Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuauhtémoc and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Cuauhtémoc: $1,191 a month against $1,641 in Monterrey, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Cuauhtémoc, Mexico
Monterrey, Mexico
Cuauhtémoc
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,191
/mo nomad
Monterrey
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,641
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,191 per month in Cuauhtémoc vs $1,641 in Monterrey, rent included.

  • Cuauhtémoc $1,191
  • Monterrey $1,641

A couple spends around $1,860 per month in Cuauhtémoc vs $2,573 in Monterrey, rent included.

  • Cuauhtémoc $1,860
  • Monterrey $2,573

A family of three spends $2,530 per month in Cuauhtémoc vs $3,504 in Monterrey, rent included.

  • Cuauhtémoc $2,530
  • Monterrey $3,504

Cuauhtémoc is about 27% cheaper than Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Cuauhtémoc sits 12% below the global median, while Monterrey is 21% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cuauhtémoc
Monterrey
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.82 MX$201
$13.37 MX$248
-19.07%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.33 MX$804
$47.95 MX$890
-9.64%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.33 MX$155
$10.79 MX$200
-22.80%
Cappuccino
$3.43 MX$63.7
$3.77 MX$69.9
-9.02%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.32 MX$24.55
$1.51 MX$28.04
-12.58%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.05 MX$19.44
$1.03 MX$19.10
1.94%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.46 MX$45.68
$2.48 MX$46.05
-0.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.15 MX$77.0
$4.36 MX$80.9
-4.82%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cuauhtémoc
Monterrey
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.58 MX$29.24
$1.89 MX$35.16
-16.40%
White Bread (500g)
$2.53 MX$46.87
$2.85 MX$52.9
-11.23%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.69 MX$31.31
$1.86 MX$34.44
-9.14%
Eggs
$2.46 MX$45.66
$2.47 MX$45.77
-0.40%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.20 MX$152
$11.81 MX$219
-30.57%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.13 MX$151
$8.97 MX$166
-9.36%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.23 MX$208
$12.57 MX$233
-10.66%
Apples (1kg)
$2.65 MX$49.13
$3.20 MX$59.3
-17.19%
Banana (1kg)
$1.48 MX$27.52
$1.50 MX$27.90
-1.33%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.92 MX$35.57
$2.12 MX$39.43
-9.43%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.82 MX$33.81
$2.33 MX$43.30
-21.89%
Potato (1kg)
$1.98 MX$36.79
$2.22 MX$41.26
-10.81%
Onion (1kg)
$1.80 MX$33.42
$2.58 MX$47.97
-30.23%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.43 MX$26.60
$1.45 MX$26.83
-1.38%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.07 MX$19.78
$1.22 MX$22.67
-12.30%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.30 MX$79.7
$4.80 MX$89.0
-10.42%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.08 MX$187
$13.30 MX$247
-24.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.77 MX$32.91
$1.93 MX$35.86
-8.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.03 MX$56.2
$2.86 MX$53.0
5.94%
🚌 Getting Around
Cuauhtémoc
Monterrey
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.67 MX$12.48
$0.80 MX$14.82
-16.25%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$30.53 MX$567
$30.94 MX$574
-1.33%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.63 MX$48.74
$1.83 MX$34.01
43.72%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.90 MX$35.31
$1.06 MX$19.62
79.25%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.79 MX$200
$10.82 MX$201
-0.28%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.48 MX$27.46
$1.47 MX$27.33
0.68%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.4K MX$433.5K
$24.1K MX$446.9K
-3.00%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.8K MX$441.2K
$23.5K MX$436.8K
1.01%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cuauhtémoc
Monterrey
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$56.6 MX$1,050
$115 MX$2,127
-50.65%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.47 MX$417
$26.37 MX$489
-14.79%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.33 MX$544
$25.70 MX$477
14.12%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cuauhtémoc
Monterrey
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$31.80 MX$590
$30.53 MX$567
4.16%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.76 MX$367
$21.27 MX$395
-7.10%
Cinema Ticket
$4.98 MX$92.4
$4.96 MX$92.0
0.40%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cuauhtémoc
Monterrey
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$212 MX$3,931
$679 MX$12.6K
-68.79%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,464 MX$82.8K
$14.2K MX$263.2K
-68.53%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cuauhtémoc
Monterrey
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.2 MX$988
$72.2 MX$1,340
-26.29%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.97 MX$742
$41.94 MX$778
-4.70%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.9 MX$1,798
$107 MX$1,995
-9.85%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$87.8 MX$1,628
$119 MX$2,202
-26.05%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cuauhtémoc
Monterrey
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$592 MX$11.0K
$1,018 MX$18.9K
-41.79%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$429 MX$7,956
$722 MX$13.4K
-40.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,015 MX$18.8K
$1,966 MX$36.5K
-48.38%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$747 MX$13.9K
$1,416 MX$26.3K
-47.24%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,880 MX$34.9K
$4,203 MX$78.0K
-55.27%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,105 MX$20.5K
$2,782 MX$51.6K
-60.29%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cuauhtémoc
Monterrey
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,096 MX$20.3K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.31
11.79
-4.07%

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

Last update for Cuauhtémoc: 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
Cuauhtémoc
$429
Monterrey
$722 68.3% $293
Groceries & Markets
Cuauhtémoc
$259
Monterrey
$302 16.8% $44
Eating Out
Cuauhtémoc
$183
Monterrey
$216 18.1% $33
Clothing & Footwear
Cuauhtémoc
$125
Monterrey
$153 22.5% $28
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cuauhtémoc
$108
Monterrey
$167 53.8% $58
Getting Around
Cuauhtémoc
$45
Monterrey
$41 9% $4.1
Sport & Entertainment
Cuauhtémoc
$42
Monterrey
$40 3.1% $1.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $592 in Cuauhtémoc 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Cuauhtémoc versus $48 in Monterrey. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $259 vs $302 – making Cuauhtémoc the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Cuauhtémoc
🇲🇽 Monterrey
🕒 Local time
16:06 4:06 PM
16:06 4:06 PM
Same time as Cuauhtémoc
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,884
1,142,994
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 18.56 MXN (100 MXN = 5.39 USD). 1 EUR = 20.83 MXN (100 MXN = 4.8 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cuauhtémoc Monterrey 700 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Cuauhtémoc
  • 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
Cuauhtémoc vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cuauhtémoc cheaper than Monterrey?
Yes – Monterrey is pricier by about 38%, 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 $1,786 per month in Cuauhtémoc 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 Cuauhtémoc, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $592 there versus $1,018 in Monterrey.
Is eating out cheaper in Cuauhtémoc or in Monterrey?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Cuauhtémoc and $48 in Monterrey. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Cuauhtémoc and in Monterrey?
Groceries cost about 17% more in Monterrey, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Cuauhtémoc or in Monterrey?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cuauhtémoc, where all-in costs run around $1,191, than in Monterrey at $1,641. In Cuauhtémoc it covers expenses comfortably, while in Monterrey it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Cuauhtémoc or Monterrey more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Cuauhtémoc – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Cuauhtémoc vs other spots: cost of living compared

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