Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Atlantic City, NJ and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,641 a month against $2,815 in Atlantic City, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Atlantic City, NJ, United States
Monterrey, Mexico
Atlantic City, NJ
🇺🇸 United States
$2,815
/mo nomad
Monterrey
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,641
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,815 in Atlantic City, NJ versus $1,641 in Monterrey.

  • Atlantic City, NJ $2,815
  • Monterrey $1,641

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,199 in Atlantic City, NJ versus $2,573 in Monterrey.

  • Atlantic City, NJ $4,199
  • Monterrey $2,573

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,583 in Atlantic City, NJ versus $3,504 in Monterrey.

  • Atlantic City, NJ $5,583
  • Monterrey $3,504

Living in Atlantic City, NJ is roughly 72% more expensive than in Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Atlantic City, NJ 108% above, Monterrey 21% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Atlantic City, NJ
Monterrey
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.66 $19.66
$13.37 MX$250
47.05%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$99.2 $99.2
$47.95 MX$897
106.84%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.30 $11.30
$10.79 MX$202
4.73%
Cappuccino
$5.70 $5.70
$3.77 MX$70.4
51.19%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 $2.26
$1.51 MX$28.26
49.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.92 $1.92
$1.03 MX$19.25
86.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.83 $5.83
$2.48 MX$46.41
135.08%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.94 $8.94
$4.36 MX$81.5
105.05%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Atlantic City, NJ
Monterrey
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.20 $1.20
$1.89 MX$35.43
-36.51%
White Bread (500g)
$3.41 $3.41
$2.85 MX$53.3
19.65%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$7.17 $7.17
$1.86 MX$34.71
285.48%
Eggs
$4.34 $4.34
$2.47 MX$46.12
75.71%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.03 $11.03
$11.81 MX$221
-6.60%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$16.78 $16.78
$8.97 MX$168
87.07%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.36 $20.36
$12.57 MX$235
61.97%
Apples (1kg)
$7.74 $7.74
$3.20 MX$59.8
141.88%
Banana (1kg)
$3.81 $3.81
$1.50 MX$28.12
154.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.44 $5.44
$2.12 MX$39.74
156.60%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.11 $6.11
$2.33 MX$43.64
162.23%
Potato (1kg)
$3.92 $3.92
$2.22 MX$41.58
76.58%
Onion (1kg)
$4.69 $4.69
$2.58 MX$48.34
81.78%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.62 $2.62
$1.45 MX$27.04
80.69%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.43 $2.43
$1.22 MX$22.85
99.18%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.24 $14.24
$4.80 MX$89.7
196.67%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.36 $13.36
$13.30 MX$249
0.45%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.75 $2.75
$1.93 MX$36.14
42.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.25 $3.25
$2.86 MX$53.4
13.64%
🚌 Getting Around
Atlantic City, NJ
Monterrey
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.95 $2.95
$0.80 MX$14.94
268.75%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$90.0 $90.0
$30.94 MX$579
190.92%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.94 $2.94
$1.83 MX$34.28
60.66%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.22 $2.22
$1.06 MX$19.78
109.43%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$41.74 $41.74
$10.82 MX$202
285.77%
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)
$20.3K $20.3K
$24.1K MX$450.4K
-15.78%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.7K $24.7K
$23.5K MX$440.2K
4.80%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Atlantic City, NJ
Monterrey
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$223 $223
$115 MX$2,144
94.22%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$61.6 $61.6
$26.37 MX$493
133.64%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$61.2 $61.2
$25.70 MX$481
137.98%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Atlantic City, NJ
Monterrey
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$29.58 $29.58
$30.53 MX$571
-3.11%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$50.8 $50.8
$21.27 MX$398
138.93%
Cinema Ticket
$16.85 $16.85
$4.96 MX$92.8
239.72%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Atlantic City, NJ
Monterrey
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$494 $494
$679 MX$12.7K
-27.15%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,073 $7,073
$14.2K MX$265.3K
-50.14%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Atlantic City, NJ
Monterrey
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$69.9 $69.9
$72.2 MX$1,350
-3.14%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.16 $31.16
$41.94 MX$784
-25.70%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$117 $117
$107 MX$2,011
9.15%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$120 $120
$119 MX$2,219
1.15%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Atlantic City, NJ
Monterrey
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,762 $1,762
$1,018 MX$19.0K
73.13%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,323 $1,323
$722 MX$13.5K
83.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,377 $2,377
$1,966 MX$36.8K
20.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,132 $2,132
$1,416 MX$26.5K
50.61%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,349 $4,349
$4,203 MX$78.6K
3.49%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,265 $4,265
$2,782 MX$52.0K
53.32%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Atlantic City, NJ
Monterrey
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,006 $4,006
$1,096 MX$20.5K
265.59%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.78
11.79
-42.49%

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

Last update for Atlantic City, NJ: November 1, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Atlantic City, NJ
$1.3K
Monterrey
$722 45.5% $602
Groceries & Markets
Atlantic City, NJ
$492
Monterrey
$302 38.6% $190
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Atlantic City, NJ
$345
Monterrey
$167 51.7% $179
Eating Out
Atlantic City, NJ
$323
Monterrey
$216 33.3% $108
Clothing & Footwear
Atlantic City, NJ
$152
Monterrey
$153 0.5% $0.8
Getting Around
Atlantic City, NJ
$116
Monterrey
$41 64.4% $75
Sport & Entertainment
Atlantic City, NJ
$63
Monterrey
$40 36.1% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,762 in Atlantic City, NJ and $1,018 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Atlantic City, NJ pays about 3.7 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $99 in Atlantic City, NJ vs $48 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $492 vs $302 per month, with Monterrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Atlantic City, NJ
🇲🇽 Monterrey
🕒 Local time
21:15 9:15 PM
20:15 8:15 PM
1 h behind Atlantic City, NJ
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
39,958
1,142,994
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 18.7 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 20.9 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Atlantic City, NJ Monterrey 2,850 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Atlantic City, NJ
  • 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
Atlantic City, NJ vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Atlantic City, NJ and in Monterrey?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,815 in Atlantic City, NJ and $1,641 in Monterrey, so Monterrey is about 42% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Atlantic City, NJ or Monterrey?
Average pay in Atlantic City, NJ is about 3.7 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Atlantic City, NJ and in Monterrey?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,762 in Atlantic City, NJ versus $1,018 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 63% higher in Atlantic City, NJ. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Monterrey – a meal for two runs $48 versus $99 in Atlantic City, NJ. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How does quality of life compare between Atlantic City, NJ and Monterrey?
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.
Where should expats move: Atlantic City, NJ or Monterrey?
Expats usually find Monterrey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Atlantic City, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Atlantic City, NJ vs other spots: cost of living compared

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