Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bismarck, ND and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,599 a month against $2,403 in Bismarck, ND, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

116

Cost of Living Index in Bismarck, ND
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Bismarck, ND Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index

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Bismarck, ND

🇺🇸 United States

$2,403

/mo nomad

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,599

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,403 in Bismarck, ND versus $1,599 in Monterrey.

Bismarck, ND $2,403
Monterrey $1,599

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,341 in Bismarck, ND versus $2,493 in Monterrey.

Bismarck, ND $3,341
Monterrey $2,493

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,278 in Bismarck, ND versus $3,387 in Monterrey.

Bismarck, ND $4,278
Monterrey $3,387

Living in Bismarck, ND is roughly 50% more expensive than in Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bismarck, ND 77% above, Monterrey 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.19 $30.19

$13.80 MX$255

118.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.8 $69.8

$47.99 MX$887

45.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.41 $17.41

$10.65 MX$197

63.47%

Cappuccino

$6.22 $6.22

$3.99 MX$73.7

55.89%

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

$2.50 $2.50

$1.66 MX$30.76

50.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 $1.89

$0.99 MX$18.21

90.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.55 $5.55

$2.36 MX$43.64

135.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.99 $6.99

$4.43 MX$81.8

57.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.82 MX$33.58

-43.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.69 $2.69

$2.83 MX$52.4

-4.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.92 MX$35.44

8.33%

Eggs

$2.73 $2.73

$2.48 MX$45.78

10.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 $7.70

$11.74 MX$217

-34.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.21 $13.21

$9.10 MX$168

45.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.90 $15.90

$12.53 MX$232

26.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 $3.47

$3.34 MX$61.6

3.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.57 MX$29.10

10.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 $2.96

$2.16 MX$39.86

37.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$2.47 MX$45.65

72.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 $1.89

$2.31 MX$42.64

-18.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.68 MX$49.47

4.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.46 MX$26.90

50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$1.19 MX$22.07

126.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.74 $8.74

$4.75 MX$87.8

84.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.97 $19.97

$13.58 MX$251

47.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.92 MX$35.52

-0.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.05 $4.05

$2.88 MX$53.2

40.63%

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)

$10.80 MX$200

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.55 MX$28.59

-37.42%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$24.2K MX$446.4K

9.73%

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

$22.5K $22.5K

$24.3K MX$449.4K

-7.45%

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

$208 $208

$117 MX$2,159

78.25%

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

$71.8 $71.8

$26.38 MX$488

172.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$82.1 $82.1

$26.04 MX$481

215.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.78 $41.78

$30.26 MX$559

38.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.25 MX$393

Cinema Ticket

$10.89 $10.89

$5.23 MX$96.6

108.22%

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

$804 $804

$673 MX$12.4K

19.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K MX$205.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.1 $65.1

$72.1 MX$1,332

-9.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.38 MX$783

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.2 $95.2

$112 MX$2,066

-14.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.2 $81.2

$119 MX$2,200

-31.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,171 $1,171

$949 MX$17.5K

23.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,077 $1,077

$666 MX$12.3K

61.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 $1,628

$1,821 MX$33.7K

-10.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,428 $1,428

$1,271 MX$23.5K

12.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,226 $2,226

$4,050 MX$74.8K

-45.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,054 $2,054

$2,348 MX$43.4K

-12.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,393 $4,393

$1,155 MX$21.3K

280.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.84

11.79

-41.98%

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

Last update for Bismarck, ND: October 18, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bismarck, ND

$1.1K 44.8%

Monterrey

$666 41.7% 38.1% $411

Eating Out

Bismarck, ND

$428 17.8%

Monterrey

$221 13.9% 48.2% $206

Groceries & Markets

Bismarck, ND

$364 15.2%

Monterrey

$304 19% 16.4% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bismarck, ND

$362 15.1%

Monterrey

$169 10.6% 53.3% $193

Clothing & Footwear

Bismarck, ND

$109 * 4.5%

Monterrey

$155 9.7% 43% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Bismarck, ND

$64 2.7%

Monterrey

$41 2.6% 36% $23

Getting Around

Bismarck, ND

- * 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 $1,171 in Bismarck, ND and $949 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bismarck, ND pays 280% 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: $70.0 in Bismarck, ND vs $48.00 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $364 vs $304 per month, with Monterrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bismarck, ND

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🕒 Local time

08:10 8:10 AM

07:10 7:10 AM

1 h behind Bismarck, ND

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

58,333

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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Between locations

Bismarck, ND Monterrey 2,350 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Bismarck, ND
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

Bismarck, ND vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bismarck, ND and Monterrey differ by about 50% in total monthly costs ($2,403 vs $1,599 including rent). Monterrey is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 280% higher in Bismarck, ND, 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: $1,171 in Bismarck, ND versus $949 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $804 in Bismarck, ND versus $673 in Monterrey. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Monterrey – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $70.0 in Bismarck, ND. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,599 in Monterrey versus $2,403 in Bismarck, ND, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Monterrey but tight or insufficient in Bismarck, ND. The gap between the two cities makes Monterrey the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Bismarck, ND 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 Monterrey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Bismarck, ND. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.