Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baltimore, MD and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,641 a month against $2,591 in Baltimore, MD, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Baltimore, MD
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Baltimore, MD Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index

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Baltimore, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,591

/mo nomad

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,591 in Baltimore, MD versus $1,641 in Monterrey.

Baltimore, MD $2,591
Monterrey $1,641

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,942 in Baltimore, MD versus $2,573 in Monterrey.

Baltimore, MD $3,942
Monterrey $2,573

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,293 in Baltimore, MD versus $3,504 in Monterrey.

Baltimore, MD $5,293
Monterrey $3,504

Living in Baltimore, MD is roughly 58% more expensive than in Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Baltimore, MD 92% above, Monterrey 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.22 $18.22

$13.37 MX$251

36.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.0 $95.0

$47.95 MX$900

98.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.74 $10.74

$10.79 MX$203

-0.46%

Cappuccino

$5.38 $5.38

$3.77 MX$70.7

42.71%

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

$3.49 $3.49

$1.51 MX$28.37

131.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 $2.61

$1.03 MX$19.33

153.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.90 $6.90

$2.48 MX$46.60

178.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.91 $7.91

$4.36 MX$81.8

81.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.89 MX$35.58

-39.15%

White Bread (500g)

$4.06 $4.06

$2.85 MX$53.5

42.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.20 $4.20

$1.86 MX$34.86

125.81%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$2.47 MX$46.31

97.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.00 $13.00

$11.81 MX$222

10.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.92 $12.92

$8.97 MX$168

44.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.14 $18.14

$12.57 MX$236

44.31%

Apples (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$3.20 MX$60.0

89.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.50 MX$28.23

4.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.56 $5.56

$2.12 MX$39.90

162.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.88 $4.88

$2.33 MX$43.82

109.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.74 $2.74

$2.22 MX$41.75

23.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.96 $2.96

$2.58 MX$48.54

14.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.45 MX$27.15

65.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.22 MX$22.94

86.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.27 $13.27

$4.80 MX$90.1

176.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.78 $15.78

$13.30 MX$250

18.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 $2.61

$1.93 MX$36.28

35.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 $3.83

$2.86 MX$53.6

33.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 $2.06

$0.80 MX$15.00

157.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.1 $77.1

$30.94 MX$581

149.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.83 MX$34.42

-2.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.06 MX$19.86

31.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.84 $23.84

$10.82 MX$203

120.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.47 MX$27.65

-25.85%

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

$33.9K $33.9K

$24.1K MX$452.3K

40.69%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$23.5K MX$442.0K

11.22%

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

$211 $211

$115 MX$2,152

83.92%

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

$68.1 $68.1

$26.37 MX$495

158.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.8 $80.8

$25.70 MX$483

214.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.50 $48.50

$30.53 MX$573

58.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.68 $46.68

$21.27 MX$400

119.46%

Cinema Ticket

$14.71 $14.71

$4.96 MX$93.1

196.57%

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

$1,942 $1,942

$679 MX$12.7K

186.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$38.9K $38.9K

$14.2K MX$266.4K

173.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 $53.3

$72.2 MX$1,356

-26.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.3 $64.3

$41.94 MX$788

53.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 $93.0

$107 MX$2,019

-13.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$119 MX$2,228

-7.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,688 $1,688

$1,018 MX$19.1K

65.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,162 $1,162

$722 MX$13.6K

61.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,098 $2,098

$1,966 MX$36.9K

6.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 $2,040

$1,416 MX$26.6K

44.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,408 $2,408

$4,203 MX$78.9K

-42.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,231 $2,231

$2,782 MX$52.2K

-19.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,533 $4,533

$1,096 MX$20.6K

313.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.9

11.79

-41.48%

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

Last update for Baltimore, MD: November 2, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baltimore, MD

$1.2K 44.9%

Monterrey

$722 44% 37.9% $441

Groceries & Markets

Baltimore, MD

$436 16.8%

Monterrey

$302 18.4% 30.7% $134

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baltimore, MD

$360 13.9%

Monterrey

$167 10.2% 53.7% $193

Eating Out

Baltimore, MD

$317 12.2%

Monterrey

$216 13.2% 32% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Baltimore, MD

$144 5.6%

Monterrey

$153 9.3% 6.3% $9.1

Getting Around

Baltimore, MD

$94 3.6%

Monterrey

$41 2.5% 56.2% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Baltimore, MD

$78 3%

Monterrey

$40 2.5% 48.1% $37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,688 in Baltimore, MD and $1,018 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Baltimore, MD pays about 4.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $95 in Baltimore, MD vs $48 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $436 vs $302 per month, with Monterrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Baltimore, MD

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🕒 Local time

07:51 7:51 AM

06:51 6:51 AM

1 h behind Baltimore, MD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

585,708

1,142,994

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.74 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 = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.78 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 21.09 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

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Baltimore, MD Monterrey 2,680 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Baltimore, MD
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

Baltimore, MD vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey wins on cost – living expenses run 37% lower than in Baltimore, MD. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Monterrey the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Baltimore, MD is about 4.1 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,688 in Baltimore, MD versus $1,018 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in Baltimore, MD. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Monterrey – a meal for two runs $48 versus $95 in Baltimore, MD. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Monterrey gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

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