Cost of Living Comparison Between Tulum and Guadalajara Cost of Living Comparison Between Tulum and Guadalajara

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,061 in Tulum versus $1,180 in Guadalajara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,905 in Tulum versus $1,856 in Guadalajara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,748 in Tulum versus $2,533 in Guadalajara.

Living in Tulum costs roughly 10% less than in Guadalajara, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tulum 21% lower, Guadalajara 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.76 MX$185

$10.74 MX$184

0.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.52 MX$850

$38.89 MX$667

27.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.89 MX$135

$7.95 MX$136

-0.75%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$63.5

$3.17 MX$54.4

16.72%

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

$1.21 MX$20.72

$1.37 MX$23.58

-11.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 MX$18.26

$0.87 MX$14.96

21.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.80 MX$48.04

$2.11 MX$36.19

32.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 MX$69.4

$3.88 MX$66.6

4.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$24.91

$1.43 MX$24.57

1.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.15 MX$19.66

$2.59 MX$44.52

-55.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.66

$1.64 MX$28.09

-9.15%

Eggs

$1.93 MX$33.20

$2.45 MX$42.00

-21.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.36 MX$92.1

$9.60 MX$165

-44.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.12 MX$122

$8.06 MX$138

-11.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.19 MX$106

$10.07 MX$173

-38.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.35

$2.61 MX$44.73

-21.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 MX$23.39

$1.44 MX$24.74

-5.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.42 MX$24.35

$1.84 MX$31.57

-22.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 MX$24.10

$1.59 MX$27.35

-11.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.27

$1.71 MX$29.33

26.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.51

$2.01 MX$34.49

-5.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.42

$1.31 MX$22.54

-18.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.80

$1.08 MX$18.51

-14.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$70.3

$4.39 MX$75.3

-6.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.48 MX$146

$11.06 MX$190

-23.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$23.23

$1.59 MX$27.27

-15.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$21.41

$3.24 MX$55.7

-61.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 MX$20.14

$0.51 MX$8.75

129.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.21 MX$450

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.16 MX$37.08

$2.66 MX$45.65

-18.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 MX$38.10

$1.56 MX$26.73

42.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.35 MX$91.8

$11.83 MX$203

-54.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.58

$1.32 MX$22.68

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

$16.0K MX$273.8K

$23.6K MX$405.7K

-32.50%

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

$21.3K MX$365.8K

$24.2K MX$414.6K

-11.77%

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

$83.7 MX$1,436

$30.68 MX$527

172.72%

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

$22.27 MX$382

$24.03 MX$412

-7.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.53 MX$507

$26.77 MX$459

10.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.48 MX$557

$33.29 MX$571

-2.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.06 MX$276

$19.53 MX$335

-17.77%

Cinema Ticket

$4.74 MX$81.4

$4.81 MX$82.5

-1.46%

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

$203 MX$3,479

$189 MX$3,243

7.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,841 MX$48.8K

$6,258 MX$107.4K

-54.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.93 MX$462

$49.66 MX$852

-45.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.06 MX$550

$51.6 MX$885

-37.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.6 MX$1,383

$101 MX$1,729

-19.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$45.12 MX$774

$93.1 MX$1,598

-51.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$712 MX$12.2K

$697 MX$12.0K

2.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$391 MX$6,713

$452 MX$7,750

-13.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,442 MX$24.8K

$1,326 MX$22.8K

8.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,216 MX$20.9K

$847 MX$14.5K

43.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,272 MX$56.2K

$3,268 MX$56.1K

0.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,899 MX$32.6K

$2,003 MX$34.4K

-5.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$783 MX$13.4K

$788 MX$13.5K

-0.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.48

-4.18%

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

Last update for Tulum: June 9, 2026

Last update for Guadalajara: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $712 in Tulum and $697 in Guadalajara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Guadalajara pays 1% 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: $50.0 in Tulum vs $39.00 in Guadalajara. Groceries flip the comparison at $193 vs $257, with Tulum cheaper for home cooking.

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

Tulum vs Guadalajara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tulum wins on cost – living expenses run 11% lower than in Guadalajara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Tulum the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Guadalajara earns 1% 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: $712 in Tulum versus $697 in Guadalajara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $203 in Tulum versus $189 in Guadalajara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tulum – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $39.00 in Guadalajara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,061 in Tulum versus $1,180 in Guadalajara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tulum but tight or insufficient in Guadalajara. The gap between the two cities makes Tulum the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Tulum delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,061 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Tulum hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Tulum gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Guadalajara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.