Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bloomington, IN and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,641 a month against $2,206 in Bloomington, IN, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Bloomington, IN, United States
Monterrey, Mexico
Bloomington, IN
🇺🇸 United States
$2,206
/mo nomad
Monterrey
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,641
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,206 per month in Bloomington, IN vs $1,641 in Monterrey, rent included.

  • Bloomington, IN $2,206
  • Monterrey $1,641

A couple spends around $3,052 per month in Bloomington, IN vs $2,573 in Monterrey, rent included.

  • Bloomington, IN $3,052
  • Monterrey $2,573

A family of three spends $3,897 per month in Bloomington, IN vs $3,504 in Monterrey, rent included.

  • Bloomington, IN $3,897
  • Monterrey $3,504

Bloomington, IN costs about 34% more than Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Bloomington, IN and Monterrey sit above the global median – Bloomington, IN by 63%, Monterrey by 21%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bloomington, IN
Monterrey
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.86 $14.86
$13.37 MX$250
11.14%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$55.6 $55.6
$47.95 MX$897
15.95%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.08 $9.08
$10.79 MX$202
-15.85%
Cappuccino
$4.97 $4.97
$3.77 MX$70.4
31.83%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.15 $2.15
$1.51 MX$28.26
42.38%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.52 $1.52
$1.03 MX$19.25
47.57%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.10 $5.10
$2.48 MX$46.41
105.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.95 $5.95
$4.36 MX$81.5
36.47%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bloomington, IN
Monterrey
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.77 $0.77
$1.89 MX$35.43
-59.26%
White Bread (500g)
$3.29 $3.29
$2.85 MX$53.3
15.44%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.08 $4.08
$1.86 MX$34.71
119.35%
Eggs
$3.85 $3.85
$2.47 MX$46.12
55.87%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.04 $13.04
$11.81 MX$221
10.41%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.96 $5.96
$8.97 MX$168
-33.56%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.92 $15.92
$12.57 MX$235
26.65%
Apples (1kg)
$4.32 $4.32
$3.20 MX$59.8
35.00%
Banana (1kg)
$1.25 $1.25
$1.50 MX$28.12
-16.67%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.27 $3.27
$2.12 MX$39.74
54.25%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.62 $4.62
$2.33 MX$43.64
98.28%
Potato (1kg)
$2.51 $2.51
$2.22 MX$41.58
13.06%
Onion (1kg)
$3.25 $3.25
$2.58 MX$48.34
25.97%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.94 $1.94
$1.45 MX$27.04
33.79%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.84 $1.84
$1.22 MX$22.85
50.82%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.84 $9.84
$4.80 MX$89.7
105.00%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.10 $11.10
$13.30 MX$249
-16.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.89 $1.89
$1.93 MX$36.14
-2.07%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.96 $2.96
$2.86 MX$53.4
3.50%
🚌 Getting Around
Bloomington, IN
Monterrey
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.97 $0.97
$0.80 MX$14.94
21.25%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.88 $29.88
$30.94 MX$579
-3.43%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.79 $3.79
$1.83 MX$34.28
107.10%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.05 $1.05
$1.06 MX$19.78
-0.94%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$18.10 $18.10
$10.82 MX$202
67.28%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.96 $0.96
$1.47 MX$27.54
-34.69%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.8K $27.8K
$24.1K MX$450.4K
15.57%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.3K $26.3K
$23.5K MX$440.2K
11.77%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bloomington, IN
Monterrey
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$149 $149
$115 MX$2,144
30.01%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$79.7 $79.7
$26.37 MX$493
202.28%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$64.7 $64.7
$25.70 MX$481
151.67%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bloomington, IN
Monterrey
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$31.92 $31.92
$30.53 MX$571
4.55%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.64 $20.64
$21.27 MX$398
-2.96%
Cinema Ticket
$11.78 $11.78
$4.96 MX$92.8
137.50%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bloomington, IN
Monterrey
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,319 $1,319
$679 MX$12.7K
94.28%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,815 $9,815
$14.2K MX$265.3K
-30.80%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bloomington, IN
Monterrey
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$46.12 $46.12
$72.2 MX$1,350
-36.12%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.05 $42.05
$41.94 MX$784
0.26%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$68.0 $68.0
$107 MX$2,011
-36.72%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$91.4 $91.4
$119 MX$2,219
-22.98%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bloomington, IN
Monterrey
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,220 $1,220
$1,018 MX$19.0K
19.92%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,110 $1,110
$722 MX$13.5K
53.80%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,967 $1,967
$1,966 MX$36.8K
0.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,488 $1,488
$1,416 MX$26.5K
5.14%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,441 $2,441
$4,203 MX$78.6K
-41.91%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,963 $1,963
$2,782 MX$52.0K
-29.44%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bloomington, IN
Monterrey
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,585 $3,585
$1,096 MX$20.5K
227.17%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.59
11.79
-44.11%

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

Last update for Bloomington, IN: November 1, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Bloomington, IN
$1.1K
Monterrey
$722 35% $388
Groceries & Markets
Bloomington, IN
$336
Monterrey
$302 10% $34
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bloomington, IN
$293
Monterrey
$167 43.2% $127
Eating Out
Bloomington, IN
$258
Monterrey
$216 16.3% $42
Clothing & Footwear
Bloomington, IN
$111
Monterrey
$153 37.4% $42
Sport & Entertainment
Bloomington, IN
$55
Monterrey
$40 27.1% $15
Getting Around
Bloomington, IN
$43
Monterrey
$41 3.6% $1.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,220 in Bloomington, IN versus $1,018 in Monterrey. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Bloomington, IN are about 3.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56 in Bloomington, IN versus $48 in Monterrey. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $336 vs $302 – making Monterrey the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Bloomington, IN
🇲🇽 Monterrey
🕒 Local time
16:04 4:04 PM
15:04 3:04 PM
1 h behind Bloomington, IN
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
69,247
1,142,994
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.7 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 20.9 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bloomington, IN Monterrey 1,980 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Bloomington, IN
  • 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
Bloomington, IN vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Monterrey cheaper than Bloomington, IN?
Yes – Bloomington, IN is pricier by about 34%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,310 per month in Bloomington, IN and $2,461 in Monterrey. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Monterrey, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,018 there versus $1,220 in Bloomington, IN.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 3% less in Bloomington, IN. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $1,319 per month in Bloomington, IN and $679 in Monterrey. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $3,000 enough for either Bloomington, IN or Monterrey?
$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,206 in Bloomington, IN and $1,641 in Monterrey, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is Bloomington, IN or Monterrey more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Monterrey. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bloomington, IN makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Bloomington, IN vs other spots: cost of living compared

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