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: $1,145 in Cozumel versus $1,574 in Monterrey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,350 in Cozumel versus $2,529 in Monterrey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,556 in Cozumel versus $3,484 in Monterrey.

Living in Cozumel costs roughly 27% less than in Monterrey, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cozumel is 15% below, Monterrey is 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.61 MX$148

$13.42 MX$230

-35.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.87 MX$736

$53.9 MX$924

-20.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 MX$133

$10.32 MX$177

-24.81%

Cappuccino

$3.06 MX$52.5

$3.58 MX$61.4

-14.53%

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

$1.21 MX$20.76

$1.43 MX$24.60

-15.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.37

$0.99 MX$17.00

8.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.80 MX$30.90

$2.59 MX$44.41

-30.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 MX$65.2

$4.27 MX$73.4

-11.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.36

$1.67 MX$28.69

-18.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 MX$26.58

$2.64 MX$45.30

-41.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.82

$1.87 MX$32.15

-19.79%

Eggs

$1.93 MX$33.21

$2.67 MX$45.90

-27.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.31 MX$177

$10.49 MX$180

-1.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.82 MX$117

$9.13 MX$157

-25.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.19 MX$192

$13.85 MX$238

-19.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 MX$40.29

$3.04 MX$52.3

-22.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 MX$24.32

$1.40 MX$24.09

1.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.57

$2.12 MX$36.41

0.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$2.06 MX$35.33

-27.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 MX$36.06

$2.23 MX$38.25

-5.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.96

$2.56 MX$43.99

-25.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.43

$1.53 MX$26.22

-30.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.09

$1.07 MX$18.45

-12.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.24 MX$72.7

$4.13 MX$70.8

2.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.35 MX$195

$14.34 MX$246

-20.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 MX$22.59

$1.79 MX$30.68

-26.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.50

$3.18 MX$54.5

-9.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 MX$10.53

$0.77 MX$13.16

-20.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.85 MX$701

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 MX$40.67

$1.73 MX$29.77

36.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$42.76

$0.96 MX$16.44

159.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.56 MX$113

$10.72 MX$184

-38.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.64

$1.36 MX$23.36

-7.35%

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

$15.8K MX$271.2K

$26.5K MX$454.9K

-40.39%

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

$21.1K MX$361.5K

$25.9K MX$443.8K

-18.53%

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

$50.5 MX$867

$123 MX$2,113

-58.96%

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

$21.65 MX$372

$27.98 MX$480

-22.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.87 MX$375

$29.71 MX$510

-26.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.31 MX$623

$37.13 MX$637

-2.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.25 MX$365

$21.88 MX$376

-2.88%

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 MX$78.0

$5.71 MX$97.9

-20.49%

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

$394 MX$6,762

$348 MX$5,972

13.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,540 MX$60.8K

$8,997 MX$154.4K

-60.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 MX$956

$59.9 MX$1,028

-7.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.87 MX$822

$43.22 MX$742

10.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.0 MX$1,562

$109 MX$1,878

-16.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.5 MX$1,467

$130 MX$2,228

-34.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$705 MX$12.1K

$894 MX$15.3K

-21.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MX$8,200

$656 MX$11.3K

-27.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,552 MX$26.6K

$1,578 MX$27.1K

-1.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 MX$34.6K

$1,422 MX$24.4K

41.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,460 MX$25.1K

$4,316 MX$74.1K

-66.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,864 MX$32.0K

$2,873 MX$49.3K

-35.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$688 MX$11.8K

$1,101 MX$18.9K

-37.54%

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: June 6, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $705 in Cozumel and $894 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 60% 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 $54.0 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $238 vs $297 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 38% in total monthly costs ($1,145 vs $1,574 including rent). Cozumel is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Monterrey earns 60% less. 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: $705 in Cozumel versus $894 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Monterrey. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,145 per month in Cozumel versus $1,574 in Monterrey – a 38% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,145 in Cozumel versus $1,574 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 38% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.