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: $1,293 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $1,715 in Monterrey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,141 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $2,683 in Monterrey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $3,652 in Monterrey.

Living in Atotonilco el Alto costs roughly 25% less than in Monterrey, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Atotonilco el Alto is 6% below, Monterrey is 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.66 MX$198

$14.60 MX$248

-20.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.3 MX$1,127

$53.5 MX$910

23.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.71 MX$165

$11.95 MX$203

-18.74%

Cappuccino

$3.91 MX$66.5

$4.29 MX$72.9

-8.86%

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

$1.78 MX$30.31

$1.73 MX$29.35

2.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.58

$1.06 MX$18.08

8.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.89 MX$66.1

$2.95 MX$50.2

31.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.96 MX$101

$4.73 MX$80.3

26.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 MX$32.70

$2.00 MX$33.93

-4.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.00 MX$50.9

$3.15 MX$53.5

-4.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.32

$2.07 MX$35.10

0.48%

Eggs

$2.96 MX$50.3

$2.78 MX$47.31

6.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.67 MX$164

$13.18 MX$224

-26.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.30 MX$158

$10.11 MX$172

-8.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.40 MX$245

$13.97 MX$237

3.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.64 MX$61.8

$3.49 MX$59.3

4.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 MX$28.71

$1.64 MX$27.83

3.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 MX$39.41

$2.28 MX$38.68

1.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$34.82

$2.60 MX$44.15

-21.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.98

$2.53 MX$43.04

-18.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.01

$2.85 MX$48.35

-34.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 MX$27.79

$1.56 MX$26.48

5.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 MX$21.38

$1.29 MX$21.89

-2.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.91 MX$83.5

$5.21 MX$88.5

-5.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.01 MX$323

$14.84 MX$252

28.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 MX$42.29

$2.01 MX$34.19

23.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 MX$78.1

$3.13 MX$53.2

46.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 MX$10.35

$0.90 MX$15.23

-32.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.72 MX$573

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.44 MX$58.4

$1.85 MX$31.49

85.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.76 MX$46.92

$1.19 MX$20.28

131.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.86 MX$202

$11.82 MX$201

0.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 MX$26.97

$1.67 MX$28.45

-4.79%

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

$22.9K MX$388.9K

$22.6K MX$383.6K

1.39%

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

$25.2K MX$427.5K

$27.1K MX$460.7K

-7.20%

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

$65.6 MX$1,114

$128 MX$2,176

-48.80%

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

$28.52 MX$485

$28.03 MX$476

1.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.80 MX$455

$28.47 MX$484

-5.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.74 MX$573

$32.66 MX$555

3.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.12 MX$342

$23.24 MX$395

-13.43%

Cinema Ticket

$7.79 MX$132

$5.58 MX$94.8

39.61%

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

$288 MX$4,887

$734 MX$12.5K

-60.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,517 MX$93.8K

$12.1K MX$205.9K

-54.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.0 MX$951

$79.5 MX$1,351

-29.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.26 MX$820

$46.39 MX$788

4.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$1,836

$120 MX$2,038

-9.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 MX$1,813

$133 MX$2,267

-20.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$565 MX$9,596

$1,052 MX$17.9K

-46.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$397 MX$6,744

$739 MX$12.6K

-46.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 MX$21.0K

$2,020 MX$34.3K

-38.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$862 MX$14.6K

$1,358 MX$23.1K

-36.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,890 MX$32.1K

$4,486 MX$76.2K

-57.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,280 MX$21.8K

$2,663 MX$45.2K

-51.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,153 MX$19.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.99

11.56

3.72%

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

Last update for Atotonilco el Alto: August 30, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $565 in Atotonilco el Alto and $1,052 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $66.0 in Atotonilco el Alto vs $54.0 in Monterrey. Groceries flip the comparison at $327 vs $333, with Atotonilco el Alto cheaper for home cooking.

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, Getting Around. The 33% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,940 in Atotonilco el Alto and $2,572 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: $565 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $1,052 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $288 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $734 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 $66.0 versus $54.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,293 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $1,715 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 33% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.