Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Abilene, TX and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,608 a month against $2,186 in Abilene, TX, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Abilene, TX
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Abilene, TX Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index

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Abilene, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,186

/mo nomad

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Abilene, TX and in Monterrey

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Abilene, TX and in Monterrey actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,186 in Abilene, TX versus $1,608 in Monterrey.

Abilene, TX $2,186
Monterrey $1,608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,178 in Abilene, TX versus $2,521 in Monterrey.

Abilene, TX $3,178
Monterrey $2,521

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,169 in Abilene, TX versus $3,433 in Monterrey.

Abilene, TX $4,169
Monterrey $3,433

Living in Abilene, TX is roughly 36% more expensive than in Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Abilene, TX 62% above, Monterrey 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.06 $18.06

$13.85 MX$256

30.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.4 $64.4

$49.70 MX$918

29.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.13 $9.13

$11.05 MX$204

-17.38%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$4.09 MX$75.6

33.74%

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

$2.38 $2.38

$1.68 MX$30.97

41.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.03 MX$18.98

80.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.97 $4.97

$2.40 MX$44.28

107.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 $5.81

$4.35 MX$80.3

33.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.92 MX$35.55

-46.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.32 $2.32

$2.94 MX$54.2

-21.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.63 $5.63

$1.88 MX$34.66

199.47%

Eggs

$3.73 $3.73

$2.55 MX$47.06

46.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.39 $8.39

$11.84 MX$219

-29.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.02 $13.02

$9.36 MX$173

39.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.06 $14.06

$13.10 MX$242

7.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$3.38 MX$62.5

0.30%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.52 MX$28.13

-36.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.67 $4.67

$2.19 MX$40.51

113.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$2.36 MX$43.63

124.58%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.26 MX$41.76

86.73%

Onion (1kg)

$3.51 $3.51

$2.73 MX$50.5

28.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 $2.48

$1.52 MX$28.17

63.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.24 MX$22.90

58.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.85 $5.85

$4.75 MX$87.8

23.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.31 $11.31

$13.66 MX$252

-17.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.89 MX$34.95

34.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 $4.11

$2.99 MX$55.2

37.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 $1.71

$0.85 MX$15.78

101.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 $53.3

$30.95 MX$572

72.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 MX$30.98

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 MX$20.87

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.86 $14.86

$11.15 MX$206

33.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.56 MX$28.91

-44.87%

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

$19.1K $19.1K

$21.4K MX$395.8K

-10.76%

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

$24.5K $24.5K

$25.1K MX$463.2K

-2.40%

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

$236 $236

$119 MX$2,206

97.95%

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

$58.7 $58.7

$26.21 MX$484

123.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$26.78 MX$495

128.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.16 $20.16

$31.03 MX$573

-35.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.43 MX$396

Cinema Ticket

$12.02 $12.02

$5.29 MX$97.7

127.22%

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

$691 MX$12.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K MX$212.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.11 $42.11

$72.3 MX$1,335

-41.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.74 $19.74

$42.72 MX$789

-53.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.9 $62.9

$110 MX$2,024

-42.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.6 $65.6

$117 MX$2,158

-43.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,160 $1,160

$970 MX$17.9K

19.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$981 $981

$664 MX$12.3K

47.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,847 $1,847

$1,857 MX$34.3K

-0.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,601 $1,601

$1,287 MX$23.8K

24.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,667 $1,667

$4,162 MX$76.9K

-59.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,711 $1,711

$2,349 MX$43.4K

-27.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,281 $3,281

$1,146 MX$21.2K

186.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.49

11.79

-44.95%

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

Last update for Abilene, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Abilene, TX

$981 44.9%

Monterrey

$664 41.3% 32.4% $318

Groceries & Markets

Abilene, TX

$368 16.8%

Monterrey

$310 19.3% 15.6% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Abilene, TX

$356 16.3%

Monterrey

$172 10.7% 51.6% $184

Eating Out

Abilene, TX

$291 13.3%

Monterrey

$225 14% 22.8% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Abilene, TX

$86 3.9%

Monterrey

$154 9.6% 79.2% $68

Getting Around

Abilene, TX

$60 * 2.8%

Monterrey

$42 2.6% 30.7% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Abilene, TX

$44 2%

Monterrey

$42 2.6% 5.8% $2.6

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,160 in Abilene, TX and $970 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Abilene, TX pays 186% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $64.0 in Abilene, TX vs $50.0 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $368 vs $310 per month, with Monterrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Abilene, TX

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🕒 Local time

04:07 4:07 AM

03:07 3:07 AM

1 h behind Abilene, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

125,182

1,142,994

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Abilene, TX Monterrey 760 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Abilene, TX
Monterrey

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Abilene, TX vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Abilene, TX and Monterrey differ by about 36% in total monthly costs ($2,186 vs $1,608 including rent). Monterrey is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 186% higher in Abilene, TX, 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: $1,160 in Abilene, TX versus $970 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Monterrey – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $64.0 in Abilene, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Monterrey runs roughly 72% less than in Abilene, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,608 in Monterrey versus $2,186 in Abilene, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Monterrey but tight or insufficient in Abilene, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Monterrey 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 Monterrey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Abilene, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.