Cost of Living Comparison Between Tulum and Valdivia Cost of Living Comparison Between Tulum and Valdivia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,331 in Tulum versus $1,068 in Valdivia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,231 in Tulum versus $1,602 in Valdivia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,130 in Tulum versus $2,135 in Valdivia.

Living in Tulum is roughly 25% more expensive than in Valdivia, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tulum 3% lower, Valdivia 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.73 MX$148

$6.71 CLP 6,294

30.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.4 MX$1,009

$47.54 CLP 44.6K

25.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.71 MX$148

$6.86 CLP 6,433

26.97%

Cappuccino

$4.14 MX$70.3

$2.25 CLP 2,108

84.00%

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

$1.16 MX$19.76

$2.06 CLP 1,934

-43.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 MX$20.84

$1.30 CLP 1,220

-5.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.98 MX$50.6

$3.78 CLP 3,540

-21.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 MX$66.6

$3.67 CLP 3,440

6.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 MX$29.58

$1.18 CLP 1,109

47.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 MX$36.13

$1.35 CLP 1,264

57.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.58

$1.62 CLP 1,518

14.81%

Eggs

$2.06 MX$35.02

$3.05 CLP 2,861

-32.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.86 MX$99.5

$9.33 CLP 8,745

-37.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.44 MX$143

$6.88 CLP 6,451

22.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.53 MX$162

$13.03 CLP 12.2K

-26.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.79 MX$47.42

$2.21 CLP 2,070

26.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.30

$2.01 CLP 1,880

-25.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.28

$1.83 CLP 1,717

-12.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 MX$27.69

$1.87 CLP 1,757

-12.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$41.65

$2.48 CLP 2,329

-1.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.33

$1.56 CLP 1,464

25.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 MX$26.85

$1.48 CLP 1,387

6.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 MX$14.60

$1.20 CLP 1,123

-28.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.90 MX$83.2

$5.44 CLP 5,095

-9.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.95 MX$152

$4.79 CLP 4,491

86.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 MX$25.08

$1.55 CLP 1,454

-4.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 MX$24.53

$2.21 CLP 2,073

-34.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.51 MX$25.65

$0.62 CLP 582

143.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 MX$49.43

$1.00 CLP 941

191.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.58 MX$43.75

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.93 MX$101

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 MX$25.46

$1.49 CLP 1,393

0.67%

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

$22.7K MX$385.8K

$15.6K CLP 14.7M

45.29%

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

$25.1K MX$426.7K

$18.5K CLP 17.4M

35.54%

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

$115 MX$1,946

$94.9 CLP 89.0K

20.73%

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

$17.42 MX$296

$14.00 CLP 13.1K

24.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.64 MX$622

$31.86 CLP 29.9K

15.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.09 MX$630

$41.99 CLP 39.4K

-11.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.40 CLP 22.9K

Cinema Ticket

$7.08 MX$120

$4.80 CLP 4,497

47.50%

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

$274 MX$4,654

$260 CLP 243.4K

5.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,157 MX$53.6K

$3,258 CLP 3.1M

-3.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.29 MX$735

$53.9 CLP 50.5K

-19.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.86 MX$592

$18.59 CLP 17.4K

87.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,777

$51.6 CLP 48.4K

102.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.2 MX$1,091

$79.3 CLP 74.4K

-19.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$643 MX$10.9K

$608 CLP 569.8K

5.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$563 MX$9,568

$394 CLP 369.7K

42.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 MX$27.7K

$1,028 CLP 963.5K

58.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,358 MX$23.1K

$598 CLP 560.2K

127.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,430 MX$58.2K

$4,608 CLP 4.3M

-25.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,935 MX$32.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$853 MX$14.5K

$653 CLP 612.3K

30.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.8

4.5

140.00%

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

Last update for Tulum: August 29, 2026

Last update for Valdivia: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $643 in Tulum and $608 in Valdivia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tulum pays 31% 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 $48.00 in Valdivia. Groceries flip the comparison at $236 vs $238, 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 Valdivia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Valdivia wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Tulum. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Valdivia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 31% higher in Tulum, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $643 in Tulum versus $608 in Valdivia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $274 in Tulum versus $260 in Valdivia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Valdivia – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $59.0 in Tulum. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,068 in Valdivia versus $1,331 in Tulum, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Valdivia but tight or insufficient in Tulum. The gap between the two cities makes Valdivia 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 Valdivia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Tulum. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.