Cost of Living Comparison Between Tepic and Monterrey Cost of Living Comparison Between Tepic and Monterrey

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,015 in Tepic versus $1,574 in Monterrey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,651 in Tepic versus $2,529 in Monterrey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,288 in Tepic versus $3,484 in Monterrey.

Living in Tepic costs roughly 36% less than in Monterrey, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tepic is 24% below, Monterrey is 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.99 MX$140

$13.42 MX$234

-40.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.04 MX$734

$53.9 MX$941

-21.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.03 MX$158

$10.32 MX$180

-12.50%

Cappuccino

$3.21 MX$56.0

$3.58 MX$62.5

-10.34%

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

$2.03 MX$35.50

$1.43 MX$25.04

41.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MX$24.09

$0.99 MX$17.30

39.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.60 MX$45.43

$2.59 MX$45.20

0.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 MX$68.8

$4.27 MX$74.7

-7.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 MX$26.07

$1.67 MX$29.20

-10.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.34 MX$40.80

$2.64 MX$46.11

-11.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 MX$17.98

$1.87 MX$32.72

-44.92%

Eggs

$2.03 MX$35.47

$2.67 MX$46.71

-23.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.73 MX$82.7

$10.49 MX$183

-54.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.18 MX$230

$9.13 MX$159

44.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.76 MX$118

$13.85 MX$242

-51.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.61

$3.04 MX$53.2

-14.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.29

$1.40 MX$24.52

7.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.40 MX$59.4

$2.12 MX$37.06

60.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 MX$27.71

$2.06 MX$35.96

-22.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 MX$31.83

$2.23 MX$38.93

-18.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.74

$2.56 MX$44.78

-22.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MX$25.35

$1.53 MX$26.69

-5.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 MX$17.73

$1.07 MX$18.77

-5.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.6

$4.13 MX$72.1

3.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.03 MX$193

$14.34 MX$250

-23.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 MX$13.44

$1.79 MX$31.23

-56.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 MX$28.02

$3.18 MX$55.5

-49.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.85

$0.77 MX$13.39

-33.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.85 MX$714

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.73 MX$30.30

26.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.50 MX$8.81

$0.96 MX$16.74

-47.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.76 MX$188

$10.72 MX$187

0.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$22.03

$1.36 MX$23.78

-7.35%

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

$18.5K MX$322.9K

$26.5K MX$463.0K

-30.24%

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

$18.4K MX$322.0K

$25.9K MX$451.6K

-28.71%

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

$41.95 MX$733

$123 MX$2,151

-65.92%

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

$11.76 MX$205

$27.98 MX$489

-57.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.28 MX$442

$29.71 MX$519

-14.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.42 MX$636

$37.13 MX$649

-1.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.66 MX$274

$21.88 MX$382

-28.43%

Cinema Ticket

$4.27 MX$74.5

$5.71 MX$99.7

-25.22%

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

$210 MX$3,666

$348 MX$6,078

-39.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,485 MX$60.9K

$8,997 MX$157.2K

-61.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.51 MX$743

$59.9 MX$1,047

-29.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.14 MX$282

$43.22 MX$755

-62.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.3 MX$1,158

$109 MX$1,911

-39.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.0 MX$1,310

$130 MX$2,268

-42.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$507 MX$8,855

$894 MX$15.6K

-43.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$403 MX$7,032

$656 MX$11.5K

-38.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$937 MX$16.4K

$1,578 MX$27.6K

-40.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$770 MX$13.4K

$1,422 MX$24.8K

-45.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,109 MX$36.9K

$4,316 MX$75.4K

-51.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,268 MX$22.1K

$2,873 MX$50.2K

-55.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$689 MX$12.0K

$1,101 MX$19.2K

-37.47%

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 Tepic: June 9, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $507 in Tepic and $894 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 60% 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 $54.0 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $297 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 Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tepic and Monterrey differ by about 55% in total monthly costs ($1,015 vs $1,574 including rent). Tepic is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Monterrey earns 60% 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 $894 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $210 in Tepic versus $348 in Monterrey. 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 $54.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,015 in Tepic versus $1,574 in Monterrey, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tepic but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. 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 Monterrey 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 55% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.