Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Champaign, IL and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,608 a month against $2,161 in Champaign, IL, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

104

Cost of Living Index in Champaign, IL
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Champaign, IL Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index

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Champaign, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,161

/mo nomad

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,161 per month in Champaign, IL vs $1,608 in Monterrey, rent included.

Champaign, IL $2,161
Monterrey $1,608

A couple spends around $3,133 per month in Champaign, IL vs $2,521 in Monterrey, rent included.

Champaign, IL $3,133
Monterrey $2,521

A family of three spends $4,106 per month in Champaign, IL vs $3,433 in Monterrey, rent included.

Champaign, IL $4,106
Monterrey $3,433

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

Both Champaign, IL and Monterrey sit above the global median – Champaign, IL by 60%, Monterrey by 19%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.25 $15.25

$13.85 MX$256

10.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.8 $60.8

$49.70 MX$918

22.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.11 $10.11

$11.05 MX$204

-8.51%

Cappuccino

$4.83 $4.83

$4.09 MX$75.6

18.09%

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

$2.15 $2.15

$1.68 MX$30.97

27.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.03 MX$18.98

67.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.57 $5.57

$2.40 MX$44.28

132.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.35 $5.35

$4.35 MX$80.3

22.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.92 MX$35.55

-55.73%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.94 MX$54.2

6.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.88 MX$34.66

66.49%

Eggs

$3.88 $3.88

$2.55 MX$47.06

52.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.19 $12.19

$11.84 MX$219

2.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.96 $5.96

$9.36 MX$173

-36.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 $12.81

$13.10 MX$242

-2.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.45 $3.45

$3.38 MX$62.5

2.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.52 MX$28.13

-9.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 $3.10

$2.19 MX$40.51

41.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.56 $4.56

$2.36 MX$43.63

93.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.26 MX$41.76

-10.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.73 MX$50.5

-18.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.52 MX$28.17

45.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.24 MX$22.90

0.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.25 $10.25

$4.75 MX$87.8

115.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.71 $14.71

$13.66 MX$252

7.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.89 MX$34.95

13.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 $4.08

$2.99 MX$55.2

36.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 $0.97

$0.85 MX$15.78

14.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.38 $20.38

$30.95 MX$572

-34.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 $2.52

$1.68 MX$30.98

50.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.13 MX$20.87

40.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.15 MX$206

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.56 MX$28.91

-25.64%

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

$35.1K $35.1K

$21.4K MX$395.8K

63.98%

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

$32.3K $32.3K

$25.1K MX$463.2K

28.67%

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

$240 $240

$119 MX$2,206

100.95%

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

$45.66 $45.66

$26.21 MX$484

74.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.6 $67.6

$26.78 MX$495

152.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.34 $25.34

$31.03 MX$573

-18.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.85 $11.85

$21.43 MX$396

-44.70%

Cinema Ticket

$11.09 $11.09

$5.29 MX$97.7

109.64%

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

$993 $993

$691 MX$12.8K

43.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.9K $19.9K

$11.5K MX$212.1K

73.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.98 $48.98

$72.3 MX$1,335

-32.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.72 MX$789

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 $116

$110 MX$2,024

5.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$117 MX$2,158

4.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,453 $1,453

$970 MX$17.9K

49.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 $1,016

$664 MX$12.3K

53.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,941 $1,941

$1,857 MX$34.3K

4.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,691 $1,691

$1,287 MX$23.8K

31.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,688 $1,688

$4,162 MX$76.9K

-59.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,709 $1,709

$2,349 MX$43.4K

-27.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,674 $3,674

$1,146 MX$21.2K

220.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

11.79

-42.15%

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

Last update for Champaign, IL: 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

Champaign, IL

$1K 47%

Monterrey

$664 41.3% 34.7% $352

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Champaign, IL

$353 16.3%

Monterrey

$172 10.7% 51.2% $181

Groceries & Markets

Champaign, IL

$316 14.6%

Monterrey

$310 19.3% 1.8% $5.7

Eating Out

Champaign, IL

$264 12.2%

Monterrey

$225 14% 15.1% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Champaign, IL

$129 * 6%

Monterrey

$154 9.6% 18.9% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Champaign, IL

$48 2.2%

Monterrey

$42 2.6% 12.4% $5.9

Getting Around

Champaign, IL

$35 1.6%

Monterrey

$42 2.6% 19.9% $6.9

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,453 in Champaign, IL 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 220% higher in Champaign, IL, 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 $61.0 in Champaign, IL versus $50.0 in Monterrey. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $316 vs $310 – making Monterrey the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Champaign, IL

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🕒 Local time

21:00 9:00 PM

20:00 8:00 PM

1 h behind Champaign, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

88,302

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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 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

Champaign, IL Monterrey 1,960 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Champaign, IL
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

Champaign, IL vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,161 in Champaign, IL, $1,608 in Monterrey – roughly 34% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,241 per month in Champaign, IL 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 2% more in Champaign, IL, 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 $61.0 in Champaign, IL 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 Champaign, IL at $2,161. In Monterrey it covers expenses comfortably, while in Champaign, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Monterrey has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,608 in Monterrey to $2,161 in Champaign, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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