Cost of Living Comparison Between Tampico and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Tampico and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,326 in Tampico versus $1,660 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,040 in Tampico versus $2,565 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,754 in Tampico versus $3,470 in Mexico City.

Living in Tampico costs roughly 20% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tampico is 3% below, Mexico City is 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.55 MX$147

$11.92 MX$206

-28.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.85 MX$791

$51.6 MX$890

-11.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.64 MX$149

$11.41 MX$197

-24.28%

Cappuccino

$3.23 MX$55.6

$3.99 MX$68.9

-19.05%

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

$1.34 MX$23.10

$1.66 MX$28.61

-19.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 MX$15.48

$1.33 MX$22.87

-32.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$50.9

$3.47 MX$59.9

-14.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 MX$74.6

$5.90 MX$102

-26.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 MX$27.62

$1.88 MX$32.36

-14.89%

White Bread (500g)

$4.43 MX$76.4

$3.25 MX$56.1

36.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.68

$2.16 MX$37.26

-31.02%

Eggs

$4.36 MX$75.2

$2.90 MX$49.94

50.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.33 MX$92.0

$12.86 MX$222

-58.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.84 MX$187

$10.05 MX$173

7.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.22 MX$245

$15.86 MX$273

-10.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.65 MX$62.9

$3.29 MX$56.8

10.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 MX$21.82

$2.01 MX$34.60

-36.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.05

$2.20 MX$37.93

2.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.39 MX$41.22

$2.36 MX$40.63

1.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.11

$2.05 MX$35.43

10.73%

Onion (1kg)

$3.02 MX$52.1

$1.90 MX$32.79

58.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 MX$39.27

$1.61 MX$27.68

41.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.39

$1.40 MX$24.09

-32.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.56 MX$78.7

$5.46 MX$94.2

-16.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.16 MX$192

$17.65 MX$304

-36.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 MX$34.00

$2.06 MX$35.44

-4.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 MX$54.1

$4.68 MX$80.8

-32.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 MX$14.42

$0.34 MX$5.84

147.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.39 MX$507

$20.81 MX$359

41.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 MX$47.00

$2.10 MX$36.15

30.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.88 MX$49.58

$0.56 MX$9.64

414.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.02 MX$207

$5.81 MX$100

106.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 MX$24.52

$1.61 MX$27.68

-11.80%

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

$34.8K MX$599.9K

$22.8K MX$393.8K

52.33%

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

$25.5K MX$439.6K

$26.8K MX$461.2K

-4.70%

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

$61.5 MX$1,060

$65.2 MX$1,124

-5.65%

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

$29.63 MX$511

$30.09 MX$519

-1.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.15 MX$434

$37.18 MX$641

-32.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.40 MX$783

$59.8 MX$1,030

-24.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.20 MX$297

$26.55 MX$458

-35.22%

Cinema Ticket

$5.51 MX$95.0

$7.04 MX$121

-21.73%

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

$246 MX$4,236

$465 MX$8,012

-47.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,846 MX$83.6K

$13.3K MX$228.9K

-63.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.8 MX$1,359

$75.9 MX$1,308

3.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.7 MX$1,218

$56.0 MX$965

26.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$178 MX$3,070

$112 MX$1,929

59.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.9 MX$1,567

$121 MX$2,078

-24.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$558 MX$9,623

$1,103 MX$19.0K

-49.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$412 MX$7,099

$721 MX$12.4K

-42.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,092 MX$18.8K

$2,530 MX$43.6K

-56.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$701 MX$12.1K

$1,293 MX$22.3K

-45.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,810 MX$31.2K

$3,991 MX$68.8K

-54.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,393 MX$24.0K

$2,090 MX$36.0K

-33.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$587 MX$10.1K

$1,037 MX$17.9K

-43.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

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

Last update for Tampico: September 14, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $558 in Tampico and $1,103 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 77% 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: $46.00 in Tampico vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $315 vs $345 per month, with Tampico 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

Tampico vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tampico and Mexico City differ by about 25% in total monthly costs ($1,326 vs $1,660 including rent). Tampico is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 77% lower in Mexico City. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $558 in Tampico versus $1,103 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Tampico runs roughly 41% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $246 in Tampico versus $465 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,326 in Tampico versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tampico but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Tampico 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 Tampico gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.