Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fort Wayne, IN and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,641 a month against $2,109 in Fort Wayne, IN, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Fort Wayne, IN, United States
Monterrey, Mexico
Fort Wayne, IN
🇺🇸 United States
$2,109
/mo nomad
Monterrey
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,641
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,109 per month in Fort Wayne, IN vs $1,641 in Monterrey, rent included.

  • Fort Wayne, IN $2,109
  • Monterrey $1,641

A couple spends around $3,008 per month in Fort Wayne, IN vs $2,573 in Monterrey, rent included.

  • Fort Wayne, IN $3,008
  • Monterrey $2,573

A family of three spends $3,908 per month in Fort Wayne, IN vs $3,504 in Monterrey, rent included.

  • Fort Wayne, IN $3,908
  • Monterrey $3,504

Fort Wayne, IN costs about 29% more than Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Fort Wayne, IN and Monterrey sit above the global median – Fort Wayne, IN by 56%, Monterrey by 21%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Fort Wayne, IN
Monterrey
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.72 $14.72
$13.37 MX$250
10.10%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$53.9 $53.9
$47.95 MX$897
12.43%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.82 $9.82
$10.79 MX$202
-8.99%
Cappuccino
$4.66 $4.66
$3.77 MX$70.4
23.61%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 $2.29
$1.51 MX$28.26
51.66%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.08 $2.08
$1.03 MX$19.25
101.94%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.47 $4.47
$2.48 MX$46.41
80.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.85 $5.85
$4.36 MX$81.5
34.17%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Fort Wayne, IN
Monterrey
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.72 $0.72
$1.89 MX$35.43
-61.90%
White Bread (500g)
$3.09 $3.09
$2.85 MX$53.3
8.42%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.66 $4.66
$1.86 MX$34.71
150.54%
Eggs
$3.78 $3.78
$2.47 MX$46.12
53.04%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.18 $11.18
$11.81 MX$221
-5.33%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.30 $9.30
$8.97 MX$168
3.68%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.75 $14.75
$12.57 MX$235
17.34%
Apples (1kg)
$5.85 $5.85
$3.20 MX$59.8
82.81%
Banana (1kg)
$1.12 $1.12
$1.50 MX$28.12
-25.33%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.73 $3.73
$2.12 MX$39.74
75.94%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.57 $4.57
$2.33 MX$43.64
96.14%
Potato (1kg)
$2.38 $2.38
$2.22 MX$41.58
7.21%
Onion (1kg)
$2.98 $2.98
$2.58 MX$48.34
15.50%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.37 $2.37
$1.45 MX$27.04
63.45%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.28 $1.28
$1.22 MX$22.85
4.92%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.36 $11.36
$4.80 MX$89.7
136.67%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.93 $11.93
$13.30 MX$249
-10.30%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.06 $2.06
$1.93 MX$36.14
6.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.59 $3.59
$2.86 MX$53.4
25.52%
🚌 Getting Around
Fort Wayne, IN
Monterrey
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.48 $1.48
$0.80 MX$14.94
85.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$53.8 $53.8
$30.94 MX$579
73.98%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.94 $2.94
$1.83 MX$34.28
60.66%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.52 $1.52
$1.06 MX$19.78
43.40%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$26.09 $26.09
$10.82 MX$202
141.13%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.93 $0.93
$1.47 MX$27.54
-36.73%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.4K $27.4K
$24.1K MX$450.4K
13.73%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.6K $25.6K
$23.5K MX$440.2K
8.58%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Fort Wayne, IN
Monterrey
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$197 $197
$115 MX$2,144
71.79%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$55.1 $55.1
$26.37 MX$493
109.10%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$56.1 $56.1
$25.70 MX$481
118.25%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Fort Wayne, IN
Monterrey
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$35.80 $35.80
$30.53 MX$571
17.26%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.01 $24.01
$21.27 MX$398
12.88%
Cinema Ticket
$13.16 $13.16
$4.96 MX$92.8
165.32%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Fort Wayne, IN
Monterrey
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,351 $1,351
$679 MX$12.7K
99.09%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.0K $16.0K
$14.2K MX$265.3K
13.00%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Fort Wayne, IN
Monterrey
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.1 $53.1
$72.2 MX$1,350
-26.40%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.18 $40.18
$41.94 MX$784
-4.20%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$110 $110
$107 MX$2,011
2.03%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$96.2 $96.2
$119 MX$2,219
-18.92%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Fort Wayne, IN
Monterrey
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,288 $1,288
$1,018 MX$19.0K
26.56%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$930 $930
$722 MX$13.5K
28.83%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,499 $2,499
$1,966 MX$36.8K
27.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,370 $1,370
$1,416 MX$26.5K
-3.22%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,607 $2,607
$4,203 MX$78.6K
-37.97%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,591 $1,591
$2,782 MX$52.0K
-42.80%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Fort Wayne, IN
Monterrey
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,615 $3,615
$1,096 MX$20.5K
229.96%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.6
11.79
-44.02%

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

Last update for Fort Wayne, IN: November 2, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Fort Wayne, IN
$930
Monterrey
$722 22.4% $208
Groceries & Markets
Fort Wayne, IN
$349
Monterrey
$302 13.5% $47
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Fort Wayne, IN
$308
Monterrey
$167 45.9% $141
Eating Out
Fort Wayne, IN
$255
Monterrey
$216 15.3% $39
Clothing & Footwear
Fort Wayne, IN
$135
Monterrey
$153 13.7% $18
Getting Around
Fort Wayne, IN
$70
Monterrey
$41 41.3% $29
Sport & Entertainment
Fort Wayne, IN
$62
Monterrey
$40 34.9% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,288 in Fort Wayne, IN versus $1,018 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 in Fort Wayne, IN are about 3.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54 in Fort Wayne, IN versus $48 in Monterrey. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $349 vs $302 – making Monterrey the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Fort Wayne, IN
🇲🇽 Monterrey
🕒 Local time
16:11 4:11 PM
15:11 3:11 PM
1 h behind Fort Wayne, IN
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
248,637
1,142,994
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Fort Wayne, IN Monterrey 2,210 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Fort Wayne, IN
  • 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
Fort Wayne, IN vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Fort Wayne, IN or Monterrey?
Fort Wayne, IN costs about 29% more than Monterrey, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Fort Wayne, IN and in Monterrey?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,163 per month in Fort Wayne, IN and $2,461 in Monterrey. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Fort Wayne, IN or Monterrey?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Monterrey, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,018 there versus $1,288 in Fort Wayne, IN.
Are groceries more expensive in Fort Wayne, IN or in Monterrey?
Groceries cost about 16% more in Fort Wayne, IN, though the gap depends on what you buy.
How do dining costs compare in Fort Wayne, IN and in Monterrey?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $54 in Fort Wayne, IN and $48 in Monterrey. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Can you live on $3,000/month in Fort Wayne, IN or in Monterrey?
$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,109 in Fort Wayne, IN and $1,641 in Monterrey, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Which city is better for families?
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.
Should I move to Fort Wayne, IN or to Monterrey?
If budget matters most, go with Monterrey. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Fort Wayne, IN makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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