Cost of Living Comparison Between Guanajuato and Monterrey Cost of Living Comparison Between Guanajuato and Monterrey

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,088 in Guanajuato versus $1,790 in Monterrey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,659 in Guanajuato versus $2,785 in Monterrey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,231 in Guanajuato versus $3,780 in Monterrey.

Living in Guanajuato costs roughly 39% less than in Monterrey, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Guanajuato is 21% below, Monterrey is 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.38 MX$244

$14.74 MX$250

-2.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.85 MX$811

$52.2 MX$884

-8.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.71 MX$165

$11.81 MX$200

-17.78%

Cappuccino

$3.76 MX$63.7

$4.27 MX$72.4

-11.94%

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

$1.78 MX$30.25

$1.58 MX$26.80

12.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.17 MX$19.77

$1.12 MX$18.90

4.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$49.44

$3.02 MX$51.1

-3.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.27 MX$89.2

$4.70 MX$79.7

12.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$27.89

$2.06 MX$34.87

-19.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 MX$43.40

$3.17 MX$53.7

-19.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.23

$2.05 MX$34.71

-27.32%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$44.66

$2.78 MX$47.17

-5.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.99 MX$84.6

$12.93 MX$219

-61.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.24 MX$123

$10.08 MX$171

-28.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.07 MX$171

$14.37 MX$243

-29.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.66 MX$45.16

$3.70 MX$62.8

-28.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 MX$28.48

$1.66 MX$28.16

1.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.16 MX$36.55

$2.37 MX$40.19

-8.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.89 MX$31.96

$2.55 MX$43.13

-25.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$36.58

$2.48 MX$41.99

-12.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$31.71

$2.64 MX$44.75

-29.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.60 MX$27.15

$1.64 MX$27.78

-2.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.52

$1.33 MX$22.55

-9.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.92 MX$83.4

$4.95 MX$83.9

-0.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.87 MX$116

$14.66 MX$248

-53.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 MX$32.25

$2.04 MX$34.50

-6.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 MX$60.4

$3.14 MX$53.3

13.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.59

$0.90 MX$15.32

-36.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.34 MX$582

$33.40 MX$566

2.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.41 MX$40.79

$1.87 MX$31.64

28.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 MX$24.24

$1.16 MX$19.61

23.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.94 MX$152

$11.62 MX$197

-23.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$25.97

$1.60 MX$27.19

-4.38%

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

$22.3K MX$378.0K

$22.4K MX$379.0K

-0.26%

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

$25.5K MX$432.9K

$27.3K MX$462.8K

-6.46%

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

$54.0 MX$915

$132 MX$2,241

-59.17%

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

$21.80 MX$369

$29.16 MX$494

-25.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.89 MX$523

$29.32 MX$497

5.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.00 MX$559

$35.76 MX$606

-7.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.93 MX$490

$23.05 MX$391

25.51%

Cinema Ticket

$7.16 MX$121

$5.50 MX$93.2

30.18%

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

$222 MX$3,758

$730 MX$12.4K

-69.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,943 MX$100.7K

$12.3K MX$207.8K

-51.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.6 MX$1,060

$77.8 MX$1,319

-19.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.81 MX$658

$48.40 MX$820

-19.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.3 MX$1,395

$122 MX$2,069

-32.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.3 MX$1,056

$151 MX$2,563

-58.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$562 MX$9,520

$1,021 MX$17.3K

-44.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$318 MX$5,382

$716 MX$12.1K

-55.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 MX$13.9K

$1,954 MX$33.1K

-57.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$414 MX$7,014

$1,359 MX$23.0K

-69.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,457 MX$24.7K

$4,350 MX$73.7K

-66.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,154 MX$19.6K

$2,868 MX$48.6K

-59.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$747 MX$12.7K

$1,147 MX$19.4K

-34.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

11.47

-1.48%

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

Last update for Guanajuato: August 16, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $562 in Guanajuato and $1,021 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 53% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $48.00 in Guanajuato vs $52.0 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $243 vs $336 per month, with Guanajuato cheaper across the board.

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

Guanajuato vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Guanajuato wins on cost – living expenses run 65% lower than in Monterrey. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Guanajuato the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 53% lower in Monterrey. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $562 in Guanajuato versus $1,021 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Monterrey. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Guanajuato – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $52.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,088 in Guanajuato versus $1,790 in Monterrey, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Guanajuato but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes Guanajuato the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Guanajuato delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,088 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Guanajuato hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Guanajuato and Monterrey are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Guanajuato gentler on the wallet – expenses run 65% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.