Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Houghton, MI and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,641 a month against $2,648 in Houghton, MI, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Houghton, MI
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Houghton, MI Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index

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Houghton, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,648

/mo nomad

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,648 in Houghton, MI versus $1,641 in Monterrey.

Houghton, MI $2,648
Monterrey $1,641

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,775 in Houghton, MI versus $2,573 in Monterrey.

Houghton, MI $3,775
Monterrey $2,573

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,903 in Houghton, MI versus $3,504 in Monterrey.

Houghton, MI $4,903
Monterrey $3,504

Living in Houghton, MI is roughly 61% more expensive than in Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Houghton, MI 96% above, Monterrey 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.23 $14.23

$13.37 MX$249

6.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.38 $40.38

$47.95 MX$892

-15.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.43 $10.43

$10.79 MX$201

-3.34%

Cappuccino

$4.21 $4.21

$3.77 MX$70.0

11.67%

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

$2.73 $2.73

$1.51 MX$28.09

80.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.03 MX$19.14

56.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.08 $6.08

$2.48 MX$46.14

145.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.33 $7.33

$4.36 MX$81.0

68.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.89 MX$35.23

-45.50%

White Bread (500g)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.85 MX$53.0

47.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.60 $6.60

$1.86 MX$34.52

254.84%

Eggs

$3.88 $3.88

$2.47 MX$45.86

57.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.37 $12.37

$11.81 MX$220

4.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 $10.78

$8.97 MX$167

20.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.84 $10.84

$12.57 MX$234

-13.76%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$3.20 MX$59.4

62.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.50 MX$27.96

-23.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.12 MX$39.52

106.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.67 $4.67

$2.33 MX$43.39

100.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.75 $2.75

$2.22 MX$41.34

23.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 $2.86

$2.58 MX$48.07

10.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.45 MX$26.88

45.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.22 MX$22.72

20.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.16 $10.16

$4.80 MX$89.2

111.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.25 $15.25

$13.30 MX$247

14.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.93 MX$35.93

-1.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 $3.34

$2.86 MX$53.1

16.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.13 $2.13

$0.80 MX$14.85

166.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.6 $58.6

$30.94 MX$575

89.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 $2.98

$1.83 MX$34.08

62.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.06 MX$19.66

88.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.02 $29.02

$10.82 MX$201

168.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 $0.82

$1.47 MX$27.39

-44.22%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$24.1K MX$447.9K

7.82%

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

$27.4K $27.4K

$23.5K MX$437.7K

16.48%

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

$273 $273

$115 MX$2,132

137.89%

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

$57.7 $57.7

$26.37 MX$490

118.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.1 $70.1

$25.70 MX$478

172.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.34 $42.34

$30.53 MX$568

38.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.27 MX$396

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$4.96 MX$92.2

187.90%

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

$1,326 $1,326

$679 MX$12.6K

95.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.7K $20.7K

$14.2K MX$263.8K

46.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 $54.2

$72.2 MX$1,343

-24.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 $41.35

$41.94 MX$780

-1.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.8 $88.8

$107 MX$1,999

-17.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 $108

$119 MX$2,207

-8.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,428 $1,428

$1,018 MX$18.9K

40.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,329 $1,329

$722 MX$13.4K

84.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,768 $2,768

$1,966 MX$36.6K

40.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,275 $2,275

$1,416 MX$26.3K

60.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,555 $1,555

$4,203 MX$78.2K

-63.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,568 $1,568

$2,782 MX$51.7K

-43.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,614 $2,614

$1,096 MX$20.4K

138.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

11.79

-44.11%

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

Last update for Houghton, MI: 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

Houghton, MI

$1.3K 50.2%

Monterrey

$722 44% 45.7% $607

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Houghton, MI

$400 15.1%

Monterrey

$167 10.2% 58.4% $234

Groceries & Markets

Houghton, MI

$378 14.3%

Monterrey

$302 18.4% 20.1% $76

Eating Out

Houghton, MI

$258 9.8%

Monterrey

$216 13.2% 16.4% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Houghton, MI

$132 5%

Monterrey

$153 9.3% 16.3% $21

Getting Around

Houghton, MI

$80 3%

Monterrey

$41 2.5% 48.5% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Houghton, MI

$71 2.7%

Monterrey

$40 2.5% 42.9% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,428 in Houghton, MI and $1,018 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Houghton, MI pays about 2.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $40 in Houghton, MI vs $48 in Monterrey. Groceries flip the comparison at $378 vs $302, with Monterrey cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Houghton, MI

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🕒 Local time

21:52 9:52 PM

20:52 8:52 PM

1 h behind Houghton, MI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

1,142,994

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

100 MXN = 5.38 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 November 7, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 18.6 MXN (100 MXN = 5.38 USD). 1 EUR = 20.78 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Houghton, MI Monterrey 2,600 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Houghton, MI
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

Houghton, MI vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey is about 38% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, utilities, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Houghton, MI is about 2.4 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,428 in Houghton, MI versus $1,018 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Monterrey runs roughly 47% less than in Houghton, MI. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $1,326 in Houghton, MI versus $679 in Monterrey. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Monterrey wins on affordability, Houghton, MI on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.