Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens, OH and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,641 a month against $1,701 in Athens, OH, rent and utilities included – about $720 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

81

Cost of Living Index in Athens, OH
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Athens, OH Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index

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Athens, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$1,701

/mo nomad

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,701 in Athens, OH versus $1,641 in Monterrey.

Athens, OH $1,701
Monterrey $1,641

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,538 in Athens, OH versus $2,573 in Monterrey.

Athens, OH $2,538
Monterrey $2,573

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,374 in Athens, OH versus $3,504 in Monterrey.

Athens, OH $3,374
Monterrey $3,504

Living in Athens, OH is roughly 4% more expensive than in Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens, OH 26% above, Monterrey 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.24 $15.24

$13.37 MX$250

13.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 $54.9

$47.95 MX$897

14.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.78 $8.78

$10.79 MX$202

-18.63%

Cappuccino

$4.95 $4.95

$3.77 MX$70.4

31.30%

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

$2.28 $2.28

$1.51 MX$28.26

50.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.03 MX$19.25

40.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.86 $4.86

$2.48 MX$46.41

95.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.01 $7.01

$4.36 MX$81.5

60.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.74 $0.74

$1.89 MX$35.43

-60.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.12 $2.12

$2.85 MX$53.3

-25.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.86 MX$34.71

56.99%

Eggs

$4.25 $4.25

$2.47 MX$46.12

72.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.71 $12.71

$11.81 MX$221

7.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.59 $8.59

$8.97 MX$168

-4.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.93 $15.93

$12.57 MX$235

26.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$3.20 MX$59.8

11.56%

Banana (1kg)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.50 MX$28.12

-38.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.70 $2.70

$2.12 MX$39.74

27.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.33 MX$43.64

32.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.22 MX$41.58

-23.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 $2.18

$2.58 MX$48.34

-15.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.45 MX$27.04

19.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.22 MX$22.85

53.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.11 $9.11

$4.80 MX$89.7

89.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.30 $15.30

$13.30 MX$249

15.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.93 MX$36.14

11.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 $2.93

$2.86 MX$53.4

2.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 $1.01

$0.80 MX$14.94

26.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.94 MX$579

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.70 $3.70

$1.83 MX$34.28

102.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.06 MX$19.78

17.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.10 $25.10

$10.82 MX$202

131.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.47 MX$27.54

-39.46%

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

$36.4K $36.4K

$24.1K MX$450.4K

51.05%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$23.5K MX$440.2K

13.16%

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

$152 $152

$115 MX$2,144

32.53%

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

$29.66 $29.66

$26.37 MX$493

12.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.66 $48.66

$25.70 MX$481

89.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.53 MX$571

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.27 MX$398

Cinema Ticket

$11.84 $11.84

$4.96 MX$92.8

138.71%

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

$1,298 $1,298

$679 MX$12.7K

91.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K $25.8K

$14.2K MX$265.3K

81.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.01 $46.01

$72.2 MX$1,350

-36.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.86 $43.86

$41.94 MX$784

4.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.3 $64.3

$107 MX$2,011

-40.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 $108

$119 MX$2,219

-8.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,320 $1,320

$1,018 MX$19.0K

29.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$732 $732

$722 MX$13.5K

1.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,473 $1,473

$1,966 MX$36.8K

-25.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 $1,242

$1,416 MX$26.5K

-12.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,636 $1,636

$4,203 MX$78.6K

-61.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,660 $1,660

$2,782 MX$52.0K

-40.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,356 $3,356

$1,096 MX$20.5K

206.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.84

11.79

-41.98%

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

Last update for Athens, OH: 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

Athens, OH

$732 43.1%

Monterrey

$722 44% 1.5% $11

Groceries & Markets

Athens, OH

$322 18.9%

Monterrey

$302 18.4% 6.1% $20

Eating Out

Athens, OH

$261 15.3%

Monterrey

$216 13.2% 17.3% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens, OH

$230 13.5%

Monterrey

$167 10.2% 27.6% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Athens, OH

$118 6.9%

Monterrey

$153 9.3% 29.8% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Athens, OH

$24 * 1.4%

Monterrey

$40 2.5% 70.8% $17

Getting Around

Athens, OH

$14 * 0.8%

Monterrey

$41 2.5% 194% $27

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,320 in Athens, OH and $1,018 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens, OH pays about 3.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $55 in Athens, OH vs $48 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $302 per month, with Monterrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Athens, OH

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🕒 Local time

10:07 10:07 AM

09:07 9:07 AM

1 h behind Athens, OH

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

115,452

1,142,994

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.76 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 = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.7 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 21.01 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

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Athens, OH Monterrey 2,280 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Athens, OH
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

Athens, OH vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey is about 4% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, utilities, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Athens, OH is about 3.1 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: $1,320 in Athens, OH versus $1,018 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Athens, OH. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,701 per month in Athens, OH versus $1,641 in Monterrey – Monterrey is about 4% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Monterrey gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Monterrey wins on affordability, Athens, OH on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.