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: $1,581 in Monterrey versus $1,049 in Tulum.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,534 in Monterrey versus $1,892 in Tulum.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,488 in Monterrey versus $2,735 in Tulum.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 51% more expensive than in Tulum, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 19% above, Tulum is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.12 MX$229

$10.51 MX$183

24.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 MX$906

$50.7 MX$885

2.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.46 MX$182

$7.89 MX$138

32.57%

Cappuccino

$3.73 MX$65.1

$3.78 MX$65.9

-1.32%

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

$1.40 MX$24.42

$1.17 MX$20.39

19.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.05 MX$18.32

$1.12 MX$19.57

-6.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.69 MX$46.87

$2.73 MX$47.57

-1.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 MX$75.5

$4.01 MX$69.9

7.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 MX$29.00

$1.43 MX$24.85

16.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$46.11

$1.14 MX$19.93

131.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.22

$1.49 MX$25.90

31.54%

Eggs

$2.62 MX$45.78

$1.98 MX$34.54

32.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.49 MX$183

$5.24 MX$91.4

100.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.88 MX$155

$6.85 MX$119

29.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 MX$237

$6.31 MX$110

114.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$53.2

$2.16 MX$37.66

41.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 MX$25.56

$1.35 MX$23.52

8.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.51

$1.42 MX$24.74

43.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 MX$36.02

$1.36 MX$23.76

52.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 MX$40.80

$2.15 MX$37.54

8.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.52 MX$43.87

$1.88 MX$32.87

34.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 MX$27.39

$1.05 MX$18.24

49.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.46

$0.90 MX$15.78

24.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.5

$4.29 MX$74.9

-0.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.06 MX$245

$8.57 MX$149

64.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 MX$31.25

$1.32 MX$23.02

35.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$1.24 MX$21.69

149.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 MX$14.30

$1.11 MX$19.38

-26.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.01 MX$698

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.75 MX$30.52

$2.18 MX$37.96

-19.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 MX$16.91

$2.14 MX$37.37

-54.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.63 MX$185

$5.15 MX$89.8

106.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 MX$23.84

$1.30 MX$22.68

5.38%

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

$26.3K MX$458.8K

$15.8K MX$276.2K

66.14%

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

$25.5K MX$444.9K

$21.5K MX$374.5K

18.80%

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

$123 MX$2,142

$83.4 MX$1,455

47.17%

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

$27.58 MX$481

$22.36 MX$390

23.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.78 MX$519

$28.98 MX$505

2.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.38 MX$669

$32.85 MX$573

16.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.94 MX$383

$16.04 MX$280

36.78%

Cinema Ticket

$5.86 MX$102

$4.74 MX$82.7

23.63%

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

$347 MX$6,052

$203 MX$3,539

71.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,938 MX$155.9K

$2,834 MX$49.4K

215.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.2 MX$1,014

$26.17 MX$456

122.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.19 MX$753

$31.34 MX$547

37.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$1,899

$78.7 MX$1,372

38.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 MX$2,204

$44.67 MX$779

182.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 MX$15.7K

$706 MX$12.3K

27.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$661 MX$11.5K

$398 MX$6,949

65.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 MX$27.8K

$1,455 MX$25.4K

9.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,398 MX$24.4K

$1,228 MX$21.4K

13.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,267 MX$74.4K

$3,268 MX$57.0K

30.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,840 MX$49.5K

$1,830 MX$31.9K

55.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,135 MX$19.8K

$805 MX$14.0K

40.90%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Tulum: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $903 in Monterrey and $706 in Tulum. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 41% 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: $52.0 in Monterrey vs $51.0 in Tulum for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $296 vs $191 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 51% in total monthly costs ($1,581 vs $1,049 including rent). Tulum is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 41% 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: $903 in Monterrey versus $706 in Tulum. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $347 in Monterrey versus $203 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 $52.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,049 in Tulum versus $1,581 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 51% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.