Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baytown, TX and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,599 a month against $2,424 in Baytown, TX, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Baytown, TX
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Baytown, TX Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index

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Baytown, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,424

/mo nomad

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,599

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,424 in Baytown, TX versus $1,599 in Monterrey.

Baytown, TX $2,424
Monterrey $1,599

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,066 in Baytown, TX versus $2,493 in Monterrey.

Baytown, TX $3,066
Monterrey $2,493

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,707 in Baytown, TX versus $3,387 in Monterrey.

Baytown, TX $3,707
Monterrey $3,387

Living in Baytown, TX is roughly 52% more expensive than in Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Baytown, TX 79% above, Monterrey 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.61 $19.61

$13.80 MX$255

42.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.32 $40.32

$47.99 MX$887

-15.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.08 $11.08

$10.65 MX$197

4.04%

Cappuccino

$5.44 $5.44

$3.99 MX$73.7

36.34%

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

$2.24 $2.24

$1.66 MX$30.76

34.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 $1.80

$0.99 MX$18.21

81.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.27 $5.27

$2.36 MX$43.64

123.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 $5.70

$4.43 MX$81.8

28.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.82 MX$33.58

-37.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.83 MX$52.4

-15.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.72 $5.72

$1.92 MX$35.44

197.92%

Eggs

$3.65 $3.65

$2.48 MX$45.78

47.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.78 $8.78

$11.74 MX$217

-25.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.14 $10.14

$9.10 MX$168

11.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.78 $21.78

$12.53 MX$232

73.82%

Apples (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$3.34 MX$61.6

35.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.57 MX$29.10

-35.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.60 $5.60

$2.16 MX$39.86

159.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.42 $5.42

$2.47 MX$45.65

119.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.68 $2.68

$2.31 MX$42.64

16.02%

Onion (1kg)

$5.43 $5.43

$2.68 MX$49.47

102.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.46 MX$26.90

-16.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.19 MX$22.07

68.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.94 $5.94

$4.75 MX$87.8

25.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.48 $11.48

$13.58 MX$251

-15.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.54 $3.54

$1.92 MX$35.52

84.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 $3.97

$2.88 MX$53.2

37.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 MX$14.66

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.36 MX$579

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.59 MX$29.44

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 MX$19.58

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.91 $14.91

$10.80 MX$200

38.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.55 MX$28.59

-40.00%

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

$48.1K $48.1K

$24.2K MX$446.4K

98.98%

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

$24.8K $24.8K

$24.3K MX$449.4K

2.12%

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

$196 $196

$117 MX$2,159

68.01%

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

$39.52 $39.52

$26.38 MX$488

49.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.3 $68.3

$26.04 MX$481

162.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.86 $14.86

$30.26 MX$559

-50.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.25 MX$393

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 $9.18

$5.23 MX$96.6

75.53%

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

$673 MX$12.4K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K MX$205.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.77 $36.77

$72.1 MX$1,332

-48.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.09 $20.09

$42.38 MX$783

-52.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.7 $63.7

$112 MX$2,066

-43.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.9 $65.9

$119 MX$2,200

-44.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,280 $1,280

$949 MX$17.5K

34.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 $1,304

$666 MX$12.3K

95.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,823 $1,823

$1,821 MX$33.7K

0.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,381 $1,381

$1,271 MX$23.5K

8.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,050 MX$74.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,348 MX$43.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,645 $3,645

$1,155 MX$21.3K

215.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.71

11.79

-43.09%

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

Last update for Baytown, TX: October 17, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baytown, TX

$1.3K 53.8%

Monterrey

$666 41.7% 48.9% $637

Groceries & Markets

Baytown, TX

$390 16.1%

Monterrey

$304 19% 21.9% $85

Eating Out

Baytown, TX

$309 12.8%

Monterrey

$221 13.9% 28.4% $88

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baytown, TX

$304 12.5%

Monterrey

$169 10.6% 44.3% $135

Clothing & Footwear

Baytown, TX

$84 3.5%

Monterrey

$155 9.7% 85.3% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Baytown, TX

$33 1.4%

Monterrey

$41 2.6% 22.5% $7.5

Getting Around

Baytown, TX

- * 0%

Monterrey

$41 2.6%

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,280 in Baytown, TX and $949 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Baytown, TX pays 215% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $40.00 in Baytown, TX vs $48.00 in Monterrey. Groceries flip the comparison at $390 vs $304, with Monterrey cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Baytown, TX

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🕒 Local time

11:03 11:03 AM

10:03 10:03 AM

1 h behind Baytown, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

75,418

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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 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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Highest

Between locations

Baytown, TX Monterrey 690 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Baytown, TX
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

Baytown, TX vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey wins on cost – living expenses run 52% lower than in Baytown, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Monterrey the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 215% higher in Baytown, TX, 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: $1,280 in Baytown, TX versus $949 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,424 per month in Baytown, TX versus $1,599 in Monterrey – a 52% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Baytown, TX. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,599 in Monterrey versus $2,424 in Baytown, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Monterrey but tight or insufficient in Baytown, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Monterrey the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Monterrey delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,599 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Monterrey hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Monterrey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Baytown, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.