Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tulum and Valdivia

For one person, living is cheaper in Valdivia: $1,012 a month against $1,241 in Tulum, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Tulum
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Tulum Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Valdivia
Learn more

Valdivia Living Index

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Tulum

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,241

/mo nomad

Valdivia

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,012

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tulum and in Valdivia

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 Valdivia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,241 in Tulum versus $1,012 in Valdivia.

Tulum $1,241
Valdivia $1,012

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,085 in Tulum versus $1,535 in Valdivia.

Tulum $2,085
Valdivia $1,535

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,929 in Tulum versus $2,057 in Valdivia.

Tulum $2,929
Valdivia $2,057

Living in Tulum is roughly 23% more expensive than in Valdivia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tulum 8% lower, Valdivia 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.20 MX$152

$6.37 CLP 6,266

28.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 MX$1,018

$45.71 CLP 45.0K

20.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.25 MX$152

$6.72 CLP 6,618

22.77%

Cappuccino

$3.82 MX$70.5

$2.04 CLP 2,011

87.25%

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

$1.12 MX$20.74

$2.04 CLP 2,005

-45.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.17 MX$21.59

$1.26 CLP 1,240

-7.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.94 MX$54.4

$3.50 CLP 3,448

-16.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.87 MX$71.5

$3.52 CLP 3,468

9.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$28.54

$1.18 CLP 1,163

30.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 MX$37.87

$1.36 CLP 1,336

50.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$31.69

$1.56 CLP 1,534

9.62%

Eggs

$1.92 MX$35.49

$3.02 CLP 2,971

-36.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.37 MX$99.2

$8.80 CLP 8,658

-38.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.53 MX$139

$6.24 CLP 6,141

20.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.09 MX$168

$12.47 CLP 12.3K

-27.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$48.60

$2.16 CLP 2,130

21.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.35

$1.83 CLP 1,799

-25.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 MX$27.83

$1.79 CLP 1,765

-15.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.32

$1.81 CLP 1,785

-18.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 MX$41.12

$2.32 CLP 2,288

-3.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.76 MX$32.43

$1.57 CLP 1,542

12.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 MX$27.58

$1.44 CLP 1,413

3.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 MX$15.77

$1.14 CLP 1,125

-25.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.49 MX$83.0

$4.98 CLP 4,900

-9.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.24 MX$152

$4.63 CLP 4,560

77.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 MX$24.39

$1.54 CLP 1,516

-14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 MX$23.76

$2.09 CLP 2,062

-38.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 MX$25.80

$0.61 CLP 597

129.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.79 MX$51.6

$0.99 CLP 975

181.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.48 MX$45.88

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.57 MX$103

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$26.84

$1.49 CLP 1,468

-2.68%

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

$21.1K MX$389.5K

$14.6K CLP 14.4M

44.23%

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

$23.5K MX$434.7K

$17.7K CLP 17.4M

33.13%

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

$106 MX$1,967

$89.4 CLP 88.0K

19.16%

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

$16.36 MX$302

$13.72 CLP 13.5K

19.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.32 MX$634

$30.60 CLP 30.1K

12.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.91 MX$645

$40.49 CLP 39.9K

-13.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.43 CLP 23.1K

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 MX$124

$4.57 CLP 4,502

46.83%

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

$265 MX$4,900

$247 CLP 242.7K

7.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,902 MX$53.6K

$3,073 CLP 3.0M

-5.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.88 MX$774

$50.4 CLP 49.6K

-16.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.57 MX$602

$17.42 CLP 17.2K

86.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.1 MX$1,794

$50.3 CLP 49.5K

92.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.0 MX$1,072

$75.7 CLP 74.5K

-23.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 MX$11.2K

$564 CLP 555.4K

7.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$526 MX$9,714

$377 CLP 371.2K

39.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,498 MX$27.7K

$990 CLP 974.7K

51.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,273 MX$23.5K

$564 CLP 555.1K

125.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,139 MX$58.0K

$4,404 CLP 4.3M

-28.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,808 MX$33.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$790 MX$14.6K

$631 CLP 621.1K

25.15%

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: October 11, 2026

Last update for Valdivia: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tulum

$526 42.4%

Valdivia

$377 37.3% 28.3% $149

Groceries & Markets

Tulum

$218 17.6%

Valdivia

$227 22.5% 4.1% $9.1

Eating Out

Tulum

$168 13.5%

Valdivia

$133 13.2% 20.5% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tulum

$157 12.7%

Valdivia

$134 13.2% 14.9% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Tulum

$103 8.3%

Valdivia

$87 8.6% 15.6% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Tulum

$48 3.9%

Valdivia

$50 4.9% 2.7% $1.3

Getting Around

Tulum

$21 * 1.7%

Valdivia

$3.4 * 0.3% 83.5% $17

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 $564 in Valdivia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tulum pays 25% 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 $46.00 in Valdivia. Groceries flip the comparison at $218 vs $227, with Tulum cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Tulum

🇨🇱 Valdivia

🕒 Local time

10:01 10:01 AM

12:01 12:01 PM

2 h ahead of Tulum

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

46,721

150,048

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.16 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CLP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 984 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,107 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Tulum Valdivia 6,860 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Tulum
Valdivia

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 Valdivia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Valdivia wins on cost – living expenses run 23% 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 25% 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: $607 in Tulum versus $564 in Valdivia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $265 in Tulum versus $247 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 $46.00 versus $55.0 in Tulum. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,012 in Valdivia versus $1,241 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 23% less than in Tulum. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.