Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tulum and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Tulum: $1,241 a month against $1,567 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Tulum
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Tulum Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Tulum

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,241

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,567

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tulum and in Mexico City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Tulum and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,241 in Tulum versus $1,567 in Mexico City.

Tulum $1,241
Mexico City $1,567

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,085 in Tulum versus $2,450 in Mexico City.

Tulum $2,085
Mexico City $2,450

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,929 in Tulum versus $3,333 in Mexico City.

Tulum $2,929
Mexico City $3,333

Living in Tulum costs roughly 21% less than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tulum is 8% below, Mexico City is 16% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.20 MX$152

$10.75 MX$199

-23.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 MX$1,018

$50.3 MX$929

9.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.25 MX$152

$11.10 MX$205

-25.68%

Cappuccino

$3.82 MX$70.5

$3.68 MX$68.1

3.80%

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

$1.12 MX$20.74

$1.65 MX$30.42

-32.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.17 MX$21.59

$1.30 MX$24.08

-10.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.94 MX$54.4

$3.32 MX$61.3

-11.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.87 MX$71.5

$5.54 MX$102

-30.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$28.54

$1.77 MX$32.68

-12.99%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 MX$37.87

$3.05 MX$56.4

-32.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$31.69

$2.01 MX$37.20

-14.93%

Eggs

$1.92 MX$35.49

$2.77 MX$51.1

-30.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.37 MX$99.2

$11.91 MX$220

-54.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.53 MX$139

$9.33 MX$172

-19.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.09 MX$168

$15.02 MX$278

-39.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$48.60

$3.08 MX$56.8

-14.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.35

$1.95 MX$35.97

-29.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 MX$27.83

$2.03 MX$37.54

-25.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.32

$2.21 MX$40.92

-33.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 MX$41.12

$2.02 MX$37.41

10.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.76 MX$32.43

$1.82 MX$33.67

-3.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 MX$27.58

$1.52 MX$28.07

-1.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 MX$15.77

$1.28 MX$23.65

-33.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.49 MX$83.0

$5.27 MX$97.4

-14.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.24 MX$152

$16.12 MX$298

-48.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 MX$24.39

$1.95 MX$36.05

-32.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 MX$23.76

$4.25 MX$78.6

-69.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 MX$25.80

$0.31 MX$5.82

351.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.85 MX$367

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.79 MX$51.6

$2.00 MX$36.93

39.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.48 MX$45.88

$0.53 MX$9.86

367.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.57 MX$103

$5.62 MX$104

-0.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$26.84

$1.52 MX$28.07

-4.61%

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

$21.1K MX$389.5K

$21.0K MX$388.7K

0.22%

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

$23.5K MX$434.7K

$25.2K MX$465.3K

-6.57%

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

$106 MX$1,967

$62.5 MX$1,155

70.38%

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

$16.36 MX$302

$28.77 MX$532

-43.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.32 MX$634

$34.45 MX$637

-0.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.91 MX$645

$57.1 MX$1,055

-38.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.81 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 MX$124

$6.67 MX$123

0.60%

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

$265 MX$4,900

$431 MX$7,964

-38.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,902 MX$53.6K

$11.7K MX$216.9K

-75.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.88 MX$774

$70.8 MX$1,308

-40.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.57 MX$602

$51.8 MX$958

-37.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.1 MX$1,794

$109 MX$2,011

-10.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.0 MX$1,072

$112 MX$2,076

-48.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 MX$11.2K

$1,051 MX$19.4K

-42.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$526 MX$9,714

$665 MX$12.3K

-20.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,498 MX$27.7K

$2,346 MX$43.3K

-36.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,273 MX$23.5K

$1,227 MX$22.7K

3.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,139 MX$58.0K

$3,554 MX$65.7K

-11.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,808 MX$33.4K

$1,977 MX$36.5K

-8.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$790 MX$14.6K

$975 MX$18.0K

-18.98%

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: October 11, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Tulum

$526 42.4%

Mexico City

$665 42.4% 26.5% $139

Groceries & Markets

Tulum

$218 17.6%

Mexico City

$323 20.6% 47.8% $104

Eating Out

Tulum

$168 13.5%

Mexico City

$203 13% 21% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tulum

$157 12.7%

Mexico City

$126 8% 20% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Tulum

$103 8.3%

Mexico City

$155 9.9% 49.8% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Tulum

$48 3.9%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 45.7% $22

Getting Around

Tulum

$21 * 1.7%

Mexico City

$26 1.6% 24% $5

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Tulum and $1,051 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: $55.0 in Tulum vs $50.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $218 vs $323, with Tulum cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Tulum

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

16:20 4:20 PM

15:20 3:20 PM

1 h behind Tulum

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

46,721

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Tulum Mexico City 1,200 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Tulum
Mexico City

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 26% in total monthly costs ($1,241 vs $1,567 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: $607 in Tulum versus $1,051 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $265 in Tulum versus $431 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 $55.0 versus $50.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,241 in Tulum versus $1,567 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 26% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.