Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fargo, ND and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,599 a month against $2,026 in Fargo, ND, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

97

Cost of Living Index in Fargo, ND
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Fargo, ND Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index

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Fargo, ND

🇺🇸 United States

$2,026

/mo nomad

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,599

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,026 per month in Fargo, ND vs $1,599 in Monterrey, rent included.

Fargo, ND $2,026
Monterrey $1,599

A couple spends around $3,226 per month in Fargo, ND vs $2,493 in Monterrey, rent included.

Fargo, ND $3,226
Monterrey $2,493

A family of three spends $4,426 per month in Fargo, ND vs $3,387 in Monterrey, rent included.

Fargo, ND $4,426
Monterrey $3,387

Fargo, ND costs about 27% more than Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Fargo, ND and Monterrey sit above the global median – Fargo, ND by 49%, Monterrey by 18%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.26 $17.26

$13.80 MX$255

25.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.7 $60.7

$47.99 MX$887

26.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.73 $11.73

$10.65 MX$197

10.14%

Cappuccino

$5.15 $5.15

$3.99 MX$73.7

29.07%

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

$2.58 $2.58

$1.66 MX$30.76

55.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$0.99 MX$18.21

106.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.34 $5.34

$2.36 MX$43.64

126.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.13 $9.13

$4.43 MX$81.8

106.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.82 MX$33.58

-30.22%

White Bread (500g)

$3.52 $3.52

$2.83 MX$52.4

24.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.52 $7.52

$1.92 MX$35.44

291.67%

Eggs

$4.04 $4.04

$2.48 MX$45.78

62.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.80 $14.80

$11.74 MX$217

26.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.50 $15.50

$9.10 MX$168

70.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.19 $21.19

$12.53 MX$232

69.11%

Apples (1kg)

$10.51 $10.51

$3.34 MX$61.6

214.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.57 MX$29.10

50.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.59 $6.59

$2.16 MX$39.86

205.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.44 $5.44

$2.47 MX$45.65

120.24%

Potato (1kg)

$4.87 $4.87

$2.31 MX$42.64

110.82%

Onion (1kg)

$3.81 $3.81

$2.68 MX$49.47

42.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.46 MX$26.90

37.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$1.19 MX$22.07

120.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.77 $8.77

$4.75 MX$87.8

84.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.54 $18.54

$13.58 MX$251

36.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.92 MX$35.52

32.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 $5.44

$2.88 MX$53.2

88.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.47 $1.47

$0.79 MX$14.66

86.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.33 $41.33

$31.36 MX$579

31.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.52 $4.52

$1.59 MX$29.44

184.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 MX$19.58

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.80 MX$200

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.55 MX$28.59

-36.77%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$24.2K MX$446.4K

11.62%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$24.3K MX$449.4K

6.39%

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

$136 $136

$117 MX$2,159

16.23%

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

$58.2 $58.2

$26.38 MX$488

120.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.3 $57.3

$26.04 MX$481

120.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 $57.1

$30.26 MX$559

88.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.25 MX$393

Cinema Ticket

$13.79 $13.79

$5.23 MX$96.6

163.67%

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

$1,244 $1,244

$673 MX$12.4K

85.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K MX$205.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.0 $51.0

$72.1 MX$1,332

-29.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.99 $45.99

$42.38 MX$783

8.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.7 $84.7

$112 MX$2,066

-24.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$119 MX$2,200

-13.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$954 $954

$949 MX$17.5K

0.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$689 $689

$666 MX$12.3K

3.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,252 $2,252

$1,821 MX$33.7K

23.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,452 $1,452

$1,271 MX$23.5K

14.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,898 $1,898

$4,050 MX$74.8K

-53.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,673 $1,673

$2,348 MX$43.4K

-28.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,824 $3,824

$1,155 MX$21.3K

230.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

11.79

-45.46%

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

Last update for Fargo, ND: October 20, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fargo, ND

$689 34%

Monterrey

$666 41.7% 3.3% $23

Groceries & Markets

Fargo, ND

$522 25.8%

Monterrey

$304 19% 41.7% $218

Eating Out

Fargo, ND

$299 14.7%

Monterrey

$221 13.9% 25.8% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fargo, ND

$251 12.4%

Monterrey

$169 10.6% 32.6% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Fargo, ND

$128 6.3%

Monterrey

$155 9.7% 21.2% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Fargo, ND

$85 4.2%

Monterrey

$41 2.6% 51.9% $44

Getting Around

Fargo, ND

$52 * 2.6%

Monterrey

$41 2.6% 19.9% $10

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $954 in Fargo, ND versus $949 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 231% higher in Fargo, ND, 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 $61.0 in Fargo, ND versus $48.00 in Monterrey. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $522 vs $304 – making Monterrey the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fargo, ND

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🕒 Local time

03:42 3:42 AM

02:42 2:42 AM

1 h behind Fargo, ND

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

90,056

1,142,994

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 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 October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Fargo, ND Monterrey 2,380 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Fargo, ND
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

Fargo, ND vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fargo, ND costs about 27% more than Monterrey, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,038 per month in Fargo, ND and $2,399 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Fargo, ND and $48.00 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 $2,026 in Fargo, ND and $1,599 in Monterrey. That's a gap of about 27%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Monterrey, where all-in costs run around $1,599, than in Fargo, ND at $2,026. In Monterrey it covers expenses comfortably, while in Fargo, ND it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Monterrey costs $1,599 versus $2,026 in Fargo, ND. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Fargo, ND makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.