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: $1,198 in Tepic versus $1,728 in Monterrey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,980 in Tepic versus $2,711 in Monterrey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,762 in Tepic versus $3,694 in Monterrey.

Living in Tepic costs roughly 31% less than in Monterrey, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tepic is 13% below, Monterrey is 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.61 MX$247

$14.63 MX$247

-0.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.08 MX$829

$53.1 MX$897

-7.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 MX$163

$12.02 MX$203

-19.63%

Cappuccino

$3.48 MX$58.8

$4.18 MX$70.6

-16.75%

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

$1.79 MX$30.24

$1.70 MX$28.68

5.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 MX$22.22

$1.12 MX$18.86

17.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.89 MX$48.81

$2.92 MX$49.30

-1.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.51 MX$93.0

$4.71 MX$79.5

16.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 MX$28.22

$1.97 MX$33.34

-15.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 MX$46.02

$3.16 MX$53.4

-13.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.09

$2.00 MX$33.84

-14.00%

Eggs

$2.25 MX$37.91

$2.68 MX$45.23

-16.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.25 MX$88.7

$13.14 MX$222

-60.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 MX$173

$9.98 MX$169

2.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.28 MX$207

$13.79 MX$233

-10.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.1

$3.60 MX$60.8

-16.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 MX$29.98

$1.65 MX$27.94

7.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.21

$2.31 MX$39.07

-9.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$33.30

$2.58 MX$43.50

-23.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 MX$36.84

$2.50 MX$42.19

-12.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 MX$32.65

$2.95 MX$49.79

-34.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 MX$24.88

$1.62 MX$27.40

-9.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$20.05

$1.34 MX$22.59

-11.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.80 MX$81.0

$5.34 MX$90.2

-10.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.36 MX$192

$14.83 MX$250

-23.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.56

$2.02 MX$34.12

-54.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$60.8

$3.23 MX$54.5

11.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 MX$14.51

$0.87 MX$14.71

-1.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.53 MX$566

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.38 MX$40.13

$1.88 MX$31.67

26.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 MX$25.32

$1.15 MX$19.42

30.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.71 MX$215

$11.99 MX$203

6.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$25.82

$1.68 MX$28.45

-8.93%

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

$23.0K MX$388.1K

$22.7K MX$383.2K

1.28%

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

$26.1K MX$440.9K

$27.3K MX$460.6K

-4.29%

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

$46.23 MX$781

$124 MX$2,099

-62.81%

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

$13.37 MX$226

$28.42 MX$480

-52.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.63 MX$551

$28.37 MX$479

15.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.98 MX$624

$33.01 MX$557

12.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.38 MX$361

$23.10 MX$390

-7.45%

Cinema Ticket

$7.21 MX$122

$5.51 MX$93.1

30.85%

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

$268 MX$4,522

$738 MX$12.5K

-63.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K MX$193.5K

$12.4K MX$210.1K

-7.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.2 MX$1,049

$80.9 MX$1,366

-23.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.80 MX$756

$45.74 MX$772

-2.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 MX$1,953

$121 MX$2,036

-4.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.9 MX$1,569

$135 MX$2,284

-31.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$664 MX$11.2K

$1,045 MX$17.7K

-36.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 MX$7,059

$728 MX$12.3K

-42.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,100 MX$18.6K

$2,014 MX$34.0K

-45.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$836 MX$14.1K

$1,403 MX$23.7K

-40.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,989 MX$33.6K

$4,411 MX$74.5K

-54.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,244 MX$21.0K

$2,630 MX$44.4K

-52.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$709 MX$12.0K

$1,170 MX$19.8K

-39.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

11.56

1.04%

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

Last update for Tepic: September 6, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $664 in Tepic and $1,045 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 65% 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: $49.00 in Tepic vs $53.0 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $333 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 44% in total monthly costs ($1,198 vs $1,728 including rent). Tepic is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 65% lower in Monterrey. 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: $664 in Tepic versus $1,045 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $268 in Tepic versus $738 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 $49.00 versus $53.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,198 in Tepic versus $1,728 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 44% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.