Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alpharetta, GA and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,641 a month against $3,009 in Alpharetta, GA, rent and utilities included – about $16,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

144

Cost of Living Index in Alpharetta, GA
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Alpharetta, GA Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index

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Alpharetta, GA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,009

/mo nomad

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,009 in Alpharetta, GA versus $1,641 in Monterrey.

Alpharetta, GA $3,009
Monterrey $1,641

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,281 in Alpharetta, GA versus $2,573 in Monterrey.

Alpharetta, GA $4,281
Monterrey $2,573

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,553 in Alpharetta, GA versus $3,504 in Monterrey.

Alpharetta, GA $5,553
Monterrey $3,504

Living in Alpharetta, GA is roughly 83% more expensive than in Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Alpharetta, GA 123% above, Monterrey 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.10 $26.10

$13.37 MX$250

95.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.3 $80.3

$47.95 MX$897

67.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.88 $9.88

$10.79 MX$202

-8.43%

Cappuccino

$4.63 $4.63

$3.77 MX$70.4

22.81%

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

$2.50 $2.50

$1.51 MX$28.26

65.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.03 MX$19.25

104.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.87 $5.87

$2.48 MX$46.41

136.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.34 $7.34

$4.36 MX$81.5

68.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.89 MX$35.43

-55.03%

White Bread (500g)

$4.18 $4.18

$2.85 MX$53.3

46.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.91 $5.91

$1.86 MX$34.71

217.74%

Eggs

$4.63 $4.63

$2.47 MX$46.12

87.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.68 $11.68

$11.81 MX$221

-1.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.91 $8.91

$8.97 MX$168

-0.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.38 $20.38

$12.57 MX$235

62.13%

Apples (1kg)

$4.48 $4.48

$3.20 MX$59.8

40.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.50 MX$28.12

46.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.03 $4.03

$2.12 MX$39.74

90.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.68 $4.68

$2.33 MX$43.64

100.86%

Potato (1kg)

$3.82 $3.82

$2.22 MX$41.58

72.07%

Onion (1kg)

$3.67 $3.67

$2.58 MX$48.34

42.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 $2.33

$1.45 MX$27.04

60.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.76 $2.76

$1.22 MX$22.85

126.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.90 $8.90

$4.80 MX$89.7

85.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$13.30 MX$249

11.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.93 MX$36.14

-7.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 $3.96

$2.86 MX$53.4

38.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$0.80 MX$14.94

203.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.4 $93.4

$30.94 MX$579

201.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.83 MX$34.28

59.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.06 MX$19.78

122.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.84 $39.84

$10.82 MX$202

268.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.47 MX$27.54

-37.41%

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

$32.4K $32.4K

$24.1K MX$450.4K

34.39%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$23.5K MX$440.2K

13.33%

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

$255 $255

$115 MX$2,144

122.53%

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

$55.0 $55.0

$26.37 MX$493

108.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.8 $88.8

$25.70 MX$481

245.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.98 $49.98

$30.53 MX$571

63.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.78 $22.78

$21.27 MX$398

7.10%

Cinema Ticket

$17.07 $17.07

$4.96 MX$92.8

244.15%

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

$1,311 $1,311

$679 MX$12.7K

93.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.2K $23.2K

$14.2K MX$265.3K

63.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.3 $77.3

$72.2 MX$1,350

7.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.45 $44.45

$41.94 MX$784

5.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 $129

$107 MX$2,011

19.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 $139

$119 MX$2,219

17.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,010 $2,010

$1,018 MX$19.0K

97.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,460 $1,460

$722 MX$13.5K

102.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,704 $2,704

$1,966 MX$36.8K

37.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,190 $2,190

$1,416 MX$26.5K

54.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,331 $4,331

$4,203 MX$78.6K

3.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,677 $4,677

$2,782 MX$52.0K

68.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,208 $6,208

$1,096 MX$20.5K

466.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.73

11.79

-42.92%

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

Last update for Alpharetta, GA: October 31, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Alpharetta, GA

$1.5K 48.5%

Monterrey

$722 44% 50.6% $739

Groceries & Markets

Alpharetta, GA

$416 13.8%

Monterrey

$302 18.4% 27.4% $114

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alpharetta, GA

$399 13.3%

Monterrey

$167 10.2% 58.2% $232

Eating Out

Alpharetta, GA

$356 11.9%

Monterrey

$216 13.2% 39.5% $141

Clothing & Footwear

Alpharetta, GA

$175 5.8%

Monterrey

$153 9.3% 12.6% $22

Getting Around

Alpharetta, GA

$118 3.9%

Monterrey

$41 2.5% 65% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Alpharetta, GA

$84 2.8%

Monterrey

$40 2.5% 51.9% $44

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,010 in Alpharetta, GA and $1,018 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alpharetta, GA pays about 5.7 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $80 in Alpharetta, GA vs $48 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $416 vs $302 per month, with Monterrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Alpharetta, GA

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🕒 Local time

18:29 6:29 PM

17:29 5:29 PM

1 h behind Alpharetta, GA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

65,799

1,142,994

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 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 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.7 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 20.9 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Alpharetta, GA Monterrey 1,800 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Alpharetta, GA
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

Alpharetta, GA vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey is about 45% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Alpharetta, GA is about 5.7 times higher, 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: $2,010 in Alpharetta, GA versus $1,018 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Monterrey runs roughly 67% less than in Alpharetta, GA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $1,311 in Alpharetta, GA versus $679 in Monterrey. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,641 in Monterrey versus $3,009 in Alpharetta, GA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Monterrey but tight or insufficient in Alpharetta, GA. 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 45% less than in Alpharetta, GA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.