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: $1,052 in Tepic versus $1,596 in Monterrey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,678 in Tepic versus $2,550 in Monterrey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,305 in Tepic versus $3,504 in Monterrey.

Living in Tepic costs roughly 34% less than in Monterrey, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tepic is 22% below, Monterrey is 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.96 MX$138

$13.45 MX$233

-40.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.12 MX$730

$52.8 MX$915

-20.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.17 MX$159

$10.25 MX$178

-10.54%

Cappuccino

$3.13 MX$54.2

$3.74 MX$64.8

-16.31%

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

$2.07 MX$35.89

$1.40 MX$24.28

47.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.99

$1.04 MX$17.98

27.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 MX$44.12

$2.66 MX$46.07

-4.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 MX$71.3

$4.33 MX$75.1

-5.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$26.37

$1.59 MX$27.59

-4.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 MX$40.30

$2.62 MX$45.41

-11.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.08 MX$18.78

$1.94 MX$33.66

-44.33%

Eggs

$2.01 MX$34.83

$2.68 MX$46.39

-25.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.90 MX$84.9

$10.37 MX$180

-52.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.95 MX$224

$9.24 MX$160

40.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.70 MX$116

$13.47 MX$234

-50.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.58 MX$44.72

$3.19 MX$55.3

-19.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.22

$1.45 MX$25.06

8.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.52 MX$60.9

$2.07 MX$35.92

70.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.82

$2.07 MX$35.88

-22.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.02

$2.27 MX$39.37

-18.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.73

$2.57 MX$44.60

-19.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MX$24.96

$1.50 MX$26.00

-4.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 MX$17.67

$1.08 MX$18.68

-5.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.1

$4.29 MX$74.3

-1.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.44 MX$198

$11.95 MX$207

-4.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 MX$13.31

$1.72 MX$29.85

-55.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.03

$3.14 MX$54.4

-46.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.61

$0.82 MX$14.27

-32.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.89 MX$709

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 MX$36.53

$1.68 MX$29.18

25.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.51 MX$8.88

$1.01 MX$17.45

-49.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.51 MX$182

$10.41 MX$180

0.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$22.15

$1.35 MX$23.31

-5.19%

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

$18.5K MX$320.3K

$25.9K MX$449.3K

-28.72%

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

$18.8K MX$325.4K

$26.2K MX$454.0K

-28.32%

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

$42.49 MX$736

$121 MX$2,095

-64.86%

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

$12.00 MX$208

$27.83 MX$482

-56.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.61 MX$444

$30.04 MX$521

-14.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.65 MX$635

$37.56 MX$651

-2.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.81 MX$274

$21.96 MX$381

-28.01%

Cinema Ticket

$4.19 MX$72.7

$5.75 MX$99.7

-27.13%

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

$208 MX$3,607

$336 MX$5,820

-38.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,460 MX$60.0K

$9,005 MX$156.0K

-61.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.16 MX$731

$59.7 MX$1,034

-29.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.88 MX$275

$42.75 MX$741

-62.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.5 MX$1,135

$108 MX$1,875

-39.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.6 MX$1,276

$127 MX$2,199

-41.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$514 MX$8,908

$908 MX$15.7K

-43.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$398 MX$6,890

$663 MX$11.5K

-40.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$934 MX$16.2K

$1,572 MX$27.2K

-40.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$749 MX$13.0K

$1,424 MX$24.7K

-47.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,220 MX$38.5K

$4,254 MX$73.7K

-47.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,251 MX$21.7K

$2,862 MX$49.6K

-56.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$696 MX$12.1K

$1,129 MX$19.6K

-38.32%

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: April 19, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $514 in Tepic and $908 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 62% 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 in Tepic vs $53 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $253 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 Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tepic and Monterrey differ by about 52% in total monthly costs ($1,052 vs $1,596 including rent). Tepic is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Monterrey earns 62% 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: $514 in Tepic versus $908 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $208 in Tepic versus $336 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 $53.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,052 in Tepic versus $1,596 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 52% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.