Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuernavaca and Monterrey Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuernavaca and Monterrey

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,012 in Cuernavaca versus $1,595 in Monterrey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,682 in Cuernavaca versus $2,536 in Monterrey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,352 in Cuernavaca versus $3,477 in Monterrey.

Living in Cuernavaca costs roughly 37% less than in Monterrey, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cuernavaca is 24% below, Monterrey is 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.51 MX$166

$13.02 MX$228

-26.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.72 MX$660

$53.6 MX$938

-29.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.03 MX$123

$10.17 MX$178

-30.88%

Cappuccino

$2.32 MX$40.57

$3.75 MX$65.6

-38.13%

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

$1.26 MX$22.06

$1.44 MX$25.24

-12.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 MX$13.52

$1.04 MX$18.16

-25.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 MX$38.24

$2.58 MX$45.11

-15.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 MX$56.3

$4.11 MX$71.9

-21.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 MX$27.21

$1.67 MX$29.31

-6.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 MX$31.05

$2.63 MX$46.07

-32.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 MX$23.25

$1.93 MX$33.81

-31.09%

Eggs

$1.89 MX$33.06

$2.60 MX$45.51

-27.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$144

$10.47 MX$183

-21.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.26 MX$110

$9.07 MX$159

-30.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.99 MX$227

$13.42 MX$235

-3.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.10 MX$36.71

$3.16 MX$55.2

-33.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 MX$23.01

$1.40 MX$24.58

-6.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.93

$2.09 MX$36.60

-18.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 MX$27.15

$2.09 MX$36.56

-25.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 MX$30.86

$2.32 MX$40.64

-24.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.46

$2.53 MX$44.35

-24.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 MX$17.29

$1.55 MX$27.16

-36.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 MX$12.39

$1.11 MX$19.50

-36.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$72.9

$4.25 MX$74.4

-2.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.56 MX$150

$11.83 MX$207

-27.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$20.11

$1.80 MX$31.46

-36.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 MX$51.5

$3.12 MX$54.5

-5.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.08

$0.75 MX$13.16

-30.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.90 MX$471

$39.49 MX$691

-31.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 MX$32.67

$1.76 MX$30.78

6.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 MX$20.80

$0.99 MX$17.35

20.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.06 MX$159

$10.60 MX$186

-14.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 MX$22.60

$1.31 MX$22.88

-1.53%

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

$18.5K MX$323.6K

$26.6K MX$465.7K

-30.53%

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

$20.6K MX$360.6K

$25.7K MX$450.3K

-19.92%

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

$60.2 MX$1,053

$124 MX$2,164

-51.31%

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

$22.63 MX$396

$27.80 MX$486

-18.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.78 MX$486

$29.57 MX$517

-6.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.94 MX$401

$38.39 MX$672

-40.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.76 MX$276

$21.87 MX$383

-27.94%

Cinema Ticket

$5.34 MX$93.5

$5.95 MX$104

-10.25%

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

$214 MX$3,749

$337 MX$5,896

-36.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,891 MX$85.6K

$8,908 MX$155.9K

-45.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.02 MX$840

$58.3 MX$1,020

-17.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.62 MX$693

$41.99 MX$735

-5.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MX$1,768

$108 MX$1,897

-6.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.3 MX$1,475

$126 MX$2,207

-33.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$371 MX$6,496

$911 MX$15.9K

-59.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$318 MX$5,573

$660 MX$11.5K

-51.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$910 MX$15.9K

$1,570 MX$27.5K

-42.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$772 MX$13.5K

$1,426 MX$25.0K

-45.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$928 MX$16.2K

$4,178 MX$73.1K

-77.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$635 MX$11.1K

$2,845 MX$49.8K

-77.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$683 MX$11.9K

$1,113 MX$19.5K

-38.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.33

11.55

-1.90%

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

Last update for Cuernavaca: April 25, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $371 in Cuernavaca and $911 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 63% 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: $38.00 in Cuernavaca vs $54.0 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $292 per month, with Cuernavaca 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

Cuernavaca vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cuernavaca is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 58% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Monterrey earns 63% 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: $371 in Cuernavaca versus $911 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Monterrey. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Cuernavaca – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $54.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,012 in Cuernavaca versus $1,595 in Monterrey, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cuernavaca but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes Cuernavaca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cuernavaca is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Monterrey, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cuernavaca 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 Cuernavaca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.