Cost of Living Comparison Between Doha and Monterrey Cost of Living Comparison Between Doha and Monterrey

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,003 per month in Doha vs $1,601 in Monterrey, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,069 per month in Doha vs $2,585 in Monterrey, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,134 per month in Doha vs $3,568 in Monterrey, rent included.

Doha costs about 25% more than Monterrey, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Doha and Monterrey sit above the global median – Doha by 49%, Monterrey by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.77 QAR 24.64

$13.01 MX$226

-47.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.0 QAR 196

$53.8 MX$932

0.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.78 QAR 24.69

$10.21 MX$177

-33.59%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.76 QAR 42.80

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.10 QAR 40.40

Cappuccino

$4.98 QAR 18.14

$3.68 MX$63.8

35.33%

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

$0.84 QAR 3.07

$1.46 MX$25.34

-42.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 QAR 1.13

$1.00 MX$17.31

-69.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 MX$46.70

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 MX$74.0

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 QAR 7.44

$1.67 MX$28.86

22.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 QAR 5.92

$2.68 MX$46.43

-39.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.15 QAR 7.82

$1.93 MX$33.41

11.40%

Eggs

$2.62 QAR 9.55

$2.63 MX$45.57

-0.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.34 QAR 41.26

$10.34 MX$179

9.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.55 QAR 27.48

$9.22 MX$160

-18.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.43 QAR 37.97

$13.84 MX$240

-24.64%

Apples (1kg)

$1.98 QAR 7.21

$3.15 MX$54.6

-37.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 QAR 5.73

$1.39 MX$24.06

12.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 QAR 5.77

$2.00 MX$34.65

-20.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.45 QAR 5.26

$2.14 MX$37.10

-32.24%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 QAR 3.57

$2.27 MX$39.26

-56.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 QAR 3.88

$2.54 MX$44.08

-57.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 QAR 5.03

$1.57 MX$27.14

-12.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 QAR 1.66

$1.07 MX$18.53

-57.01%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$8.27 QAR 30.10

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 QAR 6.71

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 QAR 10.92

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.47 QAR 23.53

$4.25 MX$73.6

52.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.36 MX$249

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 MX$30.87

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 MX$54.5

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 QAR 1.91

$0.80 MX$13.89

-33.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.91 QAR 120

$40.54 MX$703

-18.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.23 QAR 8.11

$1.68 MX$29.11

32.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 QAR 8.07

$0.94 MX$16.31

136.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.60 QAR 49.50

$10.76 MX$186

26.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 QAR 2.16

$1.37 MX$23.72

-56.93%

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

$22.2K QAR 80.7K

$26.7K MX$463.4K

-17.07%

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

$20.3K QAR 73.9K

$25.6K MX$443.3K

-20.64%

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

$93.5 QAR 340

$122 MX$2,108

-23.16%

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

$37.48 QAR 136

$27.19 MX$471

37.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 QAR 313

$29.82 MX$517

188.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$120 QAR 436

$38.49 MX$667

211.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$32.38 QAR 118

$21.46 MX$372

50.89%

Cinema Ticket

$12.20 QAR 44.41

$5.92 MX$103

106.08%

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

$794 QAR 2,891

$346 MX$5,990

129.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K QAR 42.7K

$8,997 MX$155.9K

30.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.3 QAR 227

$58.4 MX$1,012

6.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.6 QAR 199

$42.55 MX$737

28.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.4 QAR 362

$109 MX$1,896

-9.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.2 QAR 328

$129 MX$2,235

-30.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,609 QAR 5,857

$913 MX$15.8K

76.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,094 QAR 3,983

$647 MX$11.2K

69.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,926 QAR 10.7K

$1,565 MX$27.1K

87.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,079 QAR 7,567

$1,401 MX$24.3K

48.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,471 QAR 16.3K

$4,371 MX$75.7K

2.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,709 QAR 9,860

$2,839 MX$49.2K

-4.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,111 QAR 11.3K

$1,104 MX$19.1K

181.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.08

11.55

-47.36%

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

Last update for Doha: May 31, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,609 in Doha versus $913 in Monterrey. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 182% higher in Doha, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54.0 in Doha versus $54.0 in Monterrey. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $208 vs $298 – making Doha the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Doha vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Doha is pricier by about 25%, and the gap shows up most in Sport & Entertainment. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,004 per month in Doha and $2,402 in Monterrey. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Monterrey, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 23% less in Monterrey. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $794 per month in Doha and $346 in Monterrey. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Monterrey, where all-in costs run around $1,601, than in Doha at $2,003. In Monterrey it covers expenses comfortably, while in Doha it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Monterrey – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Monterrey. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Doha makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.