Cost of Living Comparison Between Ciudad Obregon and Monterrey Cost of Living Comparison Between Ciudad Obregon and Monterrey

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,041 in Ciudad Obregon versus $1,596 in Monterrey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,634 in Ciudad Obregon versus $2,550 in Monterrey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,228 in Ciudad Obregon versus $3,504 in Monterrey.

Living in Ciudad Obregon costs roughly 35% less than in Monterrey, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ciudad Obregon is 22% below, Monterrey is 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.50 MX$182

$13.45 MX$233

-21.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.84 MX$586

$52.8 MX$915

-35.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.89 MX$119

$10.25 MX$178

-32.78%

Cappuccino

$2.23 MX$38.63

$3.74 MX$64.8

-40.37%

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

$0.69 MX$12.00

$1.40 MX$24.28

-50.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 MX$10.08

$1.04 MX$17.98

-44.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.28 MX$22.26

$2.66 MX$46.07

-51.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 MX$31.36

$4.33 MX$75.1

-58.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.45

$1.59 MX$27.59

6.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 MX$37.13

$2.62 MX$45.41

-18.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$24.62

$1.94 MX$33.66

-26.80%

Eggs

$2.25 MX$39.01

$2.68 MX$46.39

-16.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.70 MX$81.4

$10.37 MX$180

-54.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.30 MX$91.9

$9.24 MX$160

-42.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 MX$161

$13.47 MX$234

-30.88%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 MX$31.13

$3.19 MX$55.3

-43.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 MX$31.65

$1.45 MX$25.06

26.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 MX$30.54

$2.07 MX$35.92

-14.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 MX$28.08

$2.07 MX$35.88

-21.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 MX$30.00

$2.27 MX$39.37

-23.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.73 MX$30.01

$2.57 MX$44.60

-32.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.76

$1.50 MX$26.00

-28.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 MX$23.79

$1.08 MX$18.68

26.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.05 MX$70.1

$4.29 MX$74.3

-5.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.00 MX$173

$11.95 MX$207

-16.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 MX$33.65

$1.72 MX$29.85

12.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 MX$48.76

$3.14 MX$54.4

-10.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 MX$10.64

$0.82 MX$14.27

-25.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.89 MX$709

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 MX$27.93

$1.68 MX$29.18

-4.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 MX$27.76

$1.01 MX$17.45

58.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.48 MX$147

$10.41 MX$180

-18.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.78

$1.35 MX$23.31

-6.67%

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

$16.9K MX$293.2K

$25.9K MX$449.3K

-34.74%

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

$23.2K MX$402.8K

$26.2K MX$454.0K

-11.28%

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

$99.3 MX$1,722

$121 MX$2,095

-17.84%

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

$22.59 MX$392

$27.83 MX$482

-18.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.78 MX$464

$30.04 MX$521

-10.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.57 MX$634

$37.56 MX$651

-2.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.64 MX$271

$21.96 MX$381

-28.78%

Cinema Ticket

$3.56 MX$61.7

$5.75 MX$99.7

-38.09%

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

$289 MX$5,015

$336 MX$5,820

-13.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,690 MX$81.3K

$9,005 MX$156.0K

-47.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.87 MX$743

$59.7 MX$1,034

-28.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.02 MX$555

$42.75 MX$741

-25.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.3 MX$1,079

$108 MX$1,875

-42.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.7 MX$1,087

$127 MX$2,199

-50.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$499 MX$8,655

$908 MX$15.7K

-45.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$399 MX$6,910

$663 MX$11.5K

-39.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$940 MX$16.3K

$1,572 MX$27.2K

-40.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$775 MX$13.4K

$1,424 MX$24.7K

-45.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,012 MX$34.9K

$4,254 MX$73.7K

-52.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,283 MX$22.2K

$2,862 MX$49.6K

-55.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$1,129 MX$19.6K

8.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.5

11.55

-0.43%

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

Last update for Ciudad Obregon: April 22, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $499 in Ciudad Obregon and $908 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ciudad Obregon pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $34 in Ciudad Obregon vs $53 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $291 per month, with Ciudad Obregon cheaper across the board.

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

Ciudad Obregon vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ciudad Obregon wins on cost – living expenses run 53% lower than in Monterrey. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ciudad Obregon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Ciudad Obregon pays 8% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $499 in Ciudad Obregon versus $908 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $289 in Ciudad Obregon versus $336 in Monterrey. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ciudad Obregon – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $53.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,041 in Ciudad Obregon versus $1,596 in Monterrey, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ciudad Obregon but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes Ciudad Obregon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ciudad Obregon delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,041 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ciudad Obregon hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ciudad Obregon and Monterrey are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Ciudad Obregon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.