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: $1,315 in Tunja versus $1,668 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,022 in Tunja versus $2,613 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,729 in Tunja versus $3,557 in Mexico City.

Living in Tunja costs roughly 21% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tunja is 2% below, Mexico City is 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.72 COP 18.8K

$12.03 MX$213

-52.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.70 COP 107.7K

$52.8 MX$934

-38.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.48 COP 31.2K

$11.69 MX$207

-18.91%

Cappuccino

$2.21 COP 7,278

$3.87 MX$68.4

-42.89%

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

$1.41 COP 4,635

$1.75 MX$30.94

-19.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 COP 3,515

$1.39 MX$24.65

-23.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.71 COP 5,638

$3.36 MX$59.4

-49.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 COP 8,701

$5.77 MX$102

-54.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 5,028

$1.81 MX$31.92

-15.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 COP 4,913

$3.08 MX$54.5

-51.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 COP 5,788

$2.13 MX$37.65

-17.37%

Eggs

$3.30 COP 10.9K

$2.98 MX$52.6

10.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.27 COP 27.2K

$12.53 MX$221

-34.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.71 COP 48.5K

$10.24 MX$181

43.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.90 COP 58.9K

$15.92 MX$281

12.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.56 COP 11.7K

$3.39 MX$59.8

5.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 COP 4,744

$2.11 MX$37.24

-31.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 COP 7,219

$2.13 MX$37.59

2.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.82 COP 5,979

$2.47 MX$43.61

-26.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.44 COP 4,759

$2.04 MX$36.03

-29.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 COP 4,920

$2.01 MX$35.59

-25.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 COP 3,089

$1.59 MX$28.15

-40.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 COP 3,104

$1.33 MX$23.50

-29.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 COP 14.7K

$5.49 MX$97.0

-18.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.95 COP 42.6K

$17.52 MX$310

-26.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 COP 4,790

$2.01 MX$35.61

-27.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 COP 5,517

$4.74 MX$83.8

-64.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 COP 3,709

$0.34 MX$5.94

232.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.07 MX$373

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.98 COP 3,239

$2.05 MX$36.28

-52.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,750

$0.61 MX$10.75

236.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.82 COP 25.8K

$5.70 MX$101

37.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 COP 4,353

$1.59 MX$28.09

-16.98%

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

$27.5K COP 90.4M

$22.9K MX$404.6K

19.96%

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

$33.7K COP 111.0M

$26.4K MX$466.2K

27.81%

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

$180 COP 593.5K

$64.2 MX$1,135

180.50%

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

$10.94 COP 36.0K

$29.42 MX$520

-62.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.31 COP 86.6K

$36.83 MX$651

-28.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.98 COP 121.8K

$58.7 MX$1,038

-37.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.54 MX$469

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 COP 21.4K

$6.95 MX$123

-6.33%

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

$641 COP 2.1M

$463 MX$8,180

38.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,693 COP 22.0M

$13.4K MX$236.2K

-49.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.2 COP 175.3K

$75.4 MX$1,333

-29.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.2 COP 188.5K

$54.2 MX$958

5.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 COP 410.9K

$111 MX$1,965

12.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.0 COP 322.9K

$122 MX$2,160

-19.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$698 COP 2.3M

$1,133 MX$20.0K

-38.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$472 COP 1.6M

$698 MX$12.3K

-32.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,043 COP 3.4M

$2,442 MX$43.2K

-57.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$985 COP 3.2M

$1,303 MX$23.0K

-24.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,991 COP 6.6M

$3,910 MX$69.1K

-49.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,704 COP 5.6M

$2,069 MX$36.6K

-17.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.4

11.3

9.73%

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

Last update for Tunja: September 21, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $698 in Tunja and $1,133 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Tunja vs $53.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $306 vs $343 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 27% in total monthly costs ($1,315 vs $1,668 including rent). Tunja is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,972 in Tunja and $2,502 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: $698 in Tunja versus $1,133 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $641 in Tunja versus $463 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 $33.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,315 in Tunja versus $1,668 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 27% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.