tulum versus $1,595 in Monterrey, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tulum but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes Tulum 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 Tulum 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.