Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fayetteville, AR and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,608 a month against $2,352 in Fayetteville, AR, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

113

Cost of Living Index in Fayetteville, AR
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Fayetteville, AR Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index

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Fayetteville, AR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,352

/mo nomad

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,352 per month in Fayetteville, AR vs $1,608 in Monterrey, rent included.

Fayetteville, AR $2,352
Monterrey $1,608

A couple spends around $3,522 per month in Fayetteville, AR vs $2,521 in Monterrey, rent included.

Fayetteville, AR $3,522
Monterrey $2,521

A family of three spends $4,693 per month in Fayetteville, AR vs $3,433 in Monterrey, rent included.

Fayetteville, AR $4,693
Monterrey $3,433

Fayetteville, AR costs about 46% more than Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Fayetteville, AR and Monterrey sit above the global median – Fayetteville, AR by 74%, Monterrey by 19%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.60 $16.60

$13.85 MX$256

19.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.6 $77.6

$49.70 MX$918

56.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.69 $9.69

$11.05 MX$204

-12.31%

Cappuccino

$5.40 $5.40

$4.09 MX$75.6

32.03%

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

$2.22 $2.22

$1.68 MX$30.97

32.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.03 MX$18.98

57.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.16 $6.16

$2.40 MX$44.28

156.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.96 $6.96

$4.35 MX$80.3

60.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.92 MX$35.55

-53.13%

White Bread (500g)

$3.66 $3.66

$2.94 MX$54.2

24.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.59 $3.59

$1.88 MX$34.66

90.96%

Eggs

$5.46 $5.46

$2.55 MX$47.06

114.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.17 $8.17

$11.84 MX$219

-31.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.77 $8.77

$9.36 MX$173

-6.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.23 $13.23

$13.10 MX$242

0.99%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$3.38 MX$62.5

34.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.52 MX$28.13

1.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.19 MX$40.51

28.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.08 $4.08

$2.36 MX$43.63

72.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 $1.89

$2.26 MX$41.76

-16.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 $2.49

$2.73 MX$50.5

-8.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.52 MX$28.17

-0.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.24 MX$22.90

57.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.59 $8.59

$4.75 MX$87.8

80.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.23 $14.23

$13.66 MX$252

4.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.89 MX$34.95

0.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.99 MX$55.2

8.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 MX$15.78

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.95 MX$572

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.74 $2.74

$1.68 MX$30.98

63.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.13 MX$20.87

7.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.37 $30.37

$11.15 MX$206

172.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.56 MX$28.91

-42.31%

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

$35.3K $35.3K

$21.4K MX$395.8K

64.85%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$25.1K MX$463.2K

1.77%

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

$175 $175

$119 MX$2,206

46.50%

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

$56.4 $56.4

$26.21 MX$484

115.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.4 $61.4

$26.78 MX$495

129.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.3 $72.3

$31.03 MX$573

133.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.43 MX$396

Cinema Ticket

$9.85 $9.85

$5.29 MX$97.7

86.20%

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

$1,090 $1,090

$691 MX$12.8K

57.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K $23.8K

$11.5K MX$212.1K

107.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.2 $53.2

$72.3 MX$1,335

-26.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.93 $41.93

$42.72 MX$789

-1.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 $105

$110 MX$2,024

-4.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$117 MX$2,158

20.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,447 $1,447

$970 MX$17.9K

49.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,181 $1,181

$664 MX$12.3K

77.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,852 $2,852

$1,857 MX$34.3K

53.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 $2,062

$1,287 MX$23.8K

60.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,636 $2,636

$4,162 MX$76.9K

-36.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,231 $2,231

$2,349 MX$43.4K

-5.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,494 $3,494

$1,146 MX$21.2K

204.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

11.79

-45.29%

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

Last update for Fayetteville, AR: October 11, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fayetteville, AR

$1.2K 50.2%

Monterrey

$664 41.3% 43.8% $517

Groceries & Markets

Fayetteville, AR

$338 14.4%

Monterrey

$310 19.3% 8.2% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fayetteville, AR

$293 12.4%

Monterrey

$172 10.7% 41.1% $120

Eating Out

Fayetteville, AR

$287 12.2%

Monterrey

$225 14% 21.7% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Fayetteville, AR

$153 6.5%

Monterrey

$154 9.6% 0.2% $0.3

Sport & Entertainment

Fayetteville, AR

$92 3.9%

Monterrey

$42 2.6% 54.8% $50

Getting Around

Fayetteville, AR

$8.9 * 0.4%

Monterrey

$42 2.6% 371% $33

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,447 in Fayetteville, AR versus $970 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 205% higher in Fayetteville, AR, 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 $78.0 in Fayetteville, AR versus $50.0 in Monterrey. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $338 vs $310 – making Monterrey the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fayetteville, AR

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🕒 Local time

11:51 11:51 AM

10:51 10:51 AM

1 h behind Fayetteville, AR

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

93,949

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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 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

Fayetteville, AR Monterrey 1,290 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Fayetteville, AR
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

Fayetteville, AR vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,352 in Fayetteville, AR, $1,608 in Monterrey – roughly 46% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,528 per month in Fayetteville, AR and $2,412 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 $78.0 in Fayetteville, AR and $50.0 in Monterrey. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Fayetteville, AR, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Monterrey, where all-in costs run around $1,608, than in Fayetteville, AR at $2,352. In Monterrey it covers expenses comfortably, while in Fayetteville, AR 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 $1,608 in Monterrey to $2,352 in Fayetteville, AR. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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