Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens, TN and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,641 a month against $2,116 in Athens, TN, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

102

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

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index

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Athens, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,116

/mo nomad

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,116 per month in Athens, TN vs $1,641 in Monterrey, rent included.

Athens, TN $2,116
Monterrey $1,641

A couple spends around $3,286 per month in Athens, TN vs $2,573 in Monterrey, rent included.

Athens, TN $3,286
Monterrey $2,573

A family of three spends $4,457 per month in Athens, TN vs $3,504 in Monterrey, rent included.

Athens, TN $4,457
Monterrey $3,504

Athens, TN costs about 29% more than Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Athens, TN and Monterrey sit above the global median – Athens, TN by 56%, Monterrey by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.07 $30.07

$13.37 MX$250

124.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$108 $108

$47.95 MX$897

125.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.95 $11.95

$10.79 MX$202

10.75%

Cappuccino

$5.70 $5.70

$3.77 MX$70.4

51.19%

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

$2.94 $2.94

$1.51 MX$28.26

94.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.03 MX$19.25

119.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.52 $6.52

$2.48 MX$46.41

162.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.90 $7.90

$4.36 MX$81.5

81.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.89 MX$35.43

-50.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 $2.57

$2.85 MX$53.3

-9.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$1.86 MX$34.71

111.29%

Eggs

$4.19 $4.19

$2.47 MX$46.12

69.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.83 $13.83

$11.81 MX$221

17.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.68 $6.68

$8.97 MX$168

-25.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.75 $19.75

$12.57 MX$235

57.12%

Apples (1kg)

$5.82 $5.82

$3.20 MX$59.8

81.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.50 MX$28.12

-0.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.61 $5.61

$2.12 MX$39.74

164.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.17 $5.17

$2.33 MX$43.64

121.89%

Potato (1kg)

$3.54 $3.54

$2.22 MX$41.58

59.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.58 MX$48.34

3.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.45 MX$27.04

48.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.22 MX$22.85

36.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.83 $6.83

$4.80 MX$89.7

42.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.29 $15.29

$13.30 MX$249

14.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.90 $3.90

$1.93 MX$36.14

102.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.87 $4.87

$2.86 MX$53.4

70.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.19 $2.19

$0.80 MX$14.94

173.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.5 $53.5

$30.94 MX$579

72.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.41 $3.41

$1.83 MX$34.28

86.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.06 MX$19.78

44.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.47 $24.47

$10.82 MX$202

126.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.47 MX$27.54

-36.05%

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

$36.1K $36.1K

$24.1K MX$450.4K

49.92%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$23.5K MX$440.2K

11.58%

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

$221 $221

$115 MX$2,144

92.44%

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

$74.4 $74.4

$26.37 MX$493

182.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 $55.7

$25.70 MX$481

116.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 $37.88

$30.53 MX$571

24.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.27 MX$398

Cinema Ticket

$8.21 $8.21

$4.96 MX$92.8

65.52%

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

$1,784 $1,784

$679 MX$12.7K

162.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.8K $34.8K

$14.2K MX$265.3K

145.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 $52.6

$72.2 MX$1,350

-27.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.25 $45.25

$41.94 MX$784

7.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.9 $95.9

$107 MX$2,011

-10.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 $108

$119 MX$2,219

-9.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$861 $861

$1,018 MX$19.0K

-15.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$695 $695

$722 MX$13.5K

-3.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,465 $1,465

$1,966 MX$36.8K

-25.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,184 $1,184

$1,416 MX$26.5K

-16.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,813 $2,813

$4,203 MX$78.6K

-33.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,313 $2,313

$2,782 MX$52.0K

-16.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,189 $8,189

$1,096 MX$20.5K

647.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

11.79

-43.43%

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

Last update for Athens, TN: November 3, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens, TN

$695 32.9%

Monterrey

$722 44% 3.8% $26

Eating Out

Athens, TN

$414 19.6%

Monterrey

$216 13.2% 47.9% $198

Groceries & Markets

Athens, TN

$392 18.6%

Monterrey

$302 18.4% 23% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens, TN

$351 16.6%

Monterrey

$167 10.2% 52.5% $184

Clothing & Footwear

Athens, TN

$136 6.4%

Monterrey

$153 9.3% 12.9% $17

Getting Around

Athens, TN

$73 3.5%

Monterrey

$41 2.5% 43.8% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Athens, TN

$54 2.6%

Monterrey

$40 2.5% 25.5% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $861 in Athens, TN versus $1,018 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 in Athens, TN are about 7.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $108 in Athens, TN versus $48 in Monterrey. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $392 vs $302 – making Monterrey the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Athens, TN

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🕒 Local time

16:19 4:19 PM

15:19 3:19 PM

1 h behind Athens, TN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

115,452

1,142,994

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 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 = 0.895 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.7 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 20.9 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Athens, TN Monterrey 1,850 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Athens, TN costs about 29% more than Monterrey, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,174 per month in Athens, TN and $2,461 in Monterrey. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Athens, TN, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $861 there versus $1,018 in Monterrey.

Public transport costs about 42% less in Monterrey. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,784 per month in Athens, TN and $679 in Monterrey. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,116 in Athens, TN and $1,641 in Monterrey, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Monterrey has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,641 in Monterrey to $2,116 in Athens, TN. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Monterrey. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Athens, TN makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.