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: $1,082 in Ciudad Obregon versus $1,601 in Monterrey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,664 in Ciudad Obregon versus $2,585 in Monterrey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,246 in Ciudad Obregon versus $3,568 in Monterrey.

Living in Ciudad Obregon costs roughly 32% less than in Monterrey, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ciudad Obregon is 19% below, Monterrey is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.41 MX$182

$13.01 MX$227

-19.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.92 MX$610

$53.8 MX$939

-35.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.78 MX$118

$10.21 MX$178

-33.59%

Cappuccino

$2.23 MX$38.87

$3.68 MX$64.3

-39.40%

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

$0.70 MX$12.18

$1.46 MX$25.54

-52.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 MX$9.42

$1.00 MX$17.45

-46.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.30 MX$22.76

$2.70 MX$47.07

-51.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 MX$33.13

$4.27 MX$74.6

-55.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$30.08

$1.67 MX$29.09

2.99%

White Bread (500g)

$2.06 MX$36.02

$2.68 MX$46.80

-23.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.98

$1.93 MX$33.67

-22.80%

Eggs

$2.19 MX$38.21

$2.63 MX$45.93

-16.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.78 MX$83.5

$10.34 MX$181

-53.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.16 MX$90.0

$9.22 MX$161

-44.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.21 MX$161

$13.84 MX$242

-33.45%

Apples (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.30

$3.15 MX$55.0

-43.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 MX$31.48

$1.39 MX$24.24

29.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 MX$29.74

$2.00 MX$34.92

-15.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.16

$2.14 MX$37.39

-27.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$31.08

$2.27 MX$39.57

-21.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.96

$2.54 MX$44.43

-30.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.16

$1.57 MX$27.35

-33.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 MX$25.12

$1.07 MX$18.67

34.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.89 MX$67.9

$4.25 MX$74.2

-8.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.33 MX$215

$14.36 MX$251

-14.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 MX$34.09

$1.78 MX$31.11

9.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 MX$47.05

$3.14 MX$54.9

-14.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 MX$11.20

$0.80 MX$14.00

-20.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.54 MX$708

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.60 MX$28.03

$1.68 MX$29.34

-4.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 MX$28.15

$0.94 MX$16.44

71.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.17 MX$143

$10.76 MX$188

-24.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.93

$1.37 MX$23.91

-4.38%

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

$17.1K MX$298.4K

$26.7K MX$467.1K

-36.12%

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

$22.7K MX$395.7K

$25.6K MX$446.8K

-11.43%

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

$100 MX$1,750

$122 MX$2,125

-17.66%

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

$22.44 MX$392

$27.19 MX$475

-17.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.11 MX$456

$29.82 MX$521

-12.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.67 MX$623

$38.49 MX$672

-7.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.15 MX$282

$21.46 MX$375

-24.74%

Cinema Ticket

$3.44 MX$60.1

$5.92 MX$103

-41.89%

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

$287 MX$5,006

$346 MX$6,037

-17.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,816 MX$84.1K

$8,997 MX$157.1K

-46.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.11 MX$735

$58.4 MX$1,020

-27.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.39 MX$548

$42.55 MX$743

-26.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.6 MX$1,129

$109 MX$1,910

-40.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.4 MX$1,090

$129 MX$2,253

-51.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 MX$8,834

$913 MX$15.9K

-44.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$396 MX$6,923

$647 MX$11.3K

-38.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 MX$16.2K

$1,565 MX$27.3K

-40.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$776 MX$13.5K

$1,401 MX$24.5K

-44.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,980 MX$34.6K

$4,371 MX$76.3K

-54.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 MX$21.6K

$2,839 MX$49.6K

-56.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,221 MX$21.3K

$1,104 MX$19.3K

10.65%

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: May 30, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $506 in Ciudad Obregon and $913 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ciudad Obregon pays 11% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in Ciudad Obregon vs $54.0 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $298 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 48% 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 11% 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: $506 in Ciudad Obregon versus $913 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $287 in Ciudad Obregon versus $346 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 $35.00 versus $54.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,082 in Ciudad Obregon versus $1,601 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 $1,082 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 48% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.