Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ames, IA and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,608 a month against $2,142 in Ames, IA, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

104

Cost of Living Index in Ames, IA
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Ames, IA Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index

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Ames, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,142

/mo nomad

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,142 in Ames, IA versus $1,608 in Monterrey.

Ames, IA $2,142
Monterrey $1,608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,242 in Ames, IA versus $2,521 in Monterrey.

Ames, IA $3,242
Monterrey $2,521

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,342 in Ames, IA versus $3,433 in Monterrey.

Ames, IA $4,342
Monterrey $3,433

Living in Ames, IA is roughly 33% more expensive than in Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ames, IA 59% above, Monterrey 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.13 $18.13

$13.85 MX$256

30.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 $52.0

$49.70 MX$918

4.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.18 $12.18

$11.05 MX$204

10.23%

Cappuccino

$4.87 $4.87

$4.09 MX$75.6

19.07%

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

$2.60 $2.60

$1.68 MX$30.97

54.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 $2.25

$1.03 MX$18.98

118.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.05 $4.05

$2.40 MX$44.28

68.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.81 $6.81

$4.35 MX$80.3

56.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.92 MX$35.55

-53.65%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$2.94 MX$54.2

20.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.88 MX$34.66

73.40%

Eggs

$3.34 $3.34

$2.55 MX$47.06

30.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 $10.08

$11.84 MX$219

-14.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.62 $13.62

$9.36 MX$173

45.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$13.10 MX$242

45.42%

Apples (1kg)

$5.88 $5.88

$3.38 MX$62.5

73.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.52 MX$28.13

19.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.69 $6.69

$2.19 MX$40.51

205.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$2.36 MX$43.63

121.19%

Potato (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$2.26 MX$41.76

100.88%

Onion (1kg)

$4.07 $4.07

$2.73 MX$50.5

49.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 $2.32

$1.52 MX$28.17

52.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.24 MX$22.90

96.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.03 $13.03

$4.75 MX$87.8

174.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.11 $16.11

$13.66 MX$252

17.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.89 MX$34.95

51.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.98 $4.98

$2.99 MX$55.2

66.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 $0.99

$0.85 MX$15.78

16.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.57 $35.57

$30.95 MX$572

14.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.09 $5.09

$1.68 MX$30.98

202.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.13 MX$20.87

49.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.13 $24.13

$11.15 MX$206

116.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.56 MX$28.91

-38.46%

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

$24.7K $24.7K

$21.4K MX$395.8K

15.48%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$25.1K MX$463.2K

0.03%

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

$176 $176

$119 MX$2,206

47.67%

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

$54.3 $54.3

$26.21 MX$484

107.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$26.78 MX$495

165.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.0 $69.0

$31.03 MX$573

122.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.74 $19.74

$21.43 MX$396

-7.89%

Cinema Ticket

$15.97 $15.97

$5.29 MX$97.7

201.89%

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

$1,370 $1,370

$691 MX$12.8K

98.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.1K $36.1K

$11.5K MX$212.1K

214.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.4 $58.4

$72.3 MX$1,335

-19.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.68 $44.68

$42.72 MX$789

4.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.1 $90.1

$110 MX$2,024

-17.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$117 MX$2,158

-10.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,005 $1,005

$970 MX$17.9K

3.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$822 $822

$664 MX$12.3K

23.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,860 $1,860

$1,857 MX$34.3K

0.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,505 $1,505

$1,287 MX$23.8K

16.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,432 $2,432

$4,162 MX$76.9K

-41.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,185 $2,185

$2,349 MX$43.4K

-7.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,597 $3,597

$1,146 MX$21.2K

213.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.41

11.79

-45.63%

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

Last update for Ames, IA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ames, IA

$822 38.4%

Monterrey

$664 41.3% 19.3% $158

Groceries & Markets

Ames, IA

$436 20.4%

Monterrey

$310 19.3% 28.9% $126

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ames, IA

$302 14.1%

Monterrey

$172 10.7% 42.9% $129

Eating Out

Ames, IA

$293 13.7%

Monterrey

$225 14% 23.5% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Ames, IA

$134 6.3%

Monterrey

$154 9.6% 14.6% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Ames, IA

$101 4.7%

Monterrey

$42 2.6% 58.8% $59

Getting Around

Ames, IA

$53 2.5%

Monterrey

$42 2.6% 21.5% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,005 in Ames, IA and $970 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ames, IA pays 214% 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: $52.0 in Ames, IA vs $50.0 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $436 vs $310 per month, with Monterrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ames, IA

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🕒 Local time

12:36 12:36 PM

11:36 11:36 AM

1 h behind Ames, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

66,427

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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 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

Ames, IA Monterrey 1,920 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Ames, IA
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

Ames, IA vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey wins on cost – living expenses run 33% lower than in Ames, IA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Monterrey the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 214% higher in Ames, IA, 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: $1,005 in Ames, IA versus $970 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 15% less than in Ames, IA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,370 in Ames, IA versus $691 in Monterrey. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,608 in Monterrey versus $2,142 in Ames, IA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Monterrey but tight or insufficient in Ames, IA. The gap between the two cities makes Monterrey the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Monterrey delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,608 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Monterrey hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Monterrey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Ames, IA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.