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: $1,054 in Tepic versus $1,481 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,681 in Tepic versus $2,352 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,309 in Tepic versus $3,222 in Mexico City.

Living in Tepic costs roughly 29% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tepic is 21% below, Mexico City is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.78 MX$136

$13.16 MX$230

-40.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.91 MX$751

$53.6 MX$937

-19.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.36 MX$164

$9.55 MX$167

-1.99%

Cappuccino

$3.15 MX$55.0

$3.72 MX$65.1

-15.32%

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

$2.07 MX$36.20

$1.57 MX$27.42

31.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 MX$23.99

$1.16 MX$20.22

18.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 MX$45.75

$3.18 MX$55.7

-17.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 MX$69.8

$4.63 MX$81.1

-13.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$25.41

$1.71 MX$29.83

-15.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 MX$41.22

$2.62 MX$45.77

-9.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.08 MX$18.91

$1.89 MX$33.04

-42.86%

Eggs

$2.12 MX$37.02

$2.60 MX$45.40

-18.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.80 MX$84.0

$9.91 MX$173

-51.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.33 MX$233

$8.22 MX$144

62.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.94 MX$121

$11.78 MX$206

-41.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.59 MX$45.38

$3.00 MX$52.4

-13.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.34

$1.80 MX$31.48

-16.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.49 MX$61.0

$2.07 MX$36.27

68.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 MX$27.92

$1.97 MX$34.41

-18.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$33.63

$2.07 MX$36.24

-7.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.99

$2.17 MX$38.04

-5.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 MX$24.02

$1.40 MX$24.54

-2.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 MX$17.93

$1.07 MX$18.80

-3.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$74.5

$4.12 MX$72.0

3.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.24 MX$197

$17.42 MX$305

-35.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.50

$1.68 MX$29.31

-50.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 MX$27.91

$3.65 MX$63.8

-56.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.03

$0.38 MX$6.65

36.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.71 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.09 MX$36.49

$1.33 MX$23.25

57.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.51 MX$8.89

$0.30 MX$5.30

70.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.76 MX$188

$5.51 MX$96.4

95.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.10

$1.31 MX$22.84

0.76%

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

$18.3K MX$320.2K

$19.2K MX$335.3K

-4.49%

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

$19.0K MX$331.5K

$23.7K MX$415.4K

-20.19%

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

$42.54 MX$744

$41.14 MX$720

3.40%

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

$11.98 MX$209

$27.74 MX$485

-56.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.32 MX$443

$30.13 MX$527

-15.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.01 MX$630

$53.7 MX$940

-32.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.98 MX$280

$25.98 MX$454

-38.49%

Cinema Ticket

$4.33 MX$75.8

$6.49 MX$114

-33.28%

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

$207 MX$3,616

$437 MX$7,638

-52.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,426 MX$59.9K

$10.5K MX$182.9K

-67.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.06 MX$736

$58.3 MX$1,020

-27.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.81 MX$276

$45.86 MX$802

-65.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.7 MX$1,149

$101 MX$1,775

-35.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.9 MX$1,292

$107 MX$1,863

-30.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$513 MX$8,967

$1,005 MX$17.6K

-49.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$396 MX$6,922

$634 MX$11.1K

-37.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$921 MX$16.1K

$2,148 MX$37.6K

-57.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$770 MX$13.5K

$1,247 MX$21.8K

-38.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,710 MX$29.9K

$3,859 MX$67.5K

-55.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,250 MX$21.9K

$2,085 MX$36.5K

-40.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$694 MX$12.1K

$1,072 MX$18.8K

-35.26%

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: July 21, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $513 in Tepic and $1,005 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 54% 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: $43.00 in Tepic vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $254 vs $291 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 41% in total monthly costs ($1,054 vs $1,481 including rent). Tepic is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 54% 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: $513 in Tepic versus $1,005 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $207 in Tepic versus $437 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 $43.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,054 in Tepic versus $1,481 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 41% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.