Cost of Living Comparison Between Ecatepec and Monterrey Cost of Living Comparison Between Ecatepec and Monterrey

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,170 per month in Ecatepec vs $1,601 in Monterrey, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,892 per month in Ecatepec vs $2,585 in Monterrey, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,614 per month in Ecatepec vs $3,568 in Monterrey, rent included.

Ecatepec is about 27% cheaper than Monterrey, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Ecatepec sits 13% below the global median, while Monterrey is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$13.01 MX$225

1.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 MX$810

$53.8 MX$930

-12.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.15 MX$158

$10.21 MX$177

-10.38%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$61.8

$3.68 MX$63.7

-2.99%

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

$1.32 MX$22.87

$1.46 MX$25.30

-9.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$17.92

$1.00 MX$17.28

4.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$50.6

$2.70 MX$46.62

8.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.72 MX$81.6

$4.27 MX$73.9

10.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 MX$23.68

$1.67 MX$28.81

-17.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.76 MX$47.75

$2.68 MX$46.35

2.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 MX$31.89

$1.93 MX$33.35

-4.66%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$43.66

$2.63 MX$45.49

-4.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.13 MX$141

$10.34 MX$179

-21.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.45 MX$146

$9.22 MX$159

-8.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.78 MX$204

$13.84 MX$239

-14.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 MX$51.6

$3.15 MX$54.5

-5.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 MX$28.76

$1.39 MX$24.01

19.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.19

$2.00 MX$34.59

-1.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.01

$2.14 MX$37.03

-7.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.12

$2.27 MX$39.19

-18.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.25 MX$38.97

$2.54 MX$44.00

-11.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 MX$23.94

$1.57 MX$27.09

-12.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.83

$1.07 MX$18.49

1.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 MX$71.7

$4.25 MX$73.5

-2.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.85 MX$274

$14.36 MX$248

10.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.36

$1.78 MX$30.81

-1.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.9

$3.14 MX$54.4

15.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 MX$11.27

$0.80 MX$13.87

-18.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.24 MX$506

$40.54 MX$701

-27.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 MX$27.90

$1.68 MX$29.06

-4.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.23

$0.94 MX$16.28

-68.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$10.76 MX$186

-49.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.72

$1.37 MX$23.68

-8.03%

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

$18.1K MX$313.0K

$26.7K MX$462.6K

-32.33%

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

$21.8K MX$376.8K

$25.6K MX$442.5K

-14.84%

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

$40.82 MX$706

$122 MX$2,104

-66.45%

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

$21.53 MX$372

$27.19 MX$470

-20.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.74 MX$514

$29.82 MX$516

-0.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.17 MX$435

$38.49 MX$666

-34.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.48 MX$181

$21.46 MX$371

-51.16%

Cinema Ticket

$6.37 MX$110

$5.92 MX$102

7.60%

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

$338 MX$5,854

$346 MX$5,979

-2.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,545 MX$61.3K

$8,997 MX$155.6K

-60.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 MX$1,004

$58.4 MX$1,010

-0.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.50 MX$770

$42.55 MX$736

4.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,779

$109 MX$1,892

-5.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 MX$1,858

$129 MX$2,231

-16.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$510 MX$8,824

$913 MX$15.8K

-44.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$398 MX$6,884

$647 MX$11.2K

-38.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$917 MX$15.9K

$1,565 MX$27.1K

-41.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$770 MX$13.3K

$1,401 MX$24.2K

-45.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$820 MX$14.2K

$4,371 MX$75.6K

-81.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$803 MX$13.9K

$2,839 MX$49.1K

-71.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$582 MX$10.1K

$1,104 MX$19.1K

-47.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.5

11.55

-0.43%

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

Last update for Ecatepec: June 1, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $510 in Ecatepec 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 90% higher in Monterrey, 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 $47.00 in Ecatepec versus $54.0 in Monterrey. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $280 vs $298 – making Ecatepec 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

Ecatepec vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,170 in Ecatepec, $1,601 in Monterrey – roughly 37% apart. Monterrey costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,756 per month in Ecatepec 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 Ecatepec, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Ecatepec and $54.0 in Monterrey. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,170 in Ecatepec and $1,601 in Monterrey. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Ecatepec, where all-in costs run around $1,170, than in Monterrey at $1,601. In Ecatepec it covers expenses comfortably, while in Monterrey it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Monterrey has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,170 in Ecatepec to $1,601 in Monterrey. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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