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: $1,057 in Tulum versus $1,057 in Valdivia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,922 in Tulum versus $1,602 in Valdivia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,787 in Tulum versus $2,147 in Valdivia.

Monthly costs are close between Tulum and Valdivia; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tulum 21% lower, Valdivia 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.75 MX$186

$6.32 CLP 5,610

70.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.8 MX$878

$43.69 CLP 38.8K

16.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.79 MX$135

$7.23 CLP 6,413

7.75%

Cappuccino

$3.83 MX$66.2

$2.54 CLP 2,253

50.79%

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

$1.22 MX$21.18

$2.41 CLP 2,137

-49.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$1.48 CLP 1,312

-24.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.72 MX$47.07

$3.86 CLP 3,429

-29.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 MX$68.3

$4.02 CLP 3,567

-1.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 MX$24.62

$1.19 CLP 1,060

19.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 MX$20.38

$1.43 CLP 1,267

-17.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 MX$26.75

$1.65 CLP 1,462

-6.06%

Eggs

$1.93 MX$33.41

$3.13 CLP 2,777

-38.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.27 MX$91.2

$9.23 CLP 8,191

-42.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.98 MX$121

$6.92 CLP 6,140

0.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.33 MX$109

$13.33 CLP 11.8K

-52.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.43

$2.24 CLP 1,986

-3.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 MX$24.40

$1.95 CLP 1,733

-27.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 MX$25.11

$1.84 CLP 1,631

-21.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.41 MX$24.37

$1.95 CLP 1,732

-27.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.73

$2.44 CLP 2,168

-10.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.93

$1.63 CLP 1,445

20.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.71

$1.58 CLP 1,401

-31.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 MX$15.65

$1.21 CLP 1,070

-25.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.28 MX$74.1

$5.36 CLP 4,756

-20.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.57 MX$148

$5.19 CLP 4,605

65.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 MX$22.85

$1.62 CLP 1,437

-18.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 MX$22.62

$2.24 CLP 1,990

-41.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.16 MX$20.00

$0.60 CLP 528

93.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.13 MX$36.84

$1.67 CLP 1,479

27.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 MX$37.33

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.26 MX$91.0

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.84

$1.43 CLP 1,268

-11.89%

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

$15.7K MX$270.9K

$15.8K CLP 14.1M

-1.10%

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

$21.3K MX$367.9K

$18.1K CLP 16.1M

17.59%

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

$83.7 MX$1,447

$97.8 CLP 86.8K

-14.46%

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

$22.49 MX$389

$19.03 CLP 16.9K

18.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.48 MX$493

$29.10 CLP 25.8K

-2.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.57 MX$563

$42.85 CLP 38.0K

-23.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.60 MX$270

$24.36 CLP 21.6K

-35.96%

Cinema Ticket

$4.56 MX$79.0

$4.92 CLP 4,363

-7.32%

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

$206 MX$3,569

$272 CLP 241.6K

-24.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,852 MX$49.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.76 MX$463

$54.0 CLP 47.9K

-50.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.13 MX$539

$18.42 CLP 16.3K

69.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.0 MX$1,366

$51.4 CLP 45.6K

53.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$45.00 MX$778

$79.6 CLP 70.6K

-43.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$722 MX$12.5K

$612 CLP 543.5K

17.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$391 MX$6,770

$393 CLP 349.2K

-0.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,483 MX$25.6K

$1,057 CLP 938.0K

40.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,214 MX$21.0K

$590 CLP 523.4K

105.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,338 MX$57.7K

$4,853 CLP 4.3M

-31.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,893 MX$32.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$769 MX$13.3K

$680 CLP 603.2K

13.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

144.44%

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

Last update for Tulum: June 1, 2026

Last update for Valdivia: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $722 in Tulum and $612 in Valdivia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tulum pays 13% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $51.0 in Tulum vs $44.00 in Valdivia. Groceries flip the comparison at $194 vs $242, 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

Tulum pays 13% more on average, 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: $722 in Tulum versus $612 in Valdivia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Valdivia. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Tulum – a meal for two runs $51.0 versus $44.00 in Valdivia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,057 in Tulum versus $1,057 in Valdivia, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tulum but tight or insufficient in Valdivia. 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.

It comes down to priorities – Tulum wins on affordability, Valdivia on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.