Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fairfax, VA and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,641 a month against $3,485 in Fairfax, VA, rent and utilities included – about $22,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

165

Cost of Living Index in Fairfax, VA
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Fairfax, VA Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index

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Fairfax, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,485

/mo nomad

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,485 in Fairfax, VA versus $1,641 in Monterrey.

Fairfax, VA $3,485
Monterrey $1,641

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,828 in Fairfax, VA versus $2,573 in Monterrey.

Fairfax, VA $4,828
Monterrey $2,573

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,172 in Fairfax, VA versus $3,504 in Monterrey.

Fairfax, VA $6,172
Monterrey $3,504

Living in Fairfax, VA is roughly 112% more expensive than in Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Fairfax, VA 158% above, Monterrey 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.06 $19.06

$13.37 MX$250

42.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.7 $94.7

$47.95 MX$897

97.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.17 $12.17

$10.79 MX$202

12.79%

Cappuccino

$5.96 $5.96

$3.77 MX$70.4

58.09%

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

$3.20 $3.20

$1.51 MX$28.26

111.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 $2.70

$1.03 MX$19.25

162.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.89 $6.89

$2.48 MX$46.41

177.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.04 $8.04

$4.36 MX$81.5

84.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.89 MX$35.43

-41.80%

White Bread (500g)

$4.17 $4.17

$2.85 MX$53.3

46.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.13 $5.13

$1.86 MX$34.71

175.81%

Eggs

$5.54 $5.54

$2.47 MX$46.12

124.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.10 $17.10

$11.81 MX$221

44.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.93 $14.93

$8.97 MX$168

66.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.32 $18.32

$12.57 MX$235

45.74%

Apples (1kg)

$6.03 $6.03

$3.20 MX$59.8

88.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.50 MX$28.12

49.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.78 $5.78

$2.12 MX$39.74

172.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.96 $5.96

$2.33 MX$43.64

155.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

$2.22 MX$41.58

30.18%

Onion (1kg)

$3.71 $3.71

$2.58 MX$48.34

43.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.45 MX$27.04

65.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 $2.66

$1.22 MX$22.85

118.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.42 $13.42

$4.80 MX$89.7

179.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.88 $15.88

$13.30 MX$249

19.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.93 MX$36.14

38.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 $4.63

$2.86 MX$53.4

61.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.67 $2.67

$0.80 MX$14.94

233.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.8 $69.8

$30.94 MX$579

125.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.03 $4.03

$1.83 MX$34.28

120.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.06 MX$19.78

38.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.53 $23.53

$10.82 MX$202

117.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.47 MX$27.54

-28.57%

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

$34.4K $34.4K

$24.1K MX$450.4K

43.04%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$23.5K MX$440.2K

9.60%

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

$215 $215

$115 MX$2,144

87.62%

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

$66.1 $66.1

$26.37 MX$493

150.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.8 $77.8

$25.70 MX$481

202.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.1 $66.1

$30.53 MX$571

116.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.11 $25.11

$21.27 MX$398

18.05%

Cinema Ticket

$18.01 $18.01

$4.96 MX$92.8

263.10%

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

$1,917 $1,917

$679 MX$12.7K

182.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$38.7K $38.7K

$14.2K MX$265.3K

172.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 $53.4

$72.2 MX$1,350

-26.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.6 $54.6

$41.94 MX$784

30.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 $93.4

$107 MX$2,011

-13.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 $113

$119 MX$2,219

-4.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,507 $2,507

$1,018 MX$19.0K

146.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,971 $1,971

$722 MX$13.5K

173.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,388 $3,388

$1,966 MX$36.8K

72.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,757 $2,757

$1,416 MX$26.5K

94.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,589 $5,589

$4,203 MX$78.6K

32.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,863 $3,863

$2,782 MX$52.0K

38.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,706 $4,706

$1,096 MX$20.5K

329.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.9

11.79

-41.48%

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

Last update for Fairfax, VA: October 31, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Fairfax, VA

$2K 56.6%

Monterrey

$722 44% 63.4% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Fairfax, VA

$485 13.9%

Monterrey

$302 18.4% 37.7% $183

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fairfax, VA

$359 10.3%

Monterrey

$167 10.2% 53.6% $192

Eating Out

Fairfax, VA

$335 9.6%

Monterrey

$216 13.2% 35.5% $119

Clothing & Footwear

Fairfax, VA

$141 4.1%

Monterrey

$153 9.3% 8.3% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Fairfax, VA

$102 2.9%

Monterrey

$40 2.5% 60.4% $62

Getting Around

Fairfax, VA

$92 2.6%

Monterrey

$41 2.5% 55.1% $51

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,507 in Fairfax, VA and $1,018 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fairfax, VA pays about 4.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $95 in Fairfax, VA vs $48 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $485 vs $302 per month, with Monterrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fairfax, VA

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🕒 Local time

16:21 4:21 PM

15:21 3:21 PM

1 h behind Fairfax, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,146

1,142,994

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.7 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 20.9 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Fairfax, VA Monterrey 2,600 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Fairfax, VA
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

Fairfax, VA vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey wins on cost – living expenses run 53% lower than in Fairfax, VA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Monterrey the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Fairfax, VA is about 4.3 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,507 in Fairfax, VA versus $1,018 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 60% higher in Fairfax, VA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Monterrey – a meal for two runs $48 versus $95 in Fairfax, VA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,641 in Monterrey versus $3,485 in Fairfax, VA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Monterrey but tight or insufficient in Fairfax, VA. The gap between the two cities makes Monterrey 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.

Expats usually find Monterrey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Fairfax, VA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.