Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cedar Rapids, IA and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,608 a month against $2,058 in Cedar Rapids, IA, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

100

Cost of Living Index in Cedar Rapids, IA
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Cedar Rapids, IA Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index

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Cedar Rapids, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,058

/mo nomad

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,058 per month in Cedar Rapids, IA vs $1,608 in Monterrey, rent included.

Cedar Rapids, IA $2,058
Monterrey $1,608

A couple spends around $3,080 per month in Cedar Rapids, IA vs $2,521 in Monterrey, rent included.

Cedar Rapids, IA $3,080
Monterrey $2,521

A family of three spends $4,101 per month in Cedar Rapids, IA vs $3,433 in Monterrey, rent included.

Cedar Rapids, IA $4,101
Monterrey $3,433

Cedar Rapids, IA costs about 28% more than Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Cedar Rapids, IA and Monterrey sit above the global median – Cedar Rapids, IA by 52%, Monterrey by 19%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.12 $15.12

$13.85 MX$256

9.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 $69.7

$49.70 MX$918

40.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.84 $10.84

$11.05 MX$204

-1.90%

Cappuccino

$5.81 $5.81

$4.09 MX$75.6

42.05%

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

$2.79 $2.79

$1.68 MX$30.97

66.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.03 MX$18.98

82.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.63 $4.63

$2.40 MX$44.28

92.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.87 $5.87

$4.35 MX$80.3

34.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.70 $0.70

$1.92 MX$35.55

-63.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 $2.46

$2.94 MX$54.2

-16.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$1.88 MX$34.66

150.00%

Eggs

$2.52 $2.52

$2.55 MX$47.06

-1.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.10 $14.10

$11.84 MX$219

19.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.94 $10.94

$9.36 MX$173

16.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.25 $16.25

$13.10 MX$242

24.05%

Apples (1kg)

$4.93 $4.93

$3.38 MX$62.5

45.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.52 MX$28.13

-27.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.26 $5.26

$2.19 MX$40.51

140.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.58 $4.58

$2.36 MX$43.63

94.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.59 $2.59

$2.26 MX$41.76

14.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.73 MX$50.5

-18.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.52 MX$28.17

32.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.24 MX$22.90

79.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.01 $10.01

$4.75 MX$87.8

110.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.82 $10.82

$13.66 MX$252

-20.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.89 MX$34.95

15.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.99 MX$55.2

9.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 $1.71

$0.85 MX$15.78

101.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.20 $30.20

$30.95 MX$572

-2.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 $3.48

$1.68 MX$30.98

107.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.13 MX$20.87

62.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.60 $45.60

$11.15 MX$206

308.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.56 MX$28.91

-45.51%

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

$36.1K $36.1K

$21.4K MX$395.8K

68.72%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$25.1K MX$463.2K

6.03%

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

$208 $208

$119 MX$2,206

73.84%

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

$52.0 $52.0

$26.21 MX$484

98.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$26.78 MX$495

162.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$102 $102

$31.03 MX$573

230.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.05 $19.05

$21.43 MX$396

-11.11%

Cinema Ticket

$12.77 $12.77

$5.29 MX$97.7

141.40%

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

$893 $893

$691 MX$12.8K

29.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K $12.8K

$11.5K MX$212.1K

11.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.5 $62.5

$72.3 MX$1,335

-13.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.5 $63.5

$42.72 MX$789

48.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$110 MX$2,024

16.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 $152

$117 MX$2,158

30.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,141 $1,141

$970 MX$17.9K

17.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 $724

$664 MX$12.3K

9.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,637 $1,637

$1,857 MX$34.3K

-11.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,194 $1,194

$1,287 MX$23.8K

-7.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,582 $1,582

$4,162 MX$76.9K

-61.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,547 $1,547

$2,349 MX$43.4K

-34.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,682 $3,682

$1,146 MX$21.2K

221.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

11.79

-43.77%

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

Last update for Cedar Rapids, IA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cedar Rapids, IA

$724 35.2%

Monterrey

$664 41.3% 8.3% $60

Groceries & Markets

Cedar Rapids, IA

$367 17.9%

Monterrey

$310 19.3% 15.5% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cedar Rapids, IA

$330 16%

Monterrey

$172 10.7% 47.7% $157

Eating Out

Cedar Rapids, IA

$277 13.5%

Monterrey

$225 14% 18.9% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Cedar Rapids, IA

$183 8.9%

Monterrey

$154 9.6% 15.9% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Cedar Rapids, IA

$128 6.2%

Monterrey

$42 2.6% 67.5% $86

Getting Around

Cedar Rapids, IA

$50 2.4%

Monterrey

$42 2.6% 16.1% $8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,141 in Cedar Rapids, IA versus $970 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 run about 221% higher in Cedar Rapids, IA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Cedar Rapids, IA versus $50.0 in Monterrey. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $367 vs $310 – making Monterrey the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Cedar Rapids, IA

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🕒 Local time

11:57 11:57 AM

10:57 10:57 AM

1 h behind Cedar Rapids, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

137,710

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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 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

Cedar Rapids, IA Monterrey 1,980 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Cedar Rapids, IA
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

Cedar Rapids, IA vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cedar Rapids, IA is pricier by about 28%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,087 per month in Cedar Rapids, IA and $2,412 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 18% more in Cedar Rapids, IA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Cedar Rapids, IA and $50.0 in Monterrey. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Monterrey, where all-in costs run around $1,608, than in Cedar Rapids, IA at $2,058. In Monterrey it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cedar Rapids, IA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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