Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Allentown, PA and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,641 a month against $2,684 in Allentown, PA, rent and utilities included – about $12,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Allentown, PA
Learn more

Allentown, PA Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
Learn more

Monterrey Living Index

Jump to prices

Allentown, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,684

/mo nomad

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Allentown, PA 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 Allentown, PA and in Monterrey actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,684 per month in Allentown, PA vs $1,641 in Monterrey, rent included.

Allentown, PA $2,684
Monterrey $1,641

A couple spends around $3,813 per month in Allentown, PA vs $2,573 in Monterrey, rent included.

Allentown, PA $3,813
Monterrey $2,573

A family of three spends $4,943 per month in Allentown, PA vs $3,504 in Monterrey, rent included.

Allentown, PA $4,943
Monterrey $3,504

Allentown, PA costs about 64% more than Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Allentown, PA and Monterrey sit above the global median – Allentown, PA by 98%, Monterrey by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.69 $19.69

$13.37 MX$249

47.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.4 $91.4

$47.95 MX$892

90.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.97 $11.97

$10.79 MX$201

10.94%

Cappuccino

$5.77 $5.77

$3.77 MX$70.0

53.05%

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

$2.72 $2.72

$1.51 MX$28.09

80.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.03 MX$19.14

53.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.13 $5.13

$2.48 MX$46.14

106.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 $5.90

$4.36 MX$81.0

35.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.89 MX$35.23

-39.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.85 MX$53.0

-24.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.86 MX$34.52

30.11%

Eggs

$3.73 $3.73

$2.47 MX$45.86

51.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.46 $15.46

$11.81 MX$220

30.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.12 $8.12

$8.97 MX$167

-9.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.46 $20.46

$12.57 MX$234

62.77%

Apples (1kg)

$6.86 $6.86

$3.20 MX$59.4

114.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 $1.68

$1.50 MX$27.96

12.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.12 MX$39.52

37.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$2.33 MX$43.39

174.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.22 MX$41.34

16.22%

Onion (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.58 MX$48.07

26.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.45 MX$26.88

48.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.22 MX$22.72

123.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.03 $12.03

$4.80 MX$89.2

150.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.81 $14.81

$13.30 MX$247

11.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.32 $2.32

$1.93 MX$35.93

20.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.86 MX$53.1

-7.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.45 $2.45

$0.80 MX$14.85

206.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.4 $59.4

$30.94 MX$575

91.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.83 MX$34.08

67.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.06 MX$19.66

107.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.67 $41.67

$10.82 MX$201

285.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.47 MX$27.39

-24.49%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$24.1K MX$447.9K

12.60%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$23.5K MX$437.7K

11.35%

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

$194 $194

$115 MX$2,132

68.98%

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

$54.1 $54.1

$26.37 MX$490

104.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.1 $68.1

$25.70 MX$478

164.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.40 $29.40

$30.53 MX$568

-3.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.02 $25.02

$21.27 MX$396

17.63%

Cinema Ticket

$12.95 $12.95

$4.96 MX$92.2

161.09%

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

$1,199 $1,199

$679 MX$12.6K

76.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.6K $20.6K

$14.2K MX$263.8K

45.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.24 $39.24

$72.2 MX$1,343

-45.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.1 $51.1

$41.94 MX$780

21.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.0 $90.0

$107 MX$1,999

-16.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 $116

$119 MX$2,207

-2.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,664 $1,664

$1,018 MX$18.9K

63.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,383 $1,383

$722 MX$13.4K

91.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,517 $2,517

$1,966 MX$36.6K

27.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,957 $1,957

$1,416 MX$26.3K

38.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,238 $2,238

$4,203 MX$78.2K

-46.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,957 $1,957

$2,782 MX$51.7K

-29.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,071 $3,071

$1,096 MX$20.4K

180.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

11.79

-45.46%

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

Last update for Allentown, PA: November 1, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Allentown, PA

$1.4K 51.5%

Monterrey

$722 44% 47.8% $661

Groceries & Markets

Allentown, PA

$396 14.8%

Monterrey

$302 18.4% 23.7% $94

Eating Out

Allentown, PA

$317 11.8%

Monterrey

$216 13.2% 32% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Allentown, PA

$316 11.8%

Monterrey

$167 10.2% 47.2% $149

Clothing & Footwear

Allentown, PA

$133 5%

Monterrey

$153 9.3% 15% $20

Getting Around

Allentown, PA

$83 3.1%

Monterrey

$41 2.5% 50.5% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Allentown, PA

$55 2.1%

Monterrey

$40 2.5% 26.9% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,664 in Allentown, PA versus $1,018 in Monterrey. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Allentown, PA are about 2.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91 in Allentown, PA versus $48 in Monterrey. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $396 vs $302 – making Monterrey the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Allentown, PA

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🕒 Local time

21:50 9:50 PM

20:50 8:50 PM

1 h behind Allentown, PA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

120,443

1,142,994

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

100 MXN = 5.38 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 November 7, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 18.6 MXN (100 MXN = 5.38 USD). 1 EUR = 20.78 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Allentown, PA Monterrey 2,830 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Allentown, PA
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

Allentown, PA vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Allentown, PA costs about 64% more than Monterrey, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,025 per month in Allentown, PA and $2,461 in Monterrey. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Monterrey, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,018 there versus $1,664 in Allentown, PA.

Public transport costs about 48% less in Monterrey. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,199 per month in Allentown, PA and $679 in Monterrey. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,684 in Allentown, PA and $1,641 in Monterrey, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

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