Cost of Living Comparison Between Cozumel and Monterrey Cost of Living Comparison Between Cozumel and Monterrey

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,173 in Cozumel versus $1,581 in Monterrey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,795 in Cozumel versus $2,534 in Monterrey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,416 in Cozumel versus $3,488 in Monterrey.

Living in Cozumel costs roughly 26% less than in Monterrey, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cozumel is 12% below, Monterrey is 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.48 MX$147

$13.12 MX$227

-35.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.08 MX$745

$52.0 MX$899

-17.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.86 MX$136

$10.46 MX$181

-24.86%

Cappuccino

$3.16 MX$54.7

$3.73 MX$64.5

-15.28%

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

$1.22 MX$21.08

$1.40 MX$24.23

-12.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.42

$1.05 MX$18.17

6.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.87 MX$32.36

$2.69 MX$46.49

-30.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 MX$62.5

$4.33 MX$74.9

-16.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 MX$23.99

$1.66 MX$28.77

-16.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 MX$26.81

$2.64 MX$45.74

-41.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.94

$1.96 MX$33.94

-23.47%

Eggs

$2.00 MX$34.68

$2.62 MX$45.41

-23.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.35 MX$179

$10.49 MX$181

-1.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.89 MX$119

$8.88 MX$154

-22.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.41 MX$197

$13.56 MX$235

-15.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 MX$41.96

$3.05 MX$52.8

-20.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 MX$24.15

$1.47 MX$25.36

-4.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.58

$2.04 MX$35.22

6.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.92

$2.07 MX$35.73

-27.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.35

$2.34 MX$40.47

-7.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.93

$2.52 MX$43.52

-22.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.90

$1.57 MX$27.17

-34.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.37

$1.12 MX$19.31

-15.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 MX$73.6

$4.27 MX$73.9

-0.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.52 MX$199

$14.06 MX$243

-18.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.99

$1.79 MX$31.00

-25.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 MX$48.91

$3.09 MX$53.5

-8.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 MX$11.33

$0.82 MX$14.19

-20.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.01 MX$692

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.36 MX$40.85

$1.75 MX$30.28

34.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.38 MX$41.14

$0.97 MX$16.78

145.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.65 MX$115

$10.63 MX$184

-37.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.53

$1.37 MX$23.65

-5.11%

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

$15.7K MX$271.0K

$26.3K MX$455.2K

-40.47%

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

$21.2K MX$365.9K

$25.5K MX$441.3K

-17.08%

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

$50.2 MX$868

$123 MX$2,125

-59.15%

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

$22.04 MX$381

$27.58 MX$477

-20.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.71 MX$376

$29.78 MX$515

-27.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.64 MX$634

$38.38 MX$664

-4.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.90 MX$275

$21.94 MX$380

-27.53%

Cinema Ticket

$4.59 MX$79.4

$5.86 MX$101

-21.67%

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

$205 MX$3,546

$347 MX$6,004

-40.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,481 MX$60.2K

$8,938 MX$154.6K

-61.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$58.2 MX$1,006

-2.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.00 MX$848

$43.19 MX$747

13.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.5 MX$1,549

$109 MX$1,884

-17.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 MX$1,450

$126 MX$2,187

-33.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$697 MX$12.1K

$903 MX$15.6K

-22.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$493 MX$8,534

$661 MX$11.4K

-25.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,532 MX$26.5K

$1,595 MX$27.6K

-3.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$765 MX$13.2K

$1,398 MX$24.2K

-45.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,930 MX$33.4K

$4,267 MX$73.8K

-54.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,235 MX$21.4K

$2,840 MX$49.1K

-56.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$676 MX$11.7K

$1,135 MX$19.6K

-40.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

11.55

1.13%

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

Last update for Cozumel: July 26, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $697 in Cozumel and $903 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 68% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $43.00 in Cozumel vs $52.0 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $241 vs $296 per month, with Cozumel 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

Cozumel vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cozumel and Monterrey differ by about 35% in total monthly costs ($1,173 vs $1,581 including rent). Cozumel is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 68% lower in Monterrey. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $697 in Cozumel versus $903 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Monterrey. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,173 per month in Cozumel versus $1,581 in Monterrey – a 35% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,173 in Cozumel versus $1,581 in Monterrey, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Cozumel but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes Cozumel the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Cozumel 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 Cozumel gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.