Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Apple Valley, MN and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,608 a month against $2,529 in Apple Valley, MN, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Apple Valley, MN
🇺🇸 United States
$2,529
/mo nomad
Monterrey
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,608
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,529 per month in Apple Valley, MN vs $1,608 in Monterrey, rent included.

  • Apple Valley, MN $2,529
  • Monterrey $1,608

A couple spends around $3,697 per month in Apple Valley, MN vs $2,521 in Monterrey, rent included.

  • Apple Valley, MN $3,697
  • Monterrey $2,521

A family of three spends $4,864 per month in Apple Valley, MN vs $3,433 in Monterrey, rent included.

  • Apple Valley, MN $4,864
  • Monterrey $3,433

Apple Valley, MN costs about 57% more than Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Apple Valley, MN and Monterrey sit above the global median – Apple Valley, MN by 87%, Monterrey by 19%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Apple Valley, MN
Monterrey
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.26 $20.26
$13.85 MX$256
46.28%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$74.1 $74.1
$49.70 MX$918
49.05%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.15 $11.15
$11.05 MX$204
0.90%
Cappuccino
$6.16 $6.16
$4.09 MX$75.6
50.61%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.76 $2.76
$1.68 MX$30.97
64.29%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.34 $2.34
$1.03 MX$18.98
127.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.10 $7.10
$2.40 MX$44.28
195.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.13 $8.13
$4.35 MX$80.3
86.90%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Apple Valley, MN
Monterrey
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.91 $0.91
$1.92 MX$35.55
-52.60%
White Bread (500g)
$3.14 $3.14
$2.94 MX$54.2
6.80%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.72 $3.72
$1.88 MX$34.66
97.87%
Eggs
$3.71 $3.71
$2.55 MX$47.06
45.49%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.45 $10.45
$11.84 MX$219
-11.74%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.21 $12.21
$9.36 MX$173
30.45%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.87 $18.87
$13.10 MX$242
44.05%
Apples (1kg)
$5.71 $5.71
$3.38 MX$62.5
68.93%
Banana (1kg)
$1.51 $1.51
$1.52 MX$28.13
-0.66%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.52 $4.52
$2.19 MX$40.51
106.39%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.04 $5.04
$2.36 MX$43.63
113.56%
Potato (1kg)
$2.25 $2.25
$2.26 MX$41.76
-0.44%
Onion (1kg)
$3.79 $3.79
$2.73 MX$50.5
38.83%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.33 $2.33
$1.52 MX$28.17
53.29%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.65 $2.65
$1.24 MX$22.90
113.71%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.94 $10.94
$4.75 MX$87.8
130.32%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.90 $14.90
$13.66 MX$252
9.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.75 $1.75
$1.89 MX$34.95
-7.41%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.94 $2.94
$2.99 MX$55.2
-1.67%
🚌 Getting Around
Apple Valley, MN
Monterrey
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.78 $1.78
$0.85 MX$15.78
109.41%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$30.95 MX$572
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.01 $5.01
$1.68 MX$30.98
198.21%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.74 $1.74
$1.13 MX$20.87
53.98%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$23.89 $23.89
$11.15 MX$206
114.26%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.04 $1.04
$1.56 MX$28.91
-33.33%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.8K $35.8K
$21.4K MX$395.8K
67.23%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.0K $26.0K
$25.1K MX$463.2K
3.62%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Apple Valley, MN
Monterrey
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$165 $165
$119 MX$2,206
38.03%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$49.02 $49.02
$26.21 MX$484
87.03%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$58.4 $58.4
$26.78 MX$495
118.11%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Apple Valley, MN
Monterrey
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.38 $42.38
$31.03 MX$573
36.58%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$21.43 MX$396
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.23 $14.23
$5.29 MX$97.7
169.00%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Apple Valley, MN
Monterrey
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,371 $1,371
$691 MX$12.8K
98.30%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$36.6K $36.6K
$11.5K MX$212.1K
218.76%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Apple Valley, MN
Monterrey
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.8 $57.8
$72.3 MX$1,335
-20.01%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.79 $44.79
$42.72 MX$789
4.85%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.2 $74.2
$110 MX$2,024
-32.29%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$83.5 $83.5
$117 MX$2,158
-28.50%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Apple Valley, MN
Monterrey
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,491 $1,491
$970 MX$17.9K
53.76%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,307 $1,307
$664 MX$12.3K
96.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,476 $2,476
$1,857 MX$34.3K
33.36%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,116 $2,116
$1,287 MX$23.8K
64.38%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,920 $2,920
$4,162 MX$76.9K
-29.83%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,246 $2,246
$2,349 MX$43.4K
-4.42%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Apple Valley, MN
Monterrey
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,146 MX$21.2K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.61
11.79
-43.94%

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

Last update for Apple Valley, MN: October 12, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Apple Valley, MN
$1.3K
Monterrey
$664 49.2% $643
Groceries & Markets
Apple Valley, MN
$400
Monterrey
$310 22.4% $90
Eating Out
Apple Valley, MN
$342
Monterrey
$225 34.3% $117
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Apple Valley, MN
$272
Monterrey
$172 36.7% $100
Clothing & Footwear
Apple Valley, MN
$117
Monterrey
$154 31.1% $36
Sport & Entertainment
Apple Valley, MN
$71
Monterrey
$42 41.3% $29
Getting Around
Apple Valley, MN
$21 *
Monterrey
$42 100% $21

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,491 in Apple Valley, MN 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74.0 in Apple Valley, MN versus $50.0 in Monterrey. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $400 vs $310 – making Monterrey the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Apple Valley, MN
🇲🇽 Monterrey
🕒 Local time
22:18 10:18 PM
21:18 9:18 PM
1 h behind Apple Valley, MN
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
50,109
1,142,994
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Apple Valley, MN Monterrey 2,210 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Apple Valley, MN
  • 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
Apple Valley, MN vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Apple Valley, MN and in Monterrey compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,529 in Apple Valley, MN, $1,608 in Monterrey – roughly 57% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Apple Valley, MN compared to Monterrey?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,794 per month in Apple Valley, MN and $2,412 in Monterrey. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Apple Valley, MN and Monterrey?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Monterrey, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Apple Valley, MN or Monterrey?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,529 in Apple Valley, MN and $1,608 in Monterrey. That's a gap of about 57%.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Apple Valley, MN and Monterrey?
Kindergarten costs $1,371 per month in Apple Valley, MN and $691 in Monterrey. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Monterrey, where all-in costs run around $1,608, than in Apple Valley, MN at $2,529. In Monterrey it covers expenses comfortably, while in Apple Valley, MN it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Apple Valley, MN and Monterrey?
It depends on your priorities. Monterrey has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,608 in Monterrey to $2,529 in Apple Valley, MN. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Apple Valley, MN or Monterrey safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Apple Valley, MN and Monterrey?
If budget matters most, go with Monterrey. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Apple Valley, MN makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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