Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ambato and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Ambato: $605 a month against $1,608 in Monterrey, rent and utilities included – about $12,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Ambato
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Ambato Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index

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Ambato

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$605

/mo nomad

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $605 per month in Ambato vs $1,608 in Monterrey, rent included.

Ambato $605
Monterrey $1,608

A couple spends around $985 per month in Ambato vs $2,521 in Monterrey, rent included.

Ambato $985
Monterrey $2,521

A family of three spends $1,364 per month in Ambato vs $3,433 in Monterrey, rent included.

Ambato $1,364
Monterrey $3,433

Ambato is about 62% cheaper than Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Ambato sits 55% below the global median, while Monterrey is 19% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.46 $3.46

$13.85 MX$257

-75.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.93 $29.93

$49.70 MX$921

-39.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.32 $5.32

$11.05 MX$205

-51.86%

Cappuccino

$2.76 $2.76

$4.09 MX$75.8

-32.52%

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

$0.82 $0.82

$1.68 MX$31.06

-51.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 $0.75

$1.03 MX$19.03

-27.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.40 MX$44.40

-18.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 $3.22

$4.35 MX$80.6

-25.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.92 MX$35.64

-48.96%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 $0.98

$2.94 MX$54.4

-66.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.88 MX$34.76

-16.49%

Eggs

$1.73 $1.73

$2.55 MX$47.19

-32.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.42 $5.42

$11.84 MX$219

-54.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.05 $3.05

$9.36 MX$173

-67.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$13.10 MX$243

-70.00%

Apples (1kg)

$1.27 $1.27

$3.38 MX$62.7

-62.43%

Banana (1kg)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.52 MX$28.21

-42.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.03 $1.03

$2.19 MX$40.62

-52.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.03 $1.03

$2.36 MX$43.75

-56.36%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 $0.77

$2.26 MX$41.88

-65.93%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 $0.99

$2.73 MX$50.7

-63.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 $0.73

$1.52 MX$28.25

-51.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.24 MX$22.97

-16.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.15 $5.15

$4.75 MX$88.1

8.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.78 $8.78

$13.66 MX$253

-35.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.89 MX$35.05

-23.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.99 MX$55.3

-6.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 $0.29

$0.85 MX$15.82

-65.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.21 $14.21

$30.95 MX$573

-54.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.68 MX$31.06

-17.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.13 MX$20.93

-0.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.43 $9.43

$11.15 MX$207

-15.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.56 MX$28.99

-44.87%

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

$23.3K $23.3K

$21.4K MX$396.9K

8.93%

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

$28.1K $28.1K

$25.1K MX$464.5K

12.29%

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

$39.20 $39.20

$119 MX$2,212

-67.17%

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

$13.58 $13.58

$26.21 MX$486

-48.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.39 $26.39

$26.78 MX$496

-1.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 $29.76

$31.03 MX$575

-4.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.43 MX$397

Cinema Ticket

$4.39 $4.39

$5.29 MX$98.0

-17.01%

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

$224 $224

$691 MX$12.8K

-67.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,408 $2,408

$11.5K MX$212.7K

-79.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.25 $48.25

$72.3 MX$1,339

-33.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.22 $35.22

$42.72 MX$792

-17.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.2 $71.2

$110 MX$2,030

-35.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.5 $55.5

$117 MX$2,164

-52.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$178 $178

$970 MX$18.0K

-81.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$124 $124

$664 MX$12.3K

-81.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$380 $380

$1,857 MX$34.4K

-79.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$273 $273

$1,287 MX$23.9K

-78.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,130 $1,130

$4,162 MX$77.1K

-72.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$884 $884

$2,349 MX$43.5K

-62.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$679 $679

$1,146 MX$21.2K

-40.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.79

-23.66%

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

Last update for Ambato: October 10, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ambato

$147 24.3%

Monterrey

$310 19.3% 111% $163

Accommodation & Living

Ambato

$124 20.5%

Monterrey

$664 41.3% 434% $540

Eating Out

Ambato

$99 16.4%

Monterrey

$225 14% 126% $125

Clothing & Footwear

Ambato

$95 15.6%

Monterrey

$154 9.6% 62.4% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ambato

$79 13.1%

Monterrey

$172 10.7% 118% $93

Sport & Entertainment

Ambato

$39 6.4%

Monterrey

$42 2.6% 8% $3.1

Getting Around

Ambato

$22 3.7%

Monterrey

$42 2.6% 86.6% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $178 in Ambato versus $970 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 run about 69% higher in Monterrey, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Ambato versus $50.0 in Monterrey. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $147 vs $310 – making Ambato the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Ambato

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🕒 Local time

14:38 2:38 PM

13:38 1:38 PM

1 h behind Ambato

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

165,185

1,142,994

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

100 MXN = 5.4 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 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 15, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 18.53 MXN (100 MXN = 5.4 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ambato Monterrey 3,790 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Ambato
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

Ambato vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey costs about 166% more than Ambato, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $908 per month in Ambato and $2,412 in Monterrey. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Ambato and $50.0 in Monterrey. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $605 in Ambato and $1,608 in Monterrey. That's a gap of about 166%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ambato, where all-in costs run around $605, than in Monterrey at $1,608. In Ambato it covers expenses comfortably, while in Monterrey it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ambato costs $605 versus $1,608 in Monterrey. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Ambato. 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.