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: $1,061 in Tulum versus $1,574 in Monterrey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,905 in Tulum versus $2,529 in Monterrey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,748 in Tulum versus $3,484 in Monterrey.

Living in Tulum costs roughly 33% less than in Monterrey, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tulum is 21% below, Monterrey is 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.76 MX$185

$13.42 MX$230

-19.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.52 MX$850

$53.9 MX$924

-8.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.89 MX$135

$10.32 MX$177

-23.55%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$63.5

$3.58 MX$61.4

3.35%

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

$1.21 MX$20.72

$1.43 MX$24.60

-15.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 MX$18.26

$0.99 MX$17.00

7.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.80 MX$48.04

$2.59 MX$44.41

8.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 MX$69.4

$4.27 MX$73.4

-5.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$24.91

$1.67 MX$28.69

-13.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.15 MX$19.66

$2.64 MX$45.30

-56.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.66

$1.87 MX$32.15

-20.32%

Eggs

$1.93 MX$33.20

$2.67 MX$45.90

-27.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.36 MX$92.1

$10.49 MX$180

-48.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.12 MX$122

$9.13 MX$157

-22.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.19 MX$106

$13.85 MX$238

-55.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.35

$3.04 MX$52.3

-32.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 MX$23.39

$1.40 MX$24.09

-2.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.42 MX$24.35

$2.12 MX$36.41

-33.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 MX$24.10

$2.06 MX$35.33

-32.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.27

$2.23 MX$38.25

-2.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.51

$2.56 MX$43.99

-26.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.42

$1.53 MX$26.22

-30.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.80

$1.07 MX$18.45

-14.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$70.3

$4.13 MX$70.8

-0.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.48 MX$146

$14.34 MX$246

-40.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$23.23

$1.79 MX$30.68

-24.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$21.41

$3.18 MX$54.5

-60.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 MX$20.14

$0.77 MX$13.16

51.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.85 MX$701

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.16 MX$37.08

$1.73 MX$29.77

24.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 MX$38.10

$0.96 MX$16.44

131.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.35 MX$91.8

$10.72 MX$184

-50.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.58

$1.36 MX$23.36

-2.94%

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

$16.0K MX$273.8K

$26.5K MX$454.9K

-39.80%

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

$21.3K MX$365.8K

$25.9K MX$443.8K

-17.58%

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

$83.7 MX$1,436

$123 MX$2,113

-32.04%

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

$22.27 MX$382

$27.98 MX$480

-20.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.53 MX$507

$29.71 MX$510

-0.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.48 MX$557

$37.13 MX$637

-12.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.06 MX$276

$21.88 MX$376

-26.60%

Cinema Ticket

$4.74 MX$81.4

$5.71 MX$97.9

-16.99%

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

$203 MX$3,479

$348 MX$5,972

-41.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,841 MX$48.8K

$8,997 MX$154.4K

-68.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.93 MX$462

$59.9 MX$1,028

-55.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.06 MX$550

$43.22 MX$742

-25.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.6 MX$1,383

$109 MX$1,878

-26.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$45.12 MX$774

$130 MX$2,228

-65.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$712 MX$12.2K

$894 MX$15.3K

-20.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$391 MX$6,713

$656 MX$11.3K

-40.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,442 MX$24.8K

$1,578 MX$27.1K

-8.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,216 MX$20.9K

$1,422 MX$24.4K

-14.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,272 MX$56.2K

$4,316 MX$74.1K

-24.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,899 MX$32.6K

$2,873 MX$49.3K

-33.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$783 MX$13.4K

$1,101 MX$18.9K

-28.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

-4.76%

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

Last update for Tulum: June 9, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $712 in Tulum and $894 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 41% 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 Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $297 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 Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tulum and Monterrey differ by about 48% in total monthly costs ($1,061 vs $1,574 including rent). Tulum is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Monterrey earns 41% 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: $712 in Tulum versus $894 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $203 in Tulum versus $348 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 $50.0 versus $54.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,061 in Tulum versus $1,574 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 48% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.