Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Clearwater, FL and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,641 a month against $2,946 in Clearwater, FL, rent and utilities included – about $15,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Clearwater, FL, United States
Monterrey, Mexico
Clearwater, FL
🇺🇸 United States
$2,946
/mo nomad
Monterrey
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,641
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,946 in Clearwater, FL versus $1,641 in Monterrey.

  • Clearwater, FL $2,946
  • Monterrey $1,641

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,291 in Clearwater, FL versus $2,573 in Monterrey.

  • Clearwater, FL $4,291
  • Monterrey $2,573

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,637 in Clearwater, FL versus $3,504 in Monterrey.

  • Clearwater, FL $5,637
  • Monterrey $3,504

Living in Clearwater, FL is roughly 80% more expensive than in Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Clearwater, FL 118% above, Monterrey 21% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Clearwater, FL
Monterrey
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.94 $16.94
$13.37 MX$250
26.70%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$68.9 $68.9
$47.95 MX$897
43.65%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.32 $11.32
$10.79 MX$202
4.91%
Cappuccino
$4.94 $4.94
$3.77 MX$70.4
31.03%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.27 $2.27
$1.51 MX$28.26
50.33%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.85 $1.85
$1.03 MX$19.25
79.61%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.42 $5.42
$2.48 MX$46.41
118.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.87 $7.87
$4.36 MX$81.5
80.50%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Clearwater, FL
Monterrey
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.03 $1.03
$1.89 MX$35.43
-45.50%
White Bread (500g)
$3.77 $3.77
$2.85 MX$53.3
32.28%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.19 $4.19
$1.86 MX$34.71
125.27%
Eggs
$3.93 $3.93
$2.47 MX$46.12
59.11%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.20 $11.20
$11.81 MX$221
-5.17%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.90 $14.90
$8.97 MX$168
66.11%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.90 $19.90
$12.57 MX$235
58.31%
Apples (1kg)
$6.25 $6.25
$3.20 MX$59.8
95.31%
Banana (1kg)
$1.52 $1.52
$1.50 MX$28.12
1.33%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.80 $5.80
$2.12 MX$39.74
173.58%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.80 $6.80
$2.33 MX$43.64
191.85%
Potato (1kg)
$4.87 $4.87
$2.22 MX$41.58
119.37%
Onion (1kg)
$3.91 $3.91
$2.58 MX$48.34
51.55%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.63 $2.63
$1.45 MX$27.04
81.38%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.63 $2.63
$1.22 MX$22.85
115.57%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.23 $9.23
$4.80 MX$89.7
92.29%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.83 $16.83
$13.30 MX$249
26.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.86 $1.86
$1.93 MX$36.14
-3.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.76 $4.76
$2.86 MX$53.4
66.43%
🚌 Getting Around
Clearwater, FL
Monterrey
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.67 $2.67
$0.80 MX$14.94
233.75%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$79.6 $79.6
$30.94 MX$579
157.21%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.29 $3.29
$1.83 MX$34.28
79.78%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.50 $1.50
$1.06 MX$19.78
41.51%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$59.6 $59.6
$10.82 MX$202
451.11%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.97 $0.97
$1.47 MX$27.54
-34.01%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.3K $28.3K
$24.1K MX$450.4K
17.33%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.3K $26.3K
$23.5K MX$440.2K
11.55%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Clearwater, FL
Monterrey
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$248 $248
$115 MX$2,144
116.22%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$55.2 $55.2
$26.37 MX$493
109.22%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$75.7 $75.7
$25.70 MX$481
194.47%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Clearwater, FL
Monterrey
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.08 $37.08
$30.53 MX$571
21.45%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.90 $24.90
$21.27 MX$398
17.07%
Cinema Ticket
$16.18 $16.18
$4.96 MX$92.8
226.21%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Clearwater, FL
Monterrey
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,249 $1,249
$679 MX$12.7K
84.08%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.1K $17.1K
$14.2K MX$265.3K
20.85%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Clearwater, FL
Monterrey
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$74.8 $74.8
$72.2 MX$1,350
3.57%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$53.1 $53.1
$41.94 MX$784
26.56%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$110 $110
$107 MX$2,011
1.99%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$139 $139
$119 MX$2,219
17.23%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Clearwater, FL
Monterrey
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,881 $1,881
$1,018 MX$19.0K
84.84%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,476 $1,476
$722 MX$13.5K
104.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,922 $2,922
$1,966 MX$36.8K
48.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,466 $2,466
$1,416 MX$26.5K
74.19%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,157 $3,157
$4,203 MX$78.6K
-24.88%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,523 $2,523
$2,782 MX$52.0K
-9.30%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Clearwater, FL
Monterrey
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,657 $3,657
$1,096 MX$20.5K
233.75%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.59
11.79
-44.11%

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

Last update for Clearwater, FL: 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
Clearwater, FL
$1.5K
Monterrey
$722 51.1% $755
Groceries & Markets
Clearwater, FL
$463
Monterrey
$302 34.7% $161
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Clearwater, FL
$379
Monterrey
$167 56% $212
Eating Out
Clearwater, FL
$288
Monterrey
$216 25.1% $72
Clothing & Footwear
Clearwater, FL
$169
Monterrey
$153 9.6% $16
Getting Around
Clearwater, FL
$101
Monterrey
$41 59.2% $60
Sport & Entertainment
Clearwater, FL
$69
Monterrey
$40 41.7% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,881 in Clearwater, FL and $1,018 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Clearwater, FL pays about 3.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $69 in Clearwater, FL vs $48 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $463 vs $302 per month, with Monterrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Clearwater, FL
🇲🇽 Monterrey
🕒 Local time
13:55 1:55 PM
12:55 12:55 PM
1 h behind Clearwater, FL
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
107,742
1,142,994
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.7 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 21.01 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Clearwater, FL Monterrey 1,750 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Clearwater, FL
  • 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
Clearwater, FL vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Monterrey cheaper than Clearwater, FL?
Monterrey is about 44% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, utilities, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Clearwater, FL or Monterrey?
Average pay in Clearwater, FL is about 3.3 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Clearwater, FL and Monterrey?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,881 in Clearwater, FL versus $1,018 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Clearwater, FL and in Monterrey?
All in, you’ll spend $2,946 per month in Clearwater, FL versus $1,641 in Monterrey – Monterrey is about 44% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Monterrey runs roughly 61% less than in Clearwater, FL. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Is it better to live in Clearwater, FL or in Monterrey?
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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Monterrey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Clearwater, FL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Clearwater, FL vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?