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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,015 in Tepic versus $1,447 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,651 in Tepic versus $2,310 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,288 in Tepic versus $3,174 in Mexico City.

Living in Tepic costs roughly 30% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tepic is 24% below, Mexico City is 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.99 MX$139

$12.98 MX$227

-38.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.04 MX$734

$52.6 MX$918

-20.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.03 MX$158

$9.43 MX$165

-4.24%

Cappuccino

$3.21 MX$56.0

$3.57 MX$62.3

-10.08%

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

$2.03 MX$35.47

$1.61 MX$28.02

26.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MX$24.07

$1.15 MX$20.14

20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.60 MX$45.39

$3.15 MX$55.0

-17.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 MX$68.7

$4.86 MX$84.8

-18.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 MX$26.05

$1.70 MX$29.66

-12.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.34 MX$40.76

$2.64 MX$45.99

-11.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$1.90 MX$33.22

-45.79%

Eggs

$2.03 MX$35.44

$2.54 MX$44.35

-20.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.73 MX$82.6

$10.08 MX$176

-53.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.18 MX$230

$8.29 MX$145

58.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.76 MX$118

$11.57 MX$202

-41.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.57

$3.03 MX$52.8

-13.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.27

$1.71 MX$29.85

-11.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.40 MX$59.3

$2.05 MX$35.76

65.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 MX$27.68

$2.06 MX$35.95

-22.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 MX$31.80

$2.06 MX$36.03

-11.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.71

$2.17 MX$37.87

-8.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MX$25.33

$1.40 MX$24.49

3.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 MX$17.71

$1.12 MX$19.58

-9.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.6

$4.29 MX$74.9

-0.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.03 MX$192

$15.41 MX$269

-28.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 MX$13.43

$1.67 MX$29.23

-53.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 MX$28.00

$3.69 MX$64.3

-56.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.84

$0.38 MX$6.66

34.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$333

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.18 MX$38.06

$1.38 MX$24.10

57.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.50 MX$8.80

$0.28 MX$4.82

78.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.76 MX$188

$5.42 MX$94.5

98.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$22.01

$1.28 MX$22.35

-1.56%

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

$18.5K MX$322.7K

$19.0K MX$331.3K

-2.60%

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

$18.4K MX$321.7K

$23.5K MX$409.5K

-21.43%

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

$41.95 MX$732

$41.02 MX$716

2.27%

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

$11.76 MX$205

$26.92 MX$470

-56.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.28 MX$441

$29.69 MX$518

-14.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.42 MX$636

$52.3 MX$913

-30.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.66 MX$273

$26.23 MX$458

-40.30%

Cinema Ticket

$4.27 MX$74.5

$6.18 MX$108

-30.91%

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

$210 MX$3,662

$427 MX$7,454

-50.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,485 MX$60.8K

$10.7K MX$186.7K

-67.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.51 MX$742

$56.8 MX$992

-25.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.14 MX$282

$44.83 MX$782

-64.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.3 MX$1,157

$105 MX$1,824

-36.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.0 MX$1,309

$106 MX$1,849

-29.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$507 MX$8,847

$995 MX$17.4K

-49.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$403 MX$7,026

$621 MX$10.8K

-35.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$937 MX$16.4K

$2,126 MX$37.1K

-55.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$770 MX$13.4K

$1,254 MX$21.9K

-38.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,109 MX$36.8K

$3,903 MX$68.1K

-45.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,268 MX$22.1K

$2,096 MX$36.6K

-39.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$689 MX$12.0K

$1,107 MX$19.3K

-37.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.75

11.34

3.62%

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

Last update for Tepic: June 9, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $507 in Tepic and $995 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 61% 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 Tepic vs $53.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $288 per month, with Tepic 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

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

Tepic and Mexico City differ by about 43% in total monthly costs ($1,015 vs $1,447 including rent). Tepic is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Mexico City earns 61% 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: $507 in Tepic versus $995 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $210 in Tepic versus $427 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tepic – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,015 in Tepic versus $1,447 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tepic but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Tepic 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.

Safety-wise, Tepic and Mexico City are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Tepic gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.