Cost of Living Comparison Between Acuna and Monterrey Cost of Living Comparison Between Acuna and Monterrey

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $936 per month in Acuna vs $1,595 in Monterrey, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,576 per month in Acuna vs $2,536 in Monterrey, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,216 per month in Acuna vs $3,477 in Monterrey, rent included.

Acuna is about 41% cheaper than Monterrey, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Acuna sits 30% below the global median, while Monterrey is 19% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.80 MX$240

$13.02 MX$227

5.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.64 MX$394

$53.6 MX$932

-57.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.96 MX$139

$10.17 MX$177

-21.73%

Cappuccino

$2.86 MX$49.71

$3.75 MX$65.2

-23.73%

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

$1.06 MX$18.50

$1.44 MX$25.09

-26.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 MX$17.07

$1.04 MX$18.06

-5.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 MX$42.00

$2.58 MX$44.86

-6.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 MX$68.8

$4.11 MX$71.5

-3.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$26.60

$1.67 MX$29.14

-8.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 MX$35.32

$2.63 MX$45.81

-22.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 MX$29.30

$1.93 MX$33.62

-12.95%

Eggs

$2.91 MX$50.6

$2.60 MX$45.25

11.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.99 MX$122

$10.47 MX$182

-33.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.02 MX$87.3

$9.07 MX$158

-44.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.57 MX$149

$13.42 MX$234

-36.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 MX$41.66

$3.16 MX$54.9

-24.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 MX$25.31

$1.40 MX$24.44

3.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 MX$31.00

$2.09 MX$36.39

-14.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 MX$33.94

$2.09 MX$36.35

-6.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.34

$2.32 MX$40.40

-25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.01

$2.53 MX$44.09

-43.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 MX$18.31

$1.55 MX$27.00

-32.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$21.80

$1.11 MX$19.39

12.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$71.0

$4.25 MX$74.0

-4.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.16 MX$177

$11.83 MX$206

-14.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 MX$27.04

$1.80 MX$31.28

-13.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 MX$48.04

$3.12 MX$54.2

-11.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 MX$11.41

$0.75 MX$13.09

-12.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.48 MX$409

$39.49 MX$687

-40.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.69 MX$46.85

$1.76 MX$30.61

52.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 MX$27.67

$0.99 MX$17.25

60.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.49 MX$148

$10.60 MX$185

-19.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 MX$21.49

$1.31 MX$22.75

-5.34%

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

$17.8K MX$310.1K

$26.6K MX$463.1K

-33.04%

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

$18.2K MX$316.3K

$25.7K MX$447.7K

-29.35%

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

$57.5 MX$1,000

$124 MX$2,151

-53.49%

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

$22.55 MX$392

$27.80 MX$484

-18.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.11 MX$646

$29.57 MX$514

25.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.25 MX$492

$38.39 MX$668

-26.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.64 MX$255

$21.87 MX$380

-33.06%

Cinema Ticket

$4.17 MX$72.5

$5.95 MX$103

-29.92%

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

$157 MX$2,738

$337 MX$5,863

-53.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,662 MX$63.7K

$8,908 MX$155.0K

-58.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.13 MX$803

$58.3 MX$1,014

-20.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.03 MX$697

$41.99 MX$731

-4.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.0 MX$1,496

$108 MX$1,886

-20.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.0 MX$1,427

$126 MX$2,195

-34.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$296 MX$5,145

$911 MX$15.8K

-67.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$200 MX$3,478

$660 MX$11.5K

-69.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 MX$14.3K

$1,570 MX$27.3K

-47.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 MX$10.9K

$1,426 MX$24.8K

-56.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,732 MX$30.1K

$4,178 MX$72.7K

-58.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,367 MX$23.8K

$2,845 MX$49.5K

-51.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,113 MX$19.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.48

11.55

-0.61%

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

Last update for Acuna: April 27, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $296 in Acuna versus $911 in Monterrey. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Acuna versus $54.0 in Monterrey. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $224 vs $292 – making Acuna the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Acuna vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Monterrey is pricier by about 70%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,405 per month in Acuna and $2,392 in Monterrey. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Acuna, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $936 in Acuna and $1,595 in Monterrey. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 68% less in Acuna. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Acuna, where all-in costs run around $936, than in Monterrey at $1,595. In Acuna it covers expenses comfortably, while in Monterrey it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Acuna – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Acuna. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Monterrey makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.