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: $1,049 in Tulum versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,920 in Tulum versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,790 in Tulum versus $3,266 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 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.39 MX$182

$13.07 MX$229

-20.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.3 MX$879

$53.8 MX$940

-6.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.83 MX$137

$9.68 MX$169

-19.11%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$66.7

$3.74 MX$65.4

1.87%

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

$1.22 MX$21.33

$1.62 MX$28.25

-24.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.44

$1.16 MX$20.31

-4.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.84 MX$49.73

$3.23 MX$56.4

-12.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 MX$68.4

$4.74 MX$82.9

-17.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$25.12

$1.65 MX$28.80

-12.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 MX$20.69

$2.75 MX$48.15

-57.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.45

$1.87 MX$32.77

-19.25%

Eggs

$1.90 MX$33.29

$2.50 MX$43.72

-24.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.17 MX$90.4

$10.20 MX$178

-49.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.97 MX$122

$8.25 MX$144

-15.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.22 MX$109

$11.82 MX$207

-47.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.42

$3.01 MX$52.6

-30.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 MX$24.39

$1.81 MX$31.67

-23.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 MX$24.51

$2.00 MX$34.96

-30.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 MX$23.85

$2.00 MX$34.89

-32.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.15

$2.08 MX$36.45

4.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$33.10

$2.27 MX$39.72

-16.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$1.46 MX$25.47

-26.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 MX$17.16

$1.08 MX$18.82

-9.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$75.1

$4.35 MX$76.0

-1.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.51 MX$149

$16.99 MX$297

-49.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 MX$22.81

$1.73 MX$30.31

-24.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 MX$22.70

$3.58 MX$62.5

-63.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 MX$20.46

$0.39 MX$6.77

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.09 MX$36.59

$1.33 MX$23.18

57.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 MX$38.36

$0.28 MX$4.89

682.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.33 MX$93.1

$5.25 MX$91.8

1.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$22.33

$1.34 MX$23.37

-4.48%

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

$15.7K MX$275.2K

$19.4K MX$339.4K

-18.90%

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

$21.7K MX$378.9K

$23.8K MX$416.7K

-9.07%

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

$84.6 MX$1,480

$40.69 MX$712

108.01%

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

$22.57 MX$395

$26.87 MX$470

-16.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.99 MX$507

$30.51 MX$534

-4.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.90 MX$575

$52.8 MX$923

-37.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.11 MX$282

$26.65 MX$466

-39.55%

Cinema Ticket

$4.56 MX$79.7

$6.51 MX$114

-29.95%

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

$210 MX$3,677

$428 MX$7,485

-50.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,829 MX$49.5K

$10.5K MX$183.6K

-73.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.70 MX$467

$57.3 MX$1,001

-53.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.62 MX$553

$45.50 MX$796

-30.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 MX$1,387

$104 MX$1,819

-23.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.00 MX$804

$108 MX$1,885

-57.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 MX$12.5K

$1,003 MX$17.5K

-28.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$401 MX$7,005

$623 MX$10.9K

-35.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,435 MX$25.1K

$2,109 MX$36.9K

-31.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 MX$21.9K

$1,218 MX$21.3K

2.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,217 MX$56.3K

$3,885 MX$67.9K

-17.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,868 MX$32.7K

$2,033 MX$35.5K

-8.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$815 MX$14.2K

$1,038 MX$18.1K

-21.50%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Tulum and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 27% 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 $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $292 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 ($1,049 vs $1,456 including rent). Tulum is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 27% 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: $716 in Tulum versus $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $210 in Tulum versus $428 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 $50.0 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,049 in Tulum versus $1,456 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.