Cost of Living Comparison Between Atotonilco el Alto and Monterrey Cost of Living Comparison Between Atotonilco el Alto and Monterrey

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,167 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $1,601 in Monterrey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,845 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $2,585 in Monterrey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,522 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $3,568 in Monterrey.

Living in Atotonilco el Alto costs roughly 27% less than in Monterrey, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Atotonilco el Alto is 13% below, Monterrey is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.37 MX$162

$13.01 MX$225

-27.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 MX$789

$53.8 MX$930

-15.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.16 MX$141

$10.21 MX$177

-20.08%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$63.8

$3.68 MX$63.7

0.27%

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

$1.27 MX$21.93

$1.46 MX$25.30

-13.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 MX$16.13

$1.00 MX$17.28

-7.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 MX$40.87

$2.70 MX$46.62

-12.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 MX$74.8

$4.27 MX$73.9

1.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.77

$1.67 MX$28.81

-3.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 MX$44.68

$2.68 MX$46.35

-3.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 MX$35.02

$1.93 MX$33.35

4.66%

Eggs

$2.39 MX$41.39

$2.63 MX$45.49

-9.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.13 MX$141

$10.34 MX$179

-21.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.77 MX$169

$9.22 MX$159

5.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.23 MX$229

$13.84 MX$239

-4.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.59 MX$62.2

$3.15 MX$54.5

13.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 MX$25.51

$1.39 MX$24.01

5.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 MX$33.61

$2.00 MX$34.59

-3.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.64

$2.14 MX$37.03

-20.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$30.96

$2.27 MX$39.19

-21.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 MX$31.55

$2.54 MX$44.00

-28.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 MX$22.76

$1.57 MX$27.09

-15.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$1.07 MX$18.49

4.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.32 MX$74.8

$4.25 MX$73.5

1.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.48 MX$302

$14.36 MX$248

21.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 MX$33.58

$1.78 MX$30.81

8.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 MX$55.3

$3.14 MX$54.4

1.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 MX$11.09

$0.80 MX$13.87

-20.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.54 MX$701

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.4

$1.68 MX$29.06

90.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 MX$20.71

$0.94 MX$16.28

27.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.48 MX$164

$10.76 MX$186

-11.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.41

$1.37 MX$23.68

-5.11%

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

$19.5K MX$338.1K

$26.7K MX$462.6K

-26.90%

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

$20.1K MX$347.1K

$25.6K MX$442.5K

-21.56%

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

$61.4 MX$1,062

$122 MX$2,104

-49.53%

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

$24.08 MX$417

$27.19 MX$470

-11.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.87 MX$482

$29.82 MX$516

-6.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.60 MX$633

$38.49 MX$666

-4.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.66 MX$271

$21.46 MX$371

-27.03%

Cinema Ticket

$5.86 MX$101

$5.92 MX$102

-1.01%

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

$320 MX$5,539

$346 MX$5,979

-7.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,797 MX$83.0K

$8,997 MX$155.6K

-46.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.1 MX$884

$58.4 MX$1,010

-12.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.13 MX$729

$42.55 MX$736

-0.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.4 MX$1,685

$109 MX$1,892

-10.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.0 MX$1,677

$129 MX$2,231

-24.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$519 MX$8,981

$913 MX$15.8K

-43.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$394 MX$6,818

$647 MX$11.2K

-39.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$949 MX$16.4K

$1,565 MX$27.1K

-39.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$752 MX$13.0K

$1,401 MX$24.2K

-46.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,808 MX$31.3K

$4,371 MX$75.6K

-58.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,405 MX$24.3K

$2,839 MX$49.1K

-50.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,104 MX$19.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

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

Last update for Atotonilco el Alto: May 31, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $519 in Atotonilco el Alto and $913 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Atotonilco el Alto vs $54.0 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $294 vs $298 per month, with Atotonilco el Alto cheaper across the board.

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

Atotonilco el Alto vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Atotonilco el Alto is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 37% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,750 in Atotonilco el Alto and $2,402 in Monterrey to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $519 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $913 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $320 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $346 in Monterrey. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Atotonilco el Alto – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $54.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,167 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $1,601 in Monterrey, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Atotonilco el Alto but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes Atotonilco el Alto the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Atotonilco el Alto is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Monterrey, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Atotonilco el Alto and Monterrey are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Atotonilco el Alto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.