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: $1,331 in Tulum versus $1,646 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,231 in Tulum versus $2,613 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,130 in Tulum versus $3,580 in Mexico City.

Living in Tulum costs roughly 19% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tulum is 3% below, Mexico City is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.73 MX$148

$12.11 MX$206

-27.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.4 MX$1,009

$52.2 MX$887

13.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.71 MX$148

$10.90 MX$185

-20.09%

Cappuccino

$4.14 MX$70.3

$4.05 MX$68.8

2.22%

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

$1.16 MX$19.76

$1.72 MX$29.13

-32.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 MX$20.84

$1.38 MX$23.40

-10.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.98 MX$50.6

$3.47 MX$58.9

-14.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 MX$66.6

$5.81 MX$98.7

-32.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 MX$29.58

$1.85 MX$31.48

-5.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 MX$36.13

$3.22 MX$54.7

-33.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.58

$2.09 MX$35.42

-11.00%

Eggs

$2.06 MX$35.02

$2.91 MX$49.41

-29.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.86 MX$99.5

$12.49 MX$212

-53.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.44 MX$143

$10.11 MX$172

-16.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.53 MX$162

$15.89 MX$270

-40.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.79 MX$47.42

$3.31 MX$56.3

-15.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.30

$2.13 MX$36.12

-30.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.28

$2.19 MX$37.20

-26.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 MX$27.69

$2.45 MX$41.57

-33.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$41.65

$2.19 MX$37.18

11.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.33

$1.90 MX$32.35

3.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 MX$26.85

$1.62 MX$27.44

-2.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 MX$14.60

$1.35 MX$22.92

-36.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.90 MX$83.2

$5.43 MX$92.1

-9.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.95 MX$152

$17.59 MX$299

-49.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 MX$25.08

$2.07 MX$35.12

-28.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 MX$24.53

$4.75 MX$80.6

-69.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.51 MX$25.65

$0.34 MX$5.77

344.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 MX$366

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 MX$49.43

$2.04 MX$34.65

42.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.58 MX$43.75

$0.58 MX$9.82

344.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.93 MX$101

$5.97 MX$101

-0.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 MX$25.46

$1.62 MX$27.44

-7.41%

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

$22.7K MX$385.8K

$22.8K MX$387.4K

-0.41%

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

$25.1K MX$426.7K

$26.7K MX$452.8K

-5.77%

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

$115 MX$1,946

$65.2 MX$1,108

75.61%

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

$17.42 MX$296

$29.87 MX$507

-41.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.64 MX$622

$36.55 MX$621

0.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.09 MX$630

$61.0 MX$1,036

-39.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$453

Cinema Ticket

$7.08 MX$120

$6.85 MX$116

3.36%

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

$274 MX$4,654

$453 MX$7,700

-39.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,157 MX$53.6K

$13.4K MX$227.1K

-76.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.29 MX$735

$75.0 MX$1,273

-42.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.86 MX$592

$55.3 MX$939

-36.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,777

$114 MX$1,929

-7.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.2 MX$1,091

$123 MX$2,083

-47.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$643 MX$10.9K

$1,134 MX$19.3K

-43.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$563 MX$9,568

$712 MX$12.1K

-20.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 MX$27.7K

$2,571 MX$43.7K

-36.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,358 MX$23.1K

$1,311 MX$22.3K

3.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,430 MX$58.2K

$3,993 MX$67.8K

-14.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,935 MX$32.9K

$2,095 MX$35.6K

-7.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$853 MX$14.5K

$1,047 MX$17.8K

-18.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.8

11.3

-4.42%

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

Last update for Tulum: August 29, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $643 in Tulum and $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 23% 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: $59.0 in Tulum vs $52.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $236 vs $345, 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 Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tulum and Mexico City differ by about 24% in total monthly costs ($1,331 vs $1,646 including rent). Tulum is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 23% lower in Mexico City. 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: $643 in Tulum versus $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $274 in Tulum versus $453 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 $59.0 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,331 in Tulum versus $1,646 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 24% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.