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: $1,728 in Monterrey versus $1,336 in Tulum.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,711 in Monterrey versus $2,232 in Tulum.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,694 in Monterrey versus $3,129 in Tulum.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 29% more expensive than in Tulum, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 25% above, Tulum is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.63 MX$248

$9.02 MX$153

62.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$901

$58.6 MX$994

-9.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.02 MX$204

$8.60 MX$146

39.77%

Cappuccino

$4.18 MX$71.0

$4.23 MX$71.8

-1.18%

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

$1.70 MX$28.82

$1.23 MX$20.93

38.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$18.95

$1.18 MX$20.02

-5.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$49.53

$3.00 MX$50.9

-2.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.71 MX$79.9

$3.95 MX$67.0

19.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 MX$33.50

$1.71 MX$29.00

15.20%

White Bread (500g)

$3.16 MX$53.6

$2.18 MX$37.02

44.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.00

$1.92 MX$32.51

4.17%

Eggs

$2.68 MX$45.44

$2.08 MX$35.30

28.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.14 MX$223

$5.95 MX$101

120.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.98 MX$169

$8.30 MX$141

20.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.79 MX$234

$9.93 MX$168

38.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 MX$61.1

$2.83 MX$48.07

27.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 MX$28.07

$1.52 MX$25.71

8.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 MX$39.26

$1.64 MX$27.89

40.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.58 MX$43.71

$1.60 MX$27.23

61.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 MX$42.39

$2.38 MX$40.43

5.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.0

$1.95 MX$33.12

51.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 MX$27.53

$1.56 MX$26.40

3.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 MX$22.70

$0.94 MX$15.91

42.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.34 MX$90.7

$4.81 MX$81.6

11.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 MX$252

$8.87 MX$151

67.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 MX$34.28

$1.42 MX$24.08

42.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 MX$54.8

$1.41 MX$23.90

129.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 MX$14.78

$1.50 MX$25.37

-42.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.53 MX$569

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.88 MX$31.82

$3.01 MX$51.1

-37.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.15 MX$19.52

$2.65 MX$44.99

-56.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.99 MX$203

$5.97 MX$101

100.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.58

$1.56 MX$26.41

7.69%

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

$22.7K MX$385.0K

$23.3K MX$395.0K

-2.54%

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

$27.3K MX$462.8K

$25.9K MX$439.3K

5.35%

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

$124 MX$2,109

$115 MX$1,953

7.96%

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

$28.42 MX$482

$17.85 MX$303

59.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.37 MX$481

$37.18 MX$631

-23.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.01 MX$560

$36.21 MX$614

-8.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.10 MX$392

Cinema Ticket

$5.51 MX$93.5

$7.15 MX$121

-22.94%

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

$738 MX$12.5K

$277 MX$4,703

166.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K MX$211.1K

$3,139 MX$53.3K

296.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.9 MX$1,373

$43.54 MX$739

85.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.74 MX$776

$35.22 MX$597

29.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 MX$2,046

$102 MX$1,732

18.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 MX$2,295

$64.4 MX$1,092

110.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,045 MX$17.7K

$652 MX$11.1K

60.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$728 MX$12.3K

$569 MX$9,656

27.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,014 MX$34.2K

$1,639 MX$27.8K

22.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,403 MX$23.8K

$1,400 MX$23.8K

0.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,411 MX$74.8K

$3,362 MX$57.0K

31.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,630 MX$44.6K

$1,918 MX$32.5K

37.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,170 MX$19.8K

$842 MX$14.3K

39.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.56

10.8

7.04%

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

Last update for Monterrey: September 7, 2026

Last update for Tulum: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,045 in Monterrey and $652 in Tulum. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 39% 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 $59.0 in Tulum. Groceries flip the comparison at $333 vs $238, with Tulum cheaper for home cooking.

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 29% in total monthly costs ($1,728 vs $1,336 including rent). Tulum is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 39% 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 $652 in Tulum. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $738 in Monterrey versus $277 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 $59.0 versus $53.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,336 in Tulum versus $1,728 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 29% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.