Cost of Living Comparison Between Tunja and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Tunja and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $703 in Tunja versus $1,484 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,078 in Tunja versus $2,381 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,453 in Tunja versus $3,278 in Mexico City.

Living in Tunja costs roughly 53% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tunja is 47% below, Mexico City is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.60 COP 9,387

$12.98 MX$227

-79.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.73 COP 53.2K

$53.1 MX$929

-72.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.90 COP 24.9K

$9.72 MX$170

-29.01%

Cappuccino

$1.07 COP 3,867

$3.75 MX$65.6

-71.47%

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

$0.76 COP 2,747

$1.57 MX$27.46

-51.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 COP 2,128

$1.13 MX$19.76

-47.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 COP 4,410

$3.18 MX$55.7

-61.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 COP 7,382

$4.66 MX$81.6

-56.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 COP 4,436

$1.62 MX$28.37

-24.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 COP 3,835

$2.71 MX$47.36

-60.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 COP 4,298

$1.88 MX$32.89

-36.70%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,143

$2.51 MX$43.90

-9.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.04 COP 14.6K

$10.08 MX$176

-59.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.93 COP 21.4K

$8.29 MX$145

-28.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.48 COP 27.0K

$11.94 MX$209

-37.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.58 COP 9,330

$2.86 MX$50.1

-9.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 COP 4,422

$1.75 MX$30.62

-30.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.88 COP 3,178

$2.08 MX$36.48

-57.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.91 COP 3,303

$1.97 MX$34.46

-53.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 COP 4,330

$2.16 MX$37.79

-44.44%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 COP 3,495

$2.18 MX$38.16

-55.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.97 COP 3,520

$1.39 MX$24.34

-30.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,833

$1.12 MX$19.69

-30.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.74 COP 6,278

$4.20 MX$73.5

-58.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.34 COP 30.1K

$14.25 MX$249

-41.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 COP 2,979

$1.76 MX$30.85

-52.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 5,440

$3.68 MX$64.5

-58.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 COP 1,876

$0.39 MX$6.74

33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.70 COP 2,518

$1.39 MX$24.26

-49.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 COP 5,616

$0.30 MX$5.32

420.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.88 COP 21.2K

$5.42 MX$94.9

8.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 COP 3,313

$1.35 MX$23.63

-31.85%

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

$19.6K COP 70.8M

$18.9K MX$330.5K

3.93%

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

$28.0K COP 101.0M

$23.2K MX$405.2K

20.86%

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

$74.5 COP 268.8K

$40.82 MX$714

82.44%

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

$8.80 COP 31.8K

$27.50 MX$481

-68.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.58 COP 74.3K

$30.38 MX$532

-32.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.27 COP 62.4K

$53.4 MX$935

-67.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$3.76 COP 13.6K

$6.27 MX$110

-40.03%

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

$240 COP 867.2K

$436 MX$7,632

-44.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,469 COP 8.9M

$10.5K MX$183.2K

-76.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.5 COP 236.6K

$56.8 MX$993

15.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.11 COP 119.5K

$44.79 MX$784

-26.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.1 COP 303.7K

$103 MX$1,799

-18.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$38.28 COP 138.2K

$108 MX$1,888

-64.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$294 COP 1.1M

$1,000 MX$17.5K

-70.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$232 COP 839.0K

$620 MX$10.9K

-62.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$529 COP 1.9M

$2,137 MX$37.4K

-75.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$426 COP 1.5M

$1,235 MX$21.6K

-65.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

15.25

11.34

34.48%

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

Last update for Tunja: April 27, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $294 in Tunja and $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $15.00 in Tunja vs $53.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $172 vs $286 per month, with Tunja 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

Tunja vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tunja and Mexico City differ by about 111% in total monthly costs ($703 vs $1,484 including rent). Tunja is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,055 in Tunja and $2,225 in Mexico City to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $294 in Tunja versus $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $240 in Tunja versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tunja – a meal for two runs $15.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $703 in Tunja versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tunja but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Tunja 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.

Safety-wise, Tunja and Mexico City are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Tunja gentler on the wallet – expenses run 111% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.