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: $1,218 in Cozumel versus $1,692 in Monterrey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,982 in Cozumel versus $2,638 in Monterrey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,745 in Cozumel versus $3,583 in Monterrey.

Living in Cozumel costs roughly 28% less than in Monterrey, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cozumel is 11% below, Monterrey is 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.15 MX$158

$14.54 MX$251

-37.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.88 MX$808

$52.7 MX$908

-11.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.96 MX$155

$11.44 MX$197

-21.68%

Cappuccino

$3.04 MX$52.4

$4.29 MX$74.0

-29.14%

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

$1.20 MX$20.74

$1.72 MX$29.61

-30.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.02 MX$17.67

$1.11 MX$19.09

-8.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.70 MX$29.28

$2.95 MX$50.9

-42.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 MX$59.0

$4.78 MX$82.4

-28.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$26.16

$2.04 MX$35.26

-25.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 MX$31.03

$3.09 MX$53.2

-41.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$33.16

$1.96 MX$33.88

-2.04%

Eggs

$2.04 MX$35.19

$2.65 MX$45.62

-23.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 MX$191

$12.69 MX$219

-12.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.36 MX$144

$9.80 MX$169

-14.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.13 MX$226

$13.53 MX$233

-2.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.08

$3.45 MX$59.6

-24.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 MX$26.56

$1.64 MX$28.27

-6.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.95

$2.23 MX$38.52

1.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.67 MX$28.81

$2.56 MX$44.07

-34.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$42.32

$2.40 MX$41.37

2.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.67

$2.88 MX$49.60

-34.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 MX$25.93

$1.59 MX$27.49

-5.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$20.59

$1.34 MX$23.06

-11.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.76 MX$82.1

$5.18 MX$89.3

-8.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.45 MX$197

$14.68 MX$253

-22.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$2.03 MX$35.06

-20.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$46.02

$3.17 MX$54.6

-15.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 MX$10.45

$0.92 MX$15.88

-33.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.3 MX$1,195

$33.50 MX$578

106.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 MX$51.0

$1.92 MX$33.19

54.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.29 MX$56.7

$1.19 MX$20.47

176.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.57 MX$165

$11.75 MX$203

-18.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.58 MX$27.17

-7.59%

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

$21.8K MX$375.3K

$22.2K MX$383.3K

-2.08%

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

$24.9K MX$430.0K

$26.2K MX$451.6K

-4.79%

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

$61.4 MX$1,059

$124 MX$2,130

-50.28%

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

$22.07 MX$381

$28.25 MX$487

-21.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.61 MX$407

$27.93 MX$481

-15.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.05 MX$691

$32.96 MX$568

21.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.08 MX$363

$23.09 MX$398

-8.71%

Cinema Ticket

$6.26 MX$108

$5.52 MX$95.2

13.41%

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

$268 MX$4,616

$730 MX$12.6K

-63.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,839 MX$66.2K

$11.8K MX$203.7K

-67.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$988

$80.3 MX$1,385

-28.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.6 MX$958

$45.45 MX$784

22.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$1,854

$119 MX$2,060

-9.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.8 MX$1,532

$130 MX$2,247

-31.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$646 MX$11.1K

$1,047 MX$18.1K

-38.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$417 MX$7,191

$728 MX$12.6K

-42.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 MX$29.5K

$1,975 MX$34.1K

-13.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$827 MX$14.3K

$1,385 MX$23.9K

-40.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,981 MX$34.2K

$4,432 MX$76.4K

-55.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,218 MX$21.0K

$2,622 MX$45.2K

-53.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$701 MX$12.1K

$1,168 MX$20.1K

-39.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.64

11.56

0.69%

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

Last update for Cozumel: September 13, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $646 in Cozumel and $1,047 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 67% 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: $47.00 in Cozumel vs $53.0 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $328 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 39% in total monthly costs ($1,218 vs $1,692 including rent). Cozumel is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 67% 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: $646 in Cozumel versus $1,047 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Monterrey. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Cozumel – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $53.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,218 in Cozumel versus $1,692 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 39% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.