Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brooklyn, NY and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,641 a month against $4,230 in Brooklyn, NY, rent and utilities included – about $31,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

204

Cost of Living Index in Brooklyn, NY
Learn more

Brooklyn, NY Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
Learn more

Monterrey Living Index

Jump to prices

Brooklyn, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,230

/mo nomad

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,230 per month in Brooklyn, NY vs $1,641 in Monterrey, rent included.

Brooklyn, NY $4,230
Monterrey $1,641

A couple spends around $6,364 per month in Brooklyn, NY vs $2,573 in Monterrey, rent included.

Brooklyn, NY $6,364
Monterrey $2,573

A family of three spends $8,497 per month in Brooklyn, NY vs $3,504 in Monterrey, rent included.

Brooklyn, NY $8,497
Monterrey $3,504

Brooklyn, NY costs about 158% more than Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Brooklyn, NY and Monterrey sit above the global median – Brooklyn, NY by 213%, Monterrey by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.37 $20.37

$13.37 MX$250

52.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$107 $107

$47.95 MX$897

122.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.86 $11.86

$10.79 MX$202

9.92%

Cappuccino

$5.49 $5.49

$3.77 MX$70.4

45.62%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$1.51 MX$28.26

74.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.03 MX$19.25

120.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 $7.82

$2.48 MX$46.41

215.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.90 $8.90

$4.36 MX$81.5

104.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.89 MX$35.43

-11.64%

White Bread (500g)

$4.58 $4.58

$2.85 MX$53.3

60.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.02 $7.02

$1.86 MX$34.71

277.42%

Eggs

$6.59 $6.59

$2.47 MX$46.12

166.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.57 $16.57

$11.81 MX$221

40.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.01 $17.01

$8.97 MX$168

89.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.96 $19.96

$12.57 MX$235

58.79%

Apples (1kg)

$7.93 $7.93

$3.20 MX$59.8

147.81%

Banana (1kg)

$3.68 $3.68

$1.50 MX$28.12

145.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.23 $5.23

$2.12 MX$39.74

146.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.04 $6.04

$2.33 MX$43.64

159.23%

Potato (1kg)

$4.02 $4.02

$2.22 MX$41.58

81.08%

Onion (1kg)

$4.79 $4.79

$2.58 MX$48.34

85.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.64 $2.64

$1.45 MX$27.04

82.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.22 MX$22.85

99.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.04 $15.04

$4.80 MX$89.7

213.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.33 $21.33

$13.30 MX$249

60.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 $2.74

$1.93 MX$36.14

41.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.86 MX$53.4

13.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 $2.94

$0.80 MX$14.94

267.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$183 $183

$30.94 MX$579

491.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 $2.96

$1.83 MX$34.28

61.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.06 MX$19.78

101.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.63 $42.63

$10.82 MX$202

293.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.47 MX$27.54

-22.45%

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

$31.2K $31.2K

$24.1K MX$450.4K

29.70%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$23.5K MX$440.2K

10.06%

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

$219 $219

$115 MX$2,144

91.25%

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

$60.5 $60.5

$26.37 MX$493

129.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$25.70 MX$481

138.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$123 $123

$30.53 MX$571

301.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.28 $35.28

$21.27 MX$398

65.87%

Cinema Ticket

$20.06 $20.06

$4.96 MX$92.8

304.44%

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

$3,022 $3,022

$679 MX$12.7K

345.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$52.2K $52.2K

$14.2K MX$265.3K

267.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 $70.0

$72.2 MX$1,350

-3.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$76.8 $76.8

$41.94 MX$784

83.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 $122

$107 MX$2,011

13.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 $118

$119 MX$2,219

-0.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,827 $3,827

$1,018 MX$19.0K

276.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,454 $2,454

$722 MX$13.5K

240.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$7,537 $7,537

$1,966 MX$36.8K

283.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,441 $4,441

$1,416 MX$26.5K

213.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.4K $12.4K

$4,203 MX$78.6K

195.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,713 $7,713

$2,782 MX$52.0K

177.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,614 $3,614

$1,096 MX$20.5K

229.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.78

11.79

-42.49%

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

Last update for Brooklyn, NY: 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

Brooklyn, NY

$2.5K 58%

Monterrey

$722 44% 70.6% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

Brooklyn, NY

$549 13%

Monterrey

$302 18.4% 44.9% $247

Eating Out

Brooklyn, NY

$341 8.1%

Monterrey

$216 13.2% 36.7% $125

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brooklyn, NY

$341 8.1%

Monterrey

$167 10.2% 51.1% $174

Getting Around

Brooklyn, NY

$208 4.9%

Monterrey

$41 2.5% 80.2% $167

Clothing & Footwear

Brooklyn, NY

$174 4.1%

Monterrey

$153 9.3% 12.1% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Brooklyn, NY

$163 3.9%

Monterrey

$40 2.5% 75.2% $122

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,827 in Brooklyn, NY 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 Brooklyn, NY are about 3.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $107 in Brooklyn, NY versus $48 in Monterrey. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $549 vs $302 – making Monterrey the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Brooklyn, NY

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🕒 Local time

11:46 11:46 AM

10:46 10:46 AM

1 h behind Brooklyn, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,736,074

1,142,994

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.76 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 = 18.7 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 21.01 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Brooklyn, NY Monterrey 2,950 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Brooklyn, NY
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

Brooklyn, NY vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $4,230 in Brooklyn, NY, $1,641 in Monterrey – Monterrey comes out roughly 61% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,346 per month in Brooklyn, NY and $2,461 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,018 there versus $3,827 in Brooklyn, NY.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $107 in Brooklyn, NY and $48 in Monterrey. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,230 in Brooklyn, NY and $1,641 in Monterrey. That makes Monterrey about 61% cheaper.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Monterrey, where all-in costs run around $1,641, than in Brooklyn, NY at $4,230. In Monterrey it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brooklyn, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Brooklyn, NY has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,641 in Monterrey to $4,230 in Brooklyn, NY. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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