Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Frederick, MD and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,641 a month against $2,533 in Frederick, MD, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Frederick, MD, United States
Monterrey, Mexico
Frederick, MD
🇺🇸 United States
$2,533
/mo nomad
Monterrey
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,641
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,533 in Frederick, MD versus $1,641 in Monterrey.

  • Frederick, MD $2,533
  • Monterrey $1,641

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,869 in Frederick, MD versus $2,573 in Monterrey.

  • Frederick, MD $3,869
  • Monterrey $2,573

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,204 in Frederick, MD versus $3,504 in Monterrey.

  • Frederick, MD $5,204
  • Monterrey $3,504

Living in Frederick, MD is roughly 54% more expensive than in Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Frederick, MD 87% above, Monterrey 21% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Frederick, MD
Monterrey
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.17 $18.17
$13.37 MX$251
35.90%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$93.9 $93.9
$47.95 MX$900
95.81%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.86 $9.86
$10.79 MX$203
-8.62%
Cappuccino
$4.46 $4.46
$3.77 MX$70.7
18.30%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.96 $2.96
$1.51 MX$28.37
96.03%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.89 $1.89
$1.03 MX$19.33
83.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.09 $6.09
$2.48 MX$46.60
145.56%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.28 $7.28
$4.36 MX$81.8
66.97%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Frederick, MD
Monterrey
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.99 $0.99
$1.89 MX$35.58
-47.62%
White Bread (500g)
$4.50 $4.50
$2.85 MX$53.5
57.89%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.43 $4.43
$1.86 MX$34.86
138.17%
Eggs
$3.76 $3.76
$2.47 MX$46.31
52.23%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.16 $13.16
$11.81 MX$222
11.43%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.55 $11.55
$8.97 MX$168
28.76%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.70 $14.70
$12.57 MX$236
16.95%
Apples (1kg)
$5.46 $5.46
$3.20 MX$60.0
70.63%
Banana (1kg)
$1.51 $1.51
$1.50 MX$28.23
0.67%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.38 $4.38
$2.12 MX$39.90
106.60%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.92 $5.92
$2.33 MX$43.82
154.08%
Potato (1kg)
$3.16 $3.16
$2.22 MX$41.75
42.34%
Onion (1kg)
$3.90 $3.90
$2.58 MX$48.54
51.16%
Lettuce (1 head)
$3.33 $3.33
$1.45 MX$27.15
129.66%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.35 $2.35
$1.22 MX$22.94
92.62%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.40 $9.40
$4.80 MX$90.1
95.83%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.53 $16.53
$13.30 MX$250
24.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78 $1.78
$1.93 MX$36.28
-7.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.95 $2.95
$2.86 MX$53.6
3.15%
🚌 Getting Around
Frederick, MD
Monterrey
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.80 MX$15.00
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$30.94 MX$581
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.96 $3.96
$1.83 MX$34.42
116.39%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.26 $1.26
$1.06 MX$19.86
18.87%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$24.34 $24.34
$10.82 MX$203
124.95%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.01 $1.01
$1.47 MX$27.65
-31.29%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.1K $29.1K
$24.1K MX$452.3K
20.69%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.8K $25.8K
$23.5K MX$442.0K
9.65%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Frederick, MD
Monterrey
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$107 $107
$115 MX$2,152
-6.49%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$46.88 $46.88
$26.37 MX$495
77.78%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$63.2 $63.2
$25.70 MX$483
145.91%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Frederick, MD
Monterrey
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.64 $43.64
$30.53 MX$573
42.94%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$21.27 MX$400
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.81 $14.81
$4.96 MX$93.1
198.59%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Frederick, MD
Monterrey
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,872 $1,872
$679 MX$12.7K
175.87%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.0K $14.0K
$14.2K MX$266.4K
-1.30%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Frederick, MD
Monterrey
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$37.14 $37.14
$72.2 MX$1,356
-48.56%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$36.31 $36.31
$41.94 MX$788
-13.42%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$93.6 $93.6
$107 MX$2,019
-12.90%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.4 $97.4
$119 MX$2,228
-17.90%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Frederick, MD
Monterrey
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,483 $1,483
$1,018 MX$19.1K
45.72%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,402 $1,402
$722 MX$13.6K
94.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,285 $2,285
$1,966 MX$36.9K
16.20%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,494 $2,494
$1,416 MX$26.6K
76.21%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,494 $3,494
$4,203 MX$78.9K
-16.86%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,051 $2,051
$2,782 MX$52.2K
-26.28%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Frederick, MD
Monterrey
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,825 $4,825
$1,096 MX$20.6K
340.38%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.1
11.79
-48.26%

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

Last update for Frederick, MD: November 1, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Frederick, MD
$1.4K
Monterrey
$722 48.5% $680
Groceries & Markets
Frederick, MD
$419
Monterrey
$302 27.9% $117
Eating Out
Frederick, MD
$293
Monterrey
$216 26.3% $77
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Frederick, MD
$217
Monterrey
$167 23.3% $51
Clothing & Footwear
Frederick, MD
$119
Monterrey
$153 28.7% $34
Sport & Entertainment
Frederick, MD
$73
Monterrey
$40 44.8% $33
Getting Around
Frederick, MD
$10 *
Monterrey
$41 302% $31

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,483 in Frederick, MD and $1,018 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Frederick, MD pays about 4.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $94 in Frederick, MD vs $48 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $419 vs $302 per month, with Monterrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Frederick, MD
🇲🇽 Monterrey
🕒 Local time
05:58 5:58 AM
04:58 4:58 AM
1 h behind Frederick, MD
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
72,237
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 = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.78 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 21.09 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Frederick, MD Monterrey 2,620 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Frederick, MD
  • 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
Frederick, MD vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Frederick, MD and in Monterrey?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,533 in Frederick, MD and $1,641 in Monterrey, so Monterrey is about 35% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Frederick, MD or Monterrey?
Average pay in Frederick, MD is about 4.4 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Frederick, MD and in Monterrey?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,483 in Frederick, MD versus $1,018 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Frederick, MD. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: Frederick, MD or Monterrey?
All in, you’ll spend $2,533 per month in Frederick, MD versus $1,641 in Monterrey – Monterrey is about 35% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
How far does $3,000 go in Frederick, MD compared to Monterrey?
Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Monterrey gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
How does quality of life compare between Frederick, MD and Monterrey?
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.
How do I decide between Frederick, MD and Monterrey?
It comes down to priorities – Monterrey wins on affordability, Frederick, MD on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

Frederick, MD vs other spots: cost of living compared

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