Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Tampico

For one person, living is cheaper in Tampico: $1,347 a month against $3,744 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $28,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
Learn more

Seattle, WA Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Tampico
Learn more

Tampico Living Index

Jump to prices

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,744

/mo nomad

Tampico

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,347

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Tampico

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Seattle, WA and in Tampico actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,744 in Seattle, WA versus $1,347 in Tampico.

Seattle, WA $3,744
Tampico $1,347

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,703 in Seattle, WA versus $2,120 in Tampico.

Seattle, WA $5,703
Tampico $2,120

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,661 in Seattle, WA versus $2,894 in Tampico.

Seattle, WA $7,661
Tampico $2,894

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 178% more expensive than in Tampico, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Tampico 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.56 $24.56

$8.12 MX$149

202.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.5 $99.5

$55.1 MX$1,012

80.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.30 $15.30

$9.60 MX$176

59.38%

Cappuccino

$6.62 $6.62

$3.11 MX$57.0

112.86%

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

$3.25 $3.25

$1.22 MX$22.33

166.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 $3.11

$0.80 MX$14.64

288.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.77 $7.77

$4.48 MX$82.2

73.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.93 $7.93

$4.77 MX$87.5

66.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.44 MX$26.45

-15.97%

White Bread (500g)

$4.94 $4.94

$4.20 MX$77.1

17.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.17 $6.17

$1.36 MX$25.06

353.68%

Eggs

$4.96 $4.96

$4.20 MX$77.1

18.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.00 $19.00

$4.84 MX$89.0

292.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.69 $18.69

$10.29 MX$189

81.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.14 $23.14

$13.41 MX$246

72.56%

Apples (1kg)

$5.93 $5.93

$3.50 MX$64.2

69.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.18 MX$21.66

64.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$2.07 MX$38.05

150.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.55 $6.55

$2.28 MX$41.78

187.28%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.19 MX$40.13

65.30%

Onion (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$2.79 MX$51.2

13.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.09 MX$38.29

39.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$0.95 MX$17.45

150.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.36 $12.36

$4.79 MX$88.0

158.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.02 $15.02

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.30 $4.30

$1.56 MX$28.71

175.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 $5.69

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$0.78 MX$14.38

291.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 $109

$27.28 MX$501

298.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 $2.64

$2.84 MX$52.1

-7.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 $1.74

$2.71 MX$49.82

-35.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.02 $30.02

$5.24 MX$96.2

472.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.42 MX$26.05

2.82%

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

$36.7K $36.7K

$33.1K MX$608.2K

10.90%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$23.7K MX$436.0K

8.14%

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

$299 $299

$106 MX$1,940

183.35%

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

$69.7 $69.7

$28.01 MX$514

148.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$90.1 $90.1

$24.40 MX$448

269.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.0 $80.0

$43.32 MX$795

84.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.62 $35.62

$16.83 MX$309

111.65%

Cinema Ticket

$17.33 $17.33

$5.58 MX$102

210.57%

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

$2,986 $2,986

$282 MX$5,179

958.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$8,172 MX$150.0K

282.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.7 $77.7

$74.7 MX$1,371

4.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 $54.9

$66.9 MX$1,228

-17.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$164 MX$3,016

-23.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 $165

$253 MX$4,642

-34.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$531 MX$9,755

352.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,963 $1,963

$385 MX$7,066

410.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,788 $4,788

$946 MX$17.4K

406.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,561 $3,561

$678 MX$12.5K

425.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,430 $7,430

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,010 $5,010

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,280 $6,280

$571 MX$10.5K

999.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 6, 2026

Last update for Tampico: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.6%

Tampico

$385 28.8% 80.4% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$541 14.2%

Tampico

$269 * 20.1% 50.3% $272

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$459 12.1%

Tampico

$158 11.8% 65.6% $301

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$402 10.6%

Tampico

$171 12.8% 57.4% $231

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$191 5%

Tampico

$251 18.8% 31.9% $61

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5%

Tampico

$47 3.5% 64.6% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$115 3%

Tampico

$54 4.1% 52.5% $60

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,407 in Seattle, WA and $531 in Tampico. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 1000% 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: $99.0 in Seattle, WA vs $55.0 in Tampico for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $541 vs $269 per month, with Tampico cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇲🇽 Tampico

🕒 Local time

04:52 4:52 AM

05:52 5:52 AM

1 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

297,562

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.57 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Seattle, WA Tampico 3,570 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Tampico

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Seattle, WA vs Tampico: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tampico is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 178% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 1000% higher in Seattle, WA, 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: $2,407 in Seattle, WA versus $531 in Tampico. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Tampico – a meal for two runs $55.0 versus $99.0 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,744 per month in Seattle, WA versus $1,347 in Tampico – a 178% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,347 in Tampico versus $3,744 in Seattle, WA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tampico but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Tampico the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tampico is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Seattle, WA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Tampico gentler on the wallet – expenses run 178% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.