Cost of Living Comparison Between Tampico and Monterrey Cost of Living Comparison Between Tampico and Monterrey

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,093 in Tampico versus $1,601 in Monterrey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,742 in Tampico versus $2,585 in Monterrey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,390 in Tampico versus $3,568 in Monterrey.

Living in Tampico costs roughly 32% less than in Monterrey, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tampico is 18% below, Monterrey is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.47 MX$112

$13.01 MX$226

-50.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.92 MX$727

$53.8 MX$932

-22.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.99 MX$104

$10.21 MX$177

-41.33%

Cappuccino

$3.34 MX$57.8

$3.68 MX$63.8

-9.24%

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

$0.86 MX$14.93

$1.46 MX$25.34

-41.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.26

$1.00 MX$17.31

-18.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.42 MX$24.69

$2.70 MX$46.70

-47.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 MX$36.30

$4.27 MX$74.0

-51.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$25.05

$1.67 MX$28.86

-13.17%

White Bread (500g)

$3.89 MX$67.4

$2.68 MX$46.43

45.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 MX$26.79

$1.93 MX$33.41

-19.69%

Eggs

$3.98 MX$69.0

$2.63 MX$45.57

51.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.47 MX$77.5

$10.34 MX$179

-56.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.46 MX$147

$9.22 MX$160

-8.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.05 MX$191

$13.84 MX$240

-20.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 MX$47.99

$3.15 MX$54.6

-12.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 MX$20.78

$1.39 MX$24.06

-13.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.41

$2.00 MX$34.65

-12.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 MX$27.59

$2.14 MX$37.10

-25.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 MX$31.76

$2.27 MX$39.26

-19.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.68

$2.54 MX$44.08

-14.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 MX$28.48

$1.57 MX$27.14

4.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 MX$15.52

$1.07 MX$18.53

-15.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$4.25 MX$73.6

0.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.82 MX$188

$14.36 MX$249

-24.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.50

$1.78 MX$30.87

-1.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 MX$45.01

$3.14 MX$54.5

-17.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 MX$13.28

$0.80 MX$13.89

-3.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.44 MX$458

$40.54 MX$703

-34.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 MX$46.01

$1.68 MX$29.11

58.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.15

$0.94 MX$16.31

164.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.94 MX$85.6

$10.76 MX$186

-54.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 MX$22.98

$1.37 MX$23.72

-2.92%

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

$41.7K MX$722.3K

$26.7K MX$463.4K

55.86%

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

$22.0K MX$380.9K

$25.6K MX$443.3K

-14.08%

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

$79.0 MX$1,369

$122 MX$2,108

-35.05%

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

$25.85 MX$448

$27.19 MX$471

-4.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.95 MX$415

$29.82 MX$517

-19.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.83 MX$673

$38.49 MX$667

0.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.82 MX$274

$21.46 MX$372

-26.28%

Cinema Ticket

$5.19 MX$89.9

$5.92 MX$103

-12.33%

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

$238 MX$4,122

$346 MX$5,990

-31.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,662 MX$63.5K

$8,997 MX$155.9K

-59.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 MX$1,468

$58.4 MX$1,012

45.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.7 MX$1,087

$42.55 MX$737

47.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$161 MX$2,787

$109 MX$1,896

47.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.6 MX$1,362

$129 MX$2,235

-39.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$502 MX$8,695

$913 MX$15.8K

-45.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$317 MX$5,496

$647 MX$11.2K

-51.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$819 MX$14.2K

$1,565 MX$27.1K

-47.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$617 MX$10.7K

$1,401 MX$24.3K

-56.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,682 MX$29.1K

$4,371 MX$75.7K

-61.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,410 MX$24.4K

$2,839 MX$49.2K

-50.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$597 MX$10.3K

$1,104 MX$19.1K

-45.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.75

11.55

1.73%

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

Last update for Tampico: June 2, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $502 in Tampico and $913 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 85% 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: $42.00 in Tampico vs $54.0 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $263 vs $298 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 Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tampico and Monterrey differ by about 46% in total monthly costs ($1,093 vs $1,601 including rent). Tampico is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Monterrey earns 85% less. 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: $502 in Tampico versus $913 in Monterrey. 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 $42.00 versus $54.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,093 per month in Tampico versus $1,601 in Monterrey – a 46% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,093 in Tampico versus $1,601 in Monterrey, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tampico but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. 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 46% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.