Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, MN and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,608 a month against $2,462 in Austin, MN, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Austin, MN
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Austin, MN Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index

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Austin, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,462

/mo nomad

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,462 per month in Austin, MN vs $1,608 in Monterrey, rent included.

Austin, MN $2,462
Monterrey $1,608

A couple spends around $3,691 per month in Austin, MN vs $2,521 in Monterrey, rent included.

Austin, MN $3,691
Monterrey $2,521

A family of three spends $4,921 per month in Austin, MN vs $3,433 in Monterrey, rent included.

Austin, MN $4,921
Monterrey $3,433

Austin, MN costs about 53% more than Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Austin, MN and Monterrey sit above the global median – Austin, MN by 82%, Monterrey by 19%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.05 $20.05

$13.85 MX$256

44.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.6 $99.6

$49.70 MX$918

100.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.22 $12.22

$11.05 MX$204

10.59%

Cappuccino

$5.04 $5.04

$4.09 MX$75.6

23.23%

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

$2.95 $2.95

$1.68 MX$30.97

75.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.03 MX$18.98

93.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.11 $5.11

$2.40 MX$44.28

112.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$4.35 MX$80.3

33.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$1.92 MX$35.55

-56.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.88 $2.88

$2.94 MX$54.2

-2.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.88 MX$34.66

1.60%

Eggs

$2.66 $2.66

$2.55 MX$47.06

4.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.65 $9.65

$11.84 MX$219

-18.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.48 $6.48

$9.36 MX$173

-30.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.15 $19.15

$13.10 MX$242

46.18%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$3.38 MX$62.5

53.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.52 MX$28.13

-18.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.59 $3.59

$2.19 MX$40.51

63.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.74 $1.74

$2.36 MX$43.63

-26.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.26 MX$41.76

12.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.73 MX$50.5

-18.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.52 MX$28.17

-0.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.24 MX$22.90

59.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.71 $8.71

$4.75 MX$87.8

83.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$13.66 MX$252

-77.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.89 MX$34.95

-6.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 $3.02

$2.99 MX$55.2

1.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$0.85 MX$15.78

130.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.95 MX$572

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.68 MX$30.98

20.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.13 MX$20.87

12.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.06 $20.06

$11.15 MX$206

79.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.56 MX$28.91

-39.10%

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

$35.4K $35.4K

$21.4K MX$395.8K

65.49%

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

$24.5K $24.5K

$25.1K MX$463.2K

-2.37%

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

$187 $187

$119 MX$2,206

56.31%

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

$52.3 $52.3

$26.21 MX$484

99.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.3 $79.3

$26.78 MX$495

196.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.93 $35.93

$31.03 MX$573

15.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.43 MX$396

Cinema Ticket

$15.30 $15.30

$5.29 MX$97.7

189.22%

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

$1,361 $1,361

$691 MX$12.8K

96.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K $11.6K

$11.5K MX$212.1K

1.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.5 $77.5

$72.3 MX$1,335

7.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.0 $54.0

$42.72 MX$789

26.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$110 MX$2,024

-7.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 $165

$117 MX$2,158

40.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,433 $1,433

$970 MX$17.9K

47.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$664 MX$12.3K

91.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,528 $2,528

$1,857 MX$34.3K

36.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,157 $2,157

$1,287 MX$23.8K

67.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,481 $2,481

$4,162 MX$76.9K

-40.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,593 $2,593

$2,349 MX$43.4K

10.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,146 MX$21.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

11.79

-44.27%

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

Last update for Austin, MN: October 10, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, MN

$1.3K 51.8%

Monterrey

$664 41.3% 47.9% $610

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, MN

$318 12.9%

Monterrey

$172 10.7% 45.8% $146

Eating Out

Austin, MN

$314 12.8%

Monterrey

$225 14% 28.6% $90

Groceries & Markets

Austin, MN

$293 11.9%

Monterrey

$310 19.3% 5.8% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, MN

$179 7.3%

Monterrey

$154 9.6% 14.2% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, MN

$67 2.7%

Monterrey

$42 2.6% 37.4% $25

Getting Around

Austin, MN

$16 * 0.7%

Monterrey

$42 2.6% 157% $25

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,433 in Austin, MN versus $970 in Monterrey. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $100 in Austin, MN versus $50.0 in Monterrey. Groceries tell a different story – $293 in Austin, MN vs $310 in Monterrey – so Austin, MN wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, MN

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🕒 Local time

13:58 1:58 PM

12:58 12:58 PM

1 h behind Austin, MN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

1,142,994

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 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 October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, MN Monterrey 2,110 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, MN
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

Austin, MN vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Austin, MN is pricier by about 53%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,692 per month in Austin, MN and $2,412 in Monterrey. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Monterrey, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,462 in Austin, MN and $1,608 in Monterrey. That's a gap of about 53%.

Kindergarten costs $1,361 per month in Austin, MN and $691 in Monterrey. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Monterrey, where all-in costs run around $1,608, than in Austin, MN at $2,462. In Monterrey it covers expenses comfortably, while in Austin, MN it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Monterrey – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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