Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cayo Coco and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Cayo Coco: $1,223 a month against $1,641 in Monterrey, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Cayo Coco
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Cayo Coco Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index

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Cayo Coco

🇨🇺 Cuba

$1,223

/mo nomad

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,223 in Cayo Coco versus $1,641 in Monterrey.

Cayo Coco $1,223
Monterrey $1,641

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,683 in Cayo Coco versus $2,573 in Monterrey.

Cayo Coco $1,683
Monterrey $2,573

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Cayo Coco versus $3,504 in Monterrey.

Cayo Coco $2,143
Monterrey $3,504

Living in Cayo Coco costs roughly 25% less than in Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cayo Coco is 10% below, Monterrey is 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.96 CUP 119

$13.37 MX$251

-62.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.04 CUP 361

$47.95 MX$900

-68.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.81 CUP 163

$10.79 MX$203

-36.89%

Cappuccino

$1.03 CUP 24.62

$3.77 MX$70.7

-72.68%

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

$2.01 CUP 48.36

$1.51 MX$28.37

33.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.02 CUP 24.45

$1.03 MX$19.33

-0.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.98 CUP 47.60

$2.48 MX$46.60

-20.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 CUP 72.3

$4.36 MX$81.8

-30.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.98 CUP 71.6

$1.89 MX$35.58

57.67%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 CUP 23.30

$2.85 MX$53.5

-65.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 CUP 48.25

$1.86 MX$34.86

8.06%

Eggs

$3.51 CUP 84.2

$2.47 MX$46.31

42.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.13 CUP 147

$11.81 MX$222

-48.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.07 CUP 122

$8.97 MX$168

-43.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.17 CUP 244

$12.57 MX$236

-19.09%

Apples (1kg)

$4.88 CUP 117

$3.20 MX$60.0

52.50%

Banana (1kg)

$0.98 CUP 23.51

$1.50 MX$28.23

-34.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.99 CUP 23.71

$2.12 MX$39.90

-53.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.02 CUP 24.57

$2.33 MX$43.82

-56.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 CUP 24.28

$2.22 MX$41.75

-54.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.98 CUP 71.6

$2.58 MX$48.54

15.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.97 CUP 23.34

$1.45 MX$27.15

-33.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 CUP 24.29

$1.22 MX$22.94

-17.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.97 CUP 71.4

$4.80 MX$90.1

-38.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 CUP 244

$13.30 MX$250

-23.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 CUP 47.45

$1.93 MX$36.28

2.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 CUP 48.47

$2.86 MX$53.6

-29.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 MX$15.00

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.30 CUP 487

$30.94 MX$581

-34.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 CUP 24.70

$1.83 MX$34.42

-43.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 CUP 23.73

$1.06 MX$19.86

-6.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.80 CUP 475

$10.82 MX$203

82.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 CUP 23.60

$1.47 MX$27.65

-33.33%

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

$69.9K CUP 1.7M

$24.1K MX$452.3K

190.29%

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

$79.4K CUP 1.9M

$23.5K MX$442.0K

237.18%

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

$40.32 CUP 968

$115 MX$2,152

-64.82%

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

$40.02 CUP 960

$26.37 MX$495

51.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$217 CUP 5,205

$25.70 MX$483

743.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.89 CUP 957

$30.53 MX$573

30.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.93 CUP 238

$21.27 MX$400

-53.31%

Cinema Ticket

$1.01 CUP 24.34

$4.96 MX$93.1

-79.64%

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

$91.3 CUP 2,192

$679 MX$12.7K

-86.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K CUP 354.0K

$14.2K MX$266.4K

3.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.24 CUP 966

$72.2 MX$1,356

-44.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.70 CUP 713

$41.94 MX$788

-29.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.8 CUP 1,770

$107 MX$2,019

-31.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.7 CUP 1,888

$119 MX$2,228

-33.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$404 CUP 9,704

$1,018 MX$19.1K

-60.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$423 CUP 10.2K

$722 MX$13.6K

-41.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 CUP 25.4K

$1,966 MX$36.9K

-46.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 CUP 14.9K

$1,416 MX$26.6K

-56.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$298 CUP 7,147

$4,203 MX$78.9K

-92.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$346 CUP 8,295

$2,782 MX$52.2K

-87.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$20.39 CUP 489

$1,096 MX$20.6K

-98.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.79

-15.18%

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

Last update for Cayo Coco: 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

Cayo Coco

$423 34.6%

Monterrey

$722 44% 70.6% $299

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cayo Coco

$297 24.3%

Monterrey

$167 10.2% 43.9% $131

Groceries & Markets

Cayo Coco

$234 19.2%

Monterrey

$302 18.4% 28.9% $68

Eating Out

Cayo Coco

$101 8.2%

Monterrey

$216 13.2% 115% $115

Clothing & Footwear

Cayo Coco

$100 8.2%

Monterrey

$153 9.3% 53.1% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Cayo Coco

$42 3.4%

Monterrey

$40 2.5% 3.5% $1.5

Getting Around

Cayo Coco

$26 * 2.2%

Monterrey

$41 2.5% 57% $15

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 $404 in Cayo Coco and $1,018 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays about 54 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $15 in Cayo Coco vs $48 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $302 per month, with Cayo Coco cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇺 Cayo Coco

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🕒 Local time

22:40 10:40 PM

21:40 9:40 PM

1 h behind Cayo Coco

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,142,994

💱 Currency

Cuban Peso CUP $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 CUP = 4.17 USD

100 CUP = 3.71 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to CUP – Cuban Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇺 Cuban Peso ($)

Cuban Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 24 CUP (100 CUP = 4.17 USD). 1 EUR = 26.94 CUP (100 CUP = 3.71 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.78 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 21.08 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

USD to CUP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cayo Coco Monterrey 2,250 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Cayo Coco
Monterrey

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Cayo Coco vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cayo Coco wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Monterrey. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Cayo Coco the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 98% lower in Cayo Coco. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $404 in Cayo Coco versus $1,018 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cayo Coco runs roughly 34% less than in Monterrey. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $91 in Cayo Coco versus $679 in Monterrey. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Cayo Coco is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Cayo Coco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.