Cost of Living Comparison Between Tulum and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Tulum and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,057 in Tulum versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,922 in Tulum versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,787 in Tulum versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Tulum costs roughly 28% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tulum is 21% below, Mexico City is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.75 MX$186

$13.18 MX$228

-18.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.8 MX$878

$53.9 MX$932

-5.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.79 MX$135

$9.42 MX$163

-17.30%

Cappuccino

$3.83 MX$66.2

$3.55 MX$61.4

7.89%

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

$1.22 MX$21.18

$1.62 MX$27.98

-24.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$1.11 MX$19.27

0.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.72 MX$47.07

$3.12 MX$54.0

-12.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 MX$68.3

$4.63 MX$80.1

-14.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 MX$24.62

$1.70 MX$29.43

-16.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 MX$20.38

$2.72 MX$47.02

-56.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 MX$26.75

$1.91 MX$33.07

-18.85%

Eggs

$1.93 MX$33.41

$2.54 MX$43.86

-24.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.27 MX$91.2

$10.03 MX$174

-47.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.98 MX$121

$8.09 MX$140

-13.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.33 MX$109

$11.62 MX$201

-45.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.43

$2.97 MX$51.3

-27.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 MX$24.40

$1.81 MX$31.24

-22.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 MX$25.11

$2.01 MX$34.82

-27.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.41 MX$24.37

$2.03 MX$35.20

-30.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.73

$2.12 MX$36.75

2.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.93

$2.27 MX$39.25

-13.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.71

$1.40 MX$24.22

-22.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 MX$15.65

$1.13 MX$19.55

-20.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.28 MX$74.1

$4.27 MX$73.9

0.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.57 MX$148

$15.56 MX$269

-44.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 MX$22.85

$1.76 MX$30.39

-25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 MX$22.62

$3.60 MX$62.2

-63.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.16 MX$20.00

$0.38 MX$6.62

205.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.13 MX$36.84

$1.38 MX$23.79

54.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 MX$37.33

$0.28 MX$4.78

671.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.26 MX$91.0

$5.45 MX$94.2

-3.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.84

$1.30 MX$22.55

-3.08%

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

$15.7K MX$270.9K

$18.7K MX$323.2K

-16.19%

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

$21.3K MX$367.9K

$23.1K MX$400.1K

-8.04%

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

$83.7 MX$1,447

$40.86 MX$707

104.72%

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

$22.49 MX$389

$26.81 MX$464

-16.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.48 MX$493

$29.96 MX$518

-4.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.57 MX$563

$52.0 MX$900

-37.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.60 MX$270

$26.84 MX$464

-41.88%

Cinema Ticket

$4.56 MX$79.0

$6.30 MX$109

-27.62%

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

$206 MX$3,569

$436 MX$7,544

-52.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,852 MX$49.3K

$10.4K MX$180.2K

-72.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.76 MX$463

$56.7 MX$980

-52.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.13 MX$539

$44.38 MX$768

-29.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.0 MX$1,366

$103 MX$1,780

-23.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$45.00 MX$778

$106 MX$1,825

-57.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$722 MX$12.5K

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-29.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$391 MX$6,770

$631 MX$10.9K

-37.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,483 MX$25.6K

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-30.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,214 MX$21.0K

$1,243 MX$21.5K

-2.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,338 MX$57.7K

$3,903 MX$67.5K

-14.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,893 MX$32.7K

$2,064 MX$35.7K

-8.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$769 MX$13.3K

$1,115 MX$19.3K

-31.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

-3.00%

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

Last update for Tulum: June 1, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $722 in Tulum and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 45% 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 $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $194 vs $288 per month, with Tulum 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

Tulum vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tulum and Mexico City differ by about 39% in total monthly costs ($1,057 vs $1,467 including rent). Tulum is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Mexico City earns 45% 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: $722 in Tulum versus $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $206 in Tulum versus $436 in Mexico City. 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 $51.0 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,057 in Tulum versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tulum but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Tulum 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.

Expats usually find Tulum gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.