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: $1,049 in Tulum versus $1,062 in Valdivia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,920 in Tulum versus $1,610 in Valdivia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,790 in Tulum versus $2,157 in Valdivia.

Living in Tulum costs roughly 1% less than in Valdivia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tulum 21% lower, Valdivia 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.39 MX$182

$6.61 CLP 6,154

57.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.3 MX$879

$42.26 CLP 39.4K

18.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.83 MX$137

$6.94 CLP 6,458

12.82%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$66.7

$2.51 CLP 2,335

51.79%

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

$1.22 MX$21.33

$2.31 CLP 2,151

-47.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.44

$1.53 CLP 1,428

-27.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.84 MX$49.73

$3.81 CLP 3,551

-25.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 MX$68.4

$3.94 CLP 3,666

-0.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$25.12

$1.23 CLP 1,148

17.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 MX$20.69

$1.43 CLP 1,329

-17.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.45

$1.64 CLP 1,523

-7.93%

Eggs

$1.90 MX$33.29

$3.17 CLP 2,955

-40.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.17 MX$90.4

$9.38 CLP 8,737

-44.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.97 MX$122

$6.95 CLP 6,474

0.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.22 MX$109

$13.38 CLP 12.5K

-53.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.42

$2.22 CLP 2,063

-6.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 MX$24.39

$1.94 CLP 1,804

-28.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 MX$24.51

$1.83 CLP 1,706

-23.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 MX$23.85

$1.97 CLP 1,833

-30.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.15

$2.44 CLP 2,275

-10.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$33.10

$1.58 CLP 1,474

19.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$1.58 CLP 1,474

-31.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 MX$17.16

$1.21 CLP 1,123

-19.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$75.1

$5.25 CLP 4,892

-18.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.51 MX$149

$4.78 CLP 4,454

78.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 MX$22.81

$1.60 CLP 1,486

-18.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 MX$22.70

$2.14 CLP 1,989

-39.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 MX$20.46

$0.59 CLP 550

98.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.09 MX$36.59

$1.59 CLP 1,476

31.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 MX$38.36

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.33 MX$93.1

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$22.33

$1.42 CLP 1,318

-9.86%

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

$15.7K MX$275.2K

$15.6K CLP 14.6M

0.74%

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

$21.7K MX$378.9K

$18.2K CLP 17.0M

18.80%

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

$84.6 MX$1,480

$96.1 CLP 89.5K

-11.96%

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

$22.57 MX$395

$18.60 CLP 17.3K

21.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.99 MX$507

$29.22 CLP 27.2K

-0.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.90 MX$575

$42.96 CLP 40.0K

-23.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.11 MX$282

$24.61 CLP 22.9K

-34.54%

Cinema Ticket

$4.56 MX$79.7

$4.90 CLP 4,560

-6.94%

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

$210 MX$3,677

$275 CLP 255.7K

-23.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,829 MX$49.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.70 MX$467

$54.7 CLP 50.9K

-51.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.62 MX$553

$18.60 CLP 17.3K

70.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 MX$1,387

$52.2 CLP 48.6K

51.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.00 MX$804

$82.0 CLP 76.3K

-43.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 MX$12.5K

$598 CLP 556.8K

19.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$401 MX$7,005

$383 CLP 357.0K

4.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,435 MX$25.1K

$1,039 CLP 967.9K

38.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 MX$21.9K

$593 CLP 552.5K

111.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,217 MX$56.3K

$4,745 CLP 4.4M

-32.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,868 MX$32.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$815 MX$14.2K

$661 CLP 615.1K

23.33%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Valdivia: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Tulum and $598 in Valdivia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tulum pays 23% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $50.0 in Tulum vs $42.00 in Valdivia. Groceries flip the comparison at $193 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 wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Valdivia. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Tulum the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 23% 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: $716 in Tulum versus $598 in Valdivia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $210 in Tulum versus $275 in Valdivia. 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 $42.00 in Valdivia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,049 in Tulum versus $1,062 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.

Expats usually find Tulum gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Valdivia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.