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: $1,333 in Tunja versus $1,691 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,026 in Tunja versus $2,599 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,720 in Tunja versus $3,507 in Mexico City.

Living in Tunja costs roughly 21% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tunja is 2% below, Mexico City is 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 24.8K

$11.91 MX$203

-33.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.53 COP 126.8K

$51.6 MX$881

-21.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.52 COP 29.8K

$10.41 MX$178

-8.55%

Cappuccino

$2.51 COP 7,866

$3.94 MX$67.2

-36.29%

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

$1.30 COP 4,082

$1.65 MX$28.20

-21.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 COP 2,529

$1.29 MX$22.03

-37.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.91 COP 5,972

$3.48 MX$59.4

-45.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 COP 12.0K

$5.98 MX$102

-35.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 COP 5,049

$1.82 MX$31.04

-11.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.34 COP 7,324

$3.28 MX$56.1

-28.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,098

$2.07 MX$35.34

-21.26%

Eggs

$3.78 COP 11.8K

$3.05 MX$52.1

23.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.03 COP 22.0K

$12.76 MX$218

-44.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.31 COP 22.9K

$9.90 MX$169

-26.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 COP 33.8K

$16.11 MX$275

-32.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 COP 10.6K

$3.43 MX$58.6

-0.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,354

$2.09 MX$35.69

-18.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 COP 5,988

$2.09 MX$35.76

-8.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.79 COP 5,598

$2.51 MX$42.82

-28.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 COP 4,417

$2.08 MX$35.56

-32.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,237

$1.90 MX$32.52

-28.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 COP 4,142

$1.51 MX$25.72

-12.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 COP 3,319

$1.33 MX$22.71

-20.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 COP 13.9K

$5.53 MX$94.5

-19.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.87 COP 40.3K

$17.82 MX$304

-27.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 COP 4,242

$2.01 MX$34.25

-32.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 COP 9,305

$4.77 MX$81.4

-37.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 COP 3,414

$0.36 MX$6.19

202.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.77 MX$355

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 COP 3,121

$2.06 MX$35.15

-51.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.36 COP 7,394

$0.61 MX$10.39

286.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 COP 26.7K

$5.79 MX$98.9

47.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,016

$1.62 MX$27.58

-20.99%

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

$22.3K COP 69.9M

$22.9K MX$390.4K

-2.36%

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

$36.1K COP 112.8M

$26.3K MX$448.3K

37.34%

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

$128 COP 401.9K

$65.7 MX$1,122

95.48%

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

$16.40 COP 51.3K

$29.93 MX$511

-45.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.28 COP 97.8K

$36.04 MX$615

-13.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.96 COP 103.1K

$58.6 MX$1,001

-43.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.07 MX$445

Cinema Ticket

$7.96 COP 24.9K

$6.88 MX$117

15.70%

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

$472 COP 1.5M

$448 MX$7,646

5.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,540 COP 20.5M

$13.1K MX$224.1K

-50.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.3 COP 248.1K

$73.3 MX$1,252

8.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.3 COP 157.3K

$54.2 MX$925

-7.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 433.1K

$112 MX$1,915

23.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 COP 351.5K

$123 MX$2,092

-8.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$657 COP 2.1M

$1,102 MX$18.8K

-40.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 COP 1.5M

$710 MX$12.1K

-30.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 COP 3.1M

$2,524 MX$43.1K

-60.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$935 COP 2.9M

$1,343 MX$22.9K

-30.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,032 COP 6.4M

$3,913 MX$66.8K

-48.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,561 COP 4.9M

$2,095 MX$35.8K

-25.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,066 MX$18.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.71

11.35

11.98%

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

Last update for Tunja: August 10, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 10, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $657 in Tunja and $1,102 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $41.00 in Tunja vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $259 vs $345 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 ($1,333 vs $1,691 including rent). Tunja is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,999 in Tunja and $2,537 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: $657 in Tunja versus $1,102 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $472 in Tunja versus $448 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 $41.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,333 in Tunja versus $1,691 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.