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: $1,574 in Monterrey versus $1,061 in Tulum.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,529 in Monterrey versus $1,905 in Tulum.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,484 in Monterrey versus $2,748 in Tulum.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 48% more expensive than Tulum, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 17% above, Tulum is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.42 MX$230

$10.76 MX$185

24.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$924

$49.52 MX$850

8.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 MX$177

$7.89 MX$135

30.80%

Cappuccino

$3.58 MX$61.4

$3.70 MX$63.5

-3.24%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$1.21 MX$20.72

18.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 MX$17.00

$1.06 MX$18.26

-6.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 MX$44.41

$2.80 MX$48.04

-7.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 MX$73.4

$4.04 MX$69.4

5.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 MX$28.69

$1.45 MX$24.91

15.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.30

$1.15 MX$19.66

129.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.15

$1.49 MX$25.66

25.50%

Eggs

$2.67 MX$45.90

$1.93 MX$33.20

38.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.49 MX$180

$5.36 MX$92.1

95.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.13 MX$157

$7.12 MX$122

28.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.85 MX$238

$6.19 MX$106

123.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 MX$52.3

$2.06 MX$35.35

47.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 MX$24.09

$1.36 MX$23.39

2.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.41

$1.42 MX$24.35

49.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.33

$1.40 MX$24.10

47.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.25

$2.17 MX$37.27

2.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 MX$43.99

$1.89 MX$32.51

35.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 MX$26.22

$1.07 MX$18.42

42.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.45

$0.92 MX$15.80

16.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.13 MX$70.8

$4.10 MX$70.3

0.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.34 MX$246

$8.48 MX$146

69.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 MX$30.68

$1.35 MX$23.23

32.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 MX$54.5

$1.25 MX$21.41

154.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 MX$13.16

$1.17 MX$20.14

-34.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.85 MX$701

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.73 MX$29.77

$2.16 MX$37.08

-19.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 MX$16.44

$2.22 MX$38.10

-56.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.72 MX$184

$5.35 MX$91.8

100.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.36

$1.32 MX$22.58

3.03%

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

$26.5K MX$454.9K

$16.0K MX$273.8K

66.12%

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

$25.9K MX$443.8K

$21.3K MX$365.8K

21.32%

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

$123 MX$2,113

$83.7 MX$1,436

47.14%

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

$27.98 MX$480

$22.27 MX$382

25.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.71 MX$510

$29.53 MX$507

0.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.13 MX$637

$32.48 MX$557

14.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.88 MX$376

$16.06 MX$276

36.24%

Cinema Ticket

$5.71 MX$97.9

$4.74 MX$81.4

20.46%

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

$348 MX$5,972

$203 MX$3,479

71.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,997 MX$154.4K

$2,841 MX$48.8K

216.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 MX$1,028

$26.93 MX$462

122.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.22 MX$742

$32.06 MX$550

34.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$1,878

$80.6 MX$1,383

35.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 MX$2,228

$45.12 MX$774

187.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$894 MX$15.3K

$712 MX$12.2K

25.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$656 MX$11.3K

$391 MX$6,713

67.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 MX$27.1K

$1,442 MX$24.8K

9.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,422 MX$24.4K

$1,216 MX$20.9K

16.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,316 MX$74.1K

$3,272 MX$56.2K

31.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,873 MX$49.3K

$1,899 MX$32.6K

51.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,101 MX$18.9K

$783 MX$13.4K

40.63%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Tulum: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $894 in Monterrey and $712 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: $54.0 in Monterrey vs $50.0 in Tulum for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $193 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 48% in total monthly costs ($1,574 vs $1,061 including rent). Tulum is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Monterrey pays 41% 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: $894 in Monterrey versus $712 in Tulum. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $348 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 $50.0 versus $54.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,061 in Tulum versus $1,574 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 48% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.