Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cleveland, OH and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,641 a month against $2,434 in Cleveland, OH, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Cleveland, OH, United States
Monterrey, Mexico
Cleveland, OH
🇺🇸 United States
$2,434
/mo nomad
Monterrey
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,641
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,434 per month in Cleveland, OH vs $1,641 in Monterrey, rent included.

  • Cleveland, OH $2,434
  • Monterrey $1,641

A couple spends around $3,626 per month in Cleveland, OH vs $2,573 in Monterrey, rent included.

  • Cleveland, OH $3,626
  • Monterrey $2,573

A family of three spends $4,818 per month in Cleveland, OH vs $3,504 in Monterrey, rent included.

  • Cleveland, OH $4,818
  • Monterrey $3,504

Cleveland, OH costs about 48% more than Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cleveland, OH and Monterrey sit above the global median – Cleveland, OH by 80%, Monterrey by 21%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cleveland, OH
Monterrey
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.19 $18.19
$13.37 MX$250
36.05%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.5 $61.5
$47.95 MX$897
28.24%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.02 $11.02
$10.79 MX$202
2.13%
Cappuccino
$5.59 $5.59
$3.77 MX$70.4
48.28%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.57 $2.57
$1.51 MX$28.26
70.20%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.98 $1.98
$1.03 MX$19.25
92.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.13 $6.13
$2.48 MX$46.41
147.18%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.01 $8.01
$4.36 MX$81.5
83.72%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cleveland, OH
Monterrey
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.86 $0.86
$1.89 MX$35.43
-54.50%
White Bread (500g)
$3.32 $3.32
$2.85 MX$53.3
16.49%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.22 $4.22
$1.86 MX$34.71
126.88%
Eggs
$4.42 $4.42
$2.47 MX$46.12
78.95%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.16 $14.16
$11.81 MX$221
19.90%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.25 $12.25
$8.97 MX$168
36.57%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.95 $18.95
$12.57 MX$235
50.76%
Apples (1kg)
$5.12 $5.12
$3.20 MX$59.8
60.00%
Banana (1kg)
$1.62 $1.62
$1.50 MX$28.12
8.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.07 $4.07
$2.12 MX$39.74
91.98%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.86 $3.86
$2.33 MX$43.64
65.67%
Potato (1kg)
$2.62 $2.62
$2.22 MX$41.58
18.02%
Onion (1kg)
$3.12 $3.12
$2.58 MX$48.34
20.93%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.29 $2.29
$1.45 MX$27.04
57.93%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.26 $2.26
$1.22 MX$22.85
85.25%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.92 $9.92
$4.80 MX$89.7
106.67%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.86 $14.86
$13.30 MX$249
11.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.42 $2.42
$1.93 MX$36.14
25.39%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.54 $3.54
$2.86 MX$53.4
23.78%
🚌 Getting Around
Cleveland, OH
Monterrey
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.46 $2.46
$0.80 MX$14.94
207.50%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$94.8 $94.8
$30.94 MX$579
206.40%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.79 $2.79
$1.83 MX$34.28
52.46%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.42 $1.42
$1.06 MX$19.78
33.96%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$25.76 $25.76
$10.82 MX$202
138.08%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.11 $1.11
$1.47 MX$27.54
-24.49%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.7K $35.7K
$24.1K MX$450.4K
48.29%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.2K $26.2K
$23.5K MX$440.2K
11.52%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cleveland, OH
Monterrey
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$224 $224
$115 MX$2,144
95.16%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$65.0 $65.0
$26.37 MX$493
146.53%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$73.6 $73.6
$25.70 MX$481
186.54%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cleveland, OH
Monterrey
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$32.60 $32.60
$30.53 MX$571
6.78%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$1.94 $1.94
$21.27 MX$398
-90.88%
Cinema Ticket
$12.31 $12.31
$4.96 MX$92.8
148.19%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cleveland, OH
Monterrey
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,035 $1,035
$679 MX$12.7K
52.51%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$20.0K $20.0K
$14.2K MX$265.3K
40.95%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cleveland, OH
Monterrey
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.9 $59.9
$72.2 MX$1,350
-17.04%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.96 $37.96
$41.94 MX$784
-9.49%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.2 $96.2
$107 MX$2,011
-10.51%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$118 $118
$119 MX$2,219
-0.39%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cleveland, OH
Monterrey
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,626 $1,626
$1,018 MX$19.0K
59.82%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,041 $1,041
$722 MX$13.5K
44.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,023 $3,023
$1,966 MX$36.8K
53.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,862 $1,862
$1,416 MX$26.5K
31.50%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,970 $1,970
$4,203 MX$78.6K
-53.14%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,419 $1,419
$2,782 MX$52.0K
-49.00%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cleveland, OH
Monterrey
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,617 $3,617
$1,096 MX$20.5K
230.08%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.7
11.79
-43.17%

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

Last update for Cleveland, OH: November 2, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cleveland, OH
$1K
Monterrey
$722 30.7% $320
Groceries & Markets
Cleveland, OH
$407
Monterrey
$302 25.8% $105
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cleveland, OH
$362
Monterrey
$167 54% $196
Eating Out
Cleveland, OH
$310
Monterrey
$216 30.5% $95
Clothing & Footwear
Cleveland, OH
$141
Monterrey
$153 9% $13
Getting Around
Cleveland, OH
$115
Monterrey
$41 64% $73
Sport & Entertainment
Cleveland, OH
$57
Monterrey
$40 29.3% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,626 in Cleveland, OH versus $1,018 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 in Cleveland, OH are about 3.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Cleveland, OH versus $48 in Monterrey. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $407 vs $302 – making Monterrey the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Cleveland, OH
🇲🇽 Monterrey
🕒 Local time
13:14 1:14 PM
12:14 12:14 PM
1 h behind Cleveland, OH
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
367,991
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
  • Cleveland, OH Monterrey 2,450 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Cleveland, OH
  • 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
Cleveland, OH vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Monterrey cheaper than Cleveland, OH?
Yes – Cleveland, OH is pricier by about 48%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,650 per month in Cleveland, OH and $2,461 in Monterrey. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Monterrey, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,018 there versus $1,626 in Cleveland, OH.
Is eating out cheaper in Cleveland, OH or in Monterrey?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Cleveland, OH and $48 in Monterrey. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Cleveland, OH and in Monterrey?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,434 in Cleveland, OH and $1,641 in Monterrey. That makes Monterrey about 33% cheaper.
Is $3,000 enough for either Cleveland, OH or Monterrey?
$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,434 in Cleveland, OH and $1,641 in Monterrey, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is Cleveland, OH or Monterrey more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Monterrey. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cleveland, OH makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Cleveland, OH vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

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