Cost of Living Comparison Between Tulum and Monterrey Cost of Living Comparison Between Tulum and Monterrey

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,336 in Tulum versus $1,728 in Monterrey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,232 in Tulum versus $2,711 in Monterrey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,129 in Tulum versus $3,694 in Monterrey.

Living in Tulum costs roughly 23% less than in Monterrey, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tulum is 3% below, Monterrey is 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.02 MX$153

$14.63 MX$248

-38.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.6 MX$994

$53.1 MX$901

10.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.60 MX$146

$12.02 MX$204

-28.45%

Cappuccino

$4.23 MX$71.8

$4.18 MX$71.0

1.20%

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

$1.23 MX$20.93

$1.70 MX$28.82

-27.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$20.02

$1.12 MX$18.95

5.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.00 MX$50.9

$2.92 MX$49.53

2.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 MX$67.0

$4.71 MX$79.9

-16.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.00

$1.97 MX$33.50

-13.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.18 MX$37.02

$3.16 MX$53.6

-31.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.51

$2.00 MX$34.00

-4.00%

Eggs

$2.08 MX$35.30

$2.68 MX$45.44

-22.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.95 MX$101

$13.14 MX$223

-54.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.30 MX$141

$9.98 MX$169

-16.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.93 MX$168

$13.79 MX$234

-27.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 MX$48.07

$3.60 MX$61.1

-21.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 MX$25.71

$1.65 MX$28.07

-7.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 MX$27.89

$2.31 MX$39.26

-29.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 MX$27.23

$2.58 MX$43.71

-37.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.38 MX$40.43

$2.50 MX$42.39

-4.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 MX$33.12

$2.95 MX$50.0

-33.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 MX$26.40

$1.62 MX$27.53

-3.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$15.91

$1.34 MX$22.70

-29.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.81 MX$81.6

$5.34 MX$90.7

-9.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.87 MX$151

$14.83 MX$252

-40.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 MX$24.08

$2.02 MX$34.28

-29.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 MX$23.90

$3.23 MX$54.8

-56.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 MX$25.37

$0.87 MX$14.78

72.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.53 MX$569

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 MX$51.1

$1.88 MX$31.82

60.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.65 MX$44.99

$1.15 MX$19.52

130.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 MX$101

$11.99 MX$203

-50.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 MX$26.41

$1.68 MX$28.58

-7.14%

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

$23.3K MX$395.0K

$22.7K MX$385.0K

2.60%

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

$25.9K MX$439.3K

$27.3K MX$462.8K

-5.08%

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

$115 MX$1,953

$124 MX$2,109

-7.38%

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

$17.85 MX$303

$28.42 MX$482

-37.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$631

$28.37 MX$481

31.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.21 MX$614

$33.01 MX$560

9.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.10 MX$392

Cinema Ticket

$7.15 MX$121

$5.51 MX$93.5

29.76%

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

$277 MX$4,703

$738 MX$12.5K

-62.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,139 MX$53.3K

$12.4K MX$211.1K

-74.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.54 MX$739

$80.9 MX$1,373

-46.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.22 MX$597

$45.74 MX$776

-23.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 MX$1,732

$121 MX$2,046

-15.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.4 MX$1,092

$135 MX$2,295

-52.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$652 MX$11.1K

$1,045 MX$17.7K

-37.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$569 MX$9,656

$728 MX$12.3K

-21.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,639 MX$27.8K

$2,014 MX$34.2K

-18.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 MX$23.8K

$1,403 MX$23.8K

-0.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,362 MX$57.0K

$4,411 MX$74.8K

-23.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,918 MX$32.5K

$2,630 MX$44.6K

-27.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$842 MX$14.3K

$1,170 MX$19.8K

-28.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.8

11.56

-6.57%

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

Last update for Tulum: September 6, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $652 in Tulum and $1,045 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 39% 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 $53.0 in Monterrey. Groceries flip the comparison at $238 vs $333, 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 Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tulum and Monterrey differ by about 29% in total monthly costs ($1,336 vs $1,728 including rent). Tulum is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 39% lower in Monterrey. 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: $652 in Tulum versus $1,045 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $277 in Tulum versus $738 in Monterrey. 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 $53.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,336 in Tulum versus $1,728 in Monterrey, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tulum but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. 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 29% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.