Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arlington, TX and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,608 a month against $2,439 in Arlington, TX, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Arlington, TX
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Arlington, TX Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index

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Arlington, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,439

/mo nomad

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,439 in Arlington, TX versus $1,608 in Monterrey.

Arlington, TX $2,439
Monterrey $1,608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,647 in Arlington, TX versus $2,521 in Monterrey.

Arlington, TX $3,647
Monterrey $2,521

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,855 in Arlington, TX versus $3,433 in Monterrey.

Arlington, TX $4,855
Monterrey $3,433

Living in Arlington, TX is roughly 52% more expensive than in Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Arlington, TX 81% above, Monterrey 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 $20.39

$13.85 MX$256

47.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.3 $55.3

$49.70 MX$918

11.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.11 $10.11

$11.05 MX$204

-8.51%

Cappuccino

$4.86 $4.86

$4.09 MX$75.6

18.83%

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

$2.56 $2.56

$1.68 MX$30.97

52.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.03 MX$18.98

122.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.38 $5.38

$2.40 MX$44.28

124.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.68 $6.68

$4.35 MX$80.3

53.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.78 $0.78

$1.92 MX$35.55

-59.38%

White Bread (500g)

$3.64 $3.64

$2.94 MX$54.2

23.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.26 $5.26

$1.88 MX$34.66

179.79%

Eggs

$2.67 $2.67

$2.55 MX$47.06

4.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.60 $10.60

$11.84 MX$219

-10.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.10 $13.10

$9.36 MX$173

39.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.02 $18.02

$13.10 MX$242

37.56%

Apples (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$3.38 MX$62.5

31.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$1.52 MX$28.13

75.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.12 $5.12

$2.19 MX$40.51

133.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 $4.02

$2.36 MX$43.63

70.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 $2.53

$2.26 MX$41.76

11.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.73 MX$50.5

9.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.52 MX$28.17

25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.24 MX$22.90

66.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.52 $9.52

$4.75 MX$87.8

100.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.03 $12.03

$13.66 MX$252

-11.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.89 MX$34.95

6.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 $3.36

$2.99 MX$55.2

12.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.09 $6.09

$0.85 MX$15.78

616.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$30.95 MX$572

30.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 $2.93

$1.68 MX$30.98

74.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.13 MX$20.87

50.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.81 $23.81

$11.15 MX$206

113.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.56 MX$28.91

-39.74%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$21.4K MX$395.8K

67.12%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$25.1K MX$463.2K

2.61%

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

$211 $211

$119 MX$2,206

76.69%

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

$66.4 $66.4

$26.21 MX$484

153.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.1 $64.1

$26.78 MX$495

139.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.87 $40.87

$31.03 MX$573

31.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.43 MX$396

Cinema Ticket

$14.74 $14.74

$5.29 MX$97.7

178.64%

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

$1,332 $1,332

$691 MX$12.8K

92.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.4K $28.4K

$11.5K MX$212.1K

147.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.6 $61.6

$72.3 MX$1,335

-14.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.0 $51.0

$42.72 MX$789

19.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.9 $84.9

$110 MX$2,024

-22.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 $102

$117 MX$2,158

-13.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,536 $1,536

$970 MX$17.9K

58.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,112 $1,112

$664 MX$12.3K

67.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,533 $2,533

$1,857 MX$34.3K

36.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 $2,031

$1,287 MX$23.8K

57.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,173 $2,173

$4,162 MX$76.9K

-47.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,217 $2,217

$2,349 MX$43.4K

-5.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,699 $3,699

$1,146 MX$21.2K

222.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

11.79

-44.78%

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

Last update for Arlington, TX: 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

Arlington, TX

$1.1K 45.6%

Monterrey

$664 41.3% 40.3% $448

Groceries & Markets

Arlington, TX

$393 16.1%

Monterrey

$310 19.3% 20.9% $82

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arlington, TX

$341 14%

Monterrey

$172 10.7% 49.5% $169

Eating Out

Arlington, TX

$311 12.8%

Monterrey

$225 14% 27.9% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Arlington, TX

$135 5.5%

Monterrey

$154 9.6% 14.2% $19

Getting Around

Arlington, TX

$76 3.1%

Monterrey

$42 2.6% 45.4% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Arlington, TX

$70 2.9%

Monterrey

$42 2.6% 40.9% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,536 in Arlington, TX and $970 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arlington, TX pays 223% 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: $55.0 in Arlington, TX vs $50.0 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $393 vs $310 per month, with Monterrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Arlington, TX

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🕒 Local time

09:57 9:57 AM

08:57 8:57 AM

1 h behind Arlington, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

365,438

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

Arlington, TX Monterrey 840 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Arlington, TX
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

Arlington, TX vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey wins on cost – living expenses run 52% lower than in Arlington, TX. 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 223% higher in Arlington, TX, 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: $1,536 in Arlington, TX versus $970 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,439 per month in Arlington, TX versus $1,608 in Monterrey – a 52% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Monterrey runs roughly 31% less than in Arlington, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,608 in Monterrey versus $2,439 in Arlington, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Monterrey but tight or insufficient in Arlington, TX. 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 52% less than in Arlington, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.