Cost of Living Comparison Between Tulum and Guanajuato Cost of Living Comparison Between Tulum and Guanajuato

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,057 in Tulum versus $795 in Guanajuato.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,922 in Tulum versus $1,342 in Guanajuato.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,787 in Tulum versus $1,889 in Guanajuato.

Living in Tulum is roughly 33% more expensive than Guanajuato, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tulum 21% lower, Guanajuato 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.75 MX$186

$8.12 MX$140

32.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.8 MX$878

$33.57 MX$581

51.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.79 MX$135

$6.25 MX$108

24.64%

Cappuccino

$3.83 MX$66.2

$2.06 MX$35.66

85.92%

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

$1.22 MX$21.18

$1.29 MX$22.27

-5.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$0.87 MX$15.11

28.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.72 MX$47.07

$2.72 MX$47.00

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 MX$68.3

$4.57 MX$79.0

-13.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 MX$24.62

$1.37 MX$23.77

3.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 MX$20.38

$2.32 MX$40.05

-49.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 MX$26.75

$1.35 MX$23.39

14.81%

Eggs

$1.93 MX$33.41

$1.93 MX$33.36

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.27 MX$91.2

$5.69 MX$98.4

-7.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.98 MX$121

$7.51 MX$130

-7.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.33 MX$109

$9.08 MX$157

-30.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.43

$2.73 MX$47.28

-20.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 MX$24.40

$1.46 MX$25.30

-3.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 MX$25.11

$1.81 MX$31.28

-19.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.41 MX$24.37

$1.90 MX$32.92

-25.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.73

$1.92 MX$33.29

13.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.93

$2.15 MX$37.18

-8.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.71

$1.32 MX$22.76

-18.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 MX$15.65

$0.93 MX$16.01

-3.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.28 MX$74.1

$3.92 MX$67.9

9.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.57 MX$148

$6.80 MX$118

26.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 MX$22.85

$1.74 MX$30.11

-24.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 MX$22.62

$3.39 MX$58.7

-61.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.16 MX$20.00

$0.44 MX$7.54

163.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.40 MX$457

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.13 MX$36.84

$0.76 MX$13.15

180.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 MX$37.33

$1.08 MX$18.69

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.26 MX$91.0

$8.92 MX$154

-41.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.84

$1.30 MX$22.46

-3.08%

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

$15.7K MX$270.9K

$21.3K MX$368.8K

-26.55%

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

$21.3K MX$367.9K

$21.8K MX$376.6K

-2.30%

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

$83.7 MX$1,447

$45.65 MX$790

83.24%

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

$22.49 MX$389

$22.06 MX$382

1.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.48 MX$493

$20.85 MX$361

36.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.57 MX$563

$27.31 MX$472

19.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.60 MX$270

$15.63 MX$270

-0.19%

Cinema Ticket

$4.56 MX$79.0

$4.85 MX$83.9

-5.98%

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

$206 MX$3,569

$188 MX$3,246

9.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,852 MX$49.3K

$3,427 MX$59.3K

-16.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.76 MX$463

$58.0 MX$1,003

-53.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.13 MX$539

$36.44 MX$630

-14.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.0 MX$1,366

$52.4 MX$906

50.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$45.00 MX$778

$57.6 MX$996

-21.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$722 MX$12.5K

$304 MX$5,259

137.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$391 MX$6,770

$185 MX$3,196

111.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,483 MX$25.6K

$681 MX$11.8K

117.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,214 MX$21.0K

$424 MX$7,327

186.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,338 MX$57.7K

$1,416 MX$24.5K

135.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,893 MX$32.7K

$1,149 MX$19.9K

64.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$769 MX$13.3K

$759 MX$13.1K

1.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.5

-4.35%

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

Last update for Tulum: June 1, 2026

Last update for Guanajuato: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $722 in Tulum and $304 in Guanajuato. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tulum 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: $51.0 in Tulum vs $34.00 in Guanajuato. Groceries flip the comparison at $194 vs $227, 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 Guanajuato: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Guanajuato wins on cost – living expenses run 33% lower than in Tulum. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Guanajuato the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Tulum pays 1% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $722 in Tulum versus $304 in Guanajuato. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Tulum pay roughly 17% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,057 per month in Tulum versus $795 in Guanajuato – a 33% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $795 in Guanajuato versus $1,057 in Tulum, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Guanajuato but tight or insufficient in Tulum. The gap between the two cities makes Guanajuato 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, Tulum and Guanajuato 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 Guanajuato gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Tulum. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.