Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Houston, TX and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,607 a month against $2,711 in Houston, TX, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

132

Cost of Living Index in Houston, TX
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Houston, TX Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index

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Houston, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,711

/mo nomad

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,711 in Houston, TX versus $1,607 in Monterrey.

Houston, TX $2,711
Monterrey $1,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,906 in Houston, TX versus $2,512 in Monterrey.

Houston, TX $3,906
Monterrey $2,512

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,101 in Houston, TX versus $3,417 in Monterrey.

Houston, TX $5,101
Monterrey $3,417

Living in Houston, TX is roughly 69% more expensive than in Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Houston, TX 102% above, Monterrey 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.57 $20.57

$13.75 MX$252

49.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.3 $74.3

$50.2 MX$921

48.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.26 $10.26

$11.13 MX$204

-7.82%

Cappuccino

$5.32 $5.32

$4.04 MX$74.2

31.68%

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

$2.73 $2.73

$1.70 MX$31.29

60.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$0.99 MX$18.17

128.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.10 $6.10

$2.41 MX$44.21

153.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.18 $8.18

$4.48 MX$82.3

82.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$1.92 MX$35.31

-57.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.28 $3.28

$2.89 MX$53.1

13.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.05 $4.05

$1.94 MX$35.67

108.76%

Eggs

$3.31 $3.31

$2.50 MX$45.90

32.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.25 $11.25

$12.30 MX$226

-8.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.78 $12.78

$9.33 MX$171

36.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.23 $16.23

$13.07 MX$240

24.18%

Apples (1kg)

$4.04 $4.04

$3.38 MX$62.1

19.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.58 MX$29.02

-10.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.11 $3.11

$2.20 MX$40.45

41.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.86 $3.86

$2.45 MX$44.89

57.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.26 MX$41.47

-2.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.74 MX$50.4

0.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.53 MX$28.09

20.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

$1.26 MX$23.16

97.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.56 $9.56

$4.84 MX$88.9

97.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 $14.44

$13.59 MX$249

6.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$1.91 MX$35.01

28.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 $3.05

$3.06 MX$56.3

-0.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.28 $1.28

$0.80 MX$14.60

60.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 $76.3

$31.77 MX$583

140.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.85 $2.85

$1.62 MX$29.78

75.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.10 MX$20.17

33.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.64 $23.64

$10.97 MX$201

115.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.52 MX$27.93

-36.84%

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

$35.6K $35.6K

$21.4K MX$392.4K

66.74%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$25.5K MX$467.6K

5.98%

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

$213 $213

$120 MX$2,198

77.64%

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

$61.1 $61.1

$27.08 MX$497

125.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.6 $73.6

$26.70 MX$490

175.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.98 $40.98

$31.15 MX$572

31.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.54 $20.54

$21.95 MX$403

-6.42%

Cinema Ticket

$15.21 $15.21

$5.14 MX$94.4

195.91%

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

$2,153 $2,153

$688 MX$12.6K

213.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.2K $22.2K

$11.4K MX$209.8K

94.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.49 $49.49

$71.9 MX$1,321

-31.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.52 $47.52

$43.30 MX$795

9.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$112 MX$2,059

-8.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.2 $96.2

$122 MX$2,236

-21.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,685 $1,685

$957 MX$17.6K

76.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,403 $1,403

$670 MX$12.3K

109.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,136 $3,136

$1,887 MX$34.7K

66.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,207 $2,207

$1,305 MX$24.0K

69.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,381 $2,381

$4,159 MX$76.4K

-42.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,855 $1,855

$2,437 MX$44.7K

-23.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,353 $4,353

$1,133 MX$20.8K

284.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.7

11.79

-43.17%

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

Last update for Houston, TX: October 4, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Houston, TX

$1.4K 51.1%

Monterrey

$670 41.4% 52.2% $733

Groceries & Markets

Houston, TX

$374 13.6%

Monterrey

$312 19.3% 16.4% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Houston, TX

$347 12.6%

Monterrey

$174 10.7% 50% $174

Eating Out

Houston, TX

$326 11.9%

Monterrey

$224 13.8% 31.4% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Houston, TX

$133 4.9%

Monterrey

$157 9.7% 17.9% $24

Getting Around

Houston, TX

$92 3.3%

Monterrey

$42 2.6% 54.1% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Houston, TX

$71 2.6%

Monterrey

$41 2.6% 42% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,685 in Houston, TX and $957 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Houston, TX pays 284% 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: $74.0 in Houston, TX vs $50.0 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $374 vs $312 per month, with Monterrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Houston, TX

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🕒 Local time

06:56 6:56 AM

05:56 5:56 AM

1 h behind Houston, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,304,580

1,142,994

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.57 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Houston, TX Monterrey 670 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Houston, TX
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

Houston, TX vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey wins on cost – living expenses run 69% lower than in Houston, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Monterrey the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 284% higher in Houston, TX, 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: $1,685 in Houston, TX versus $957 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Houston, TX. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Monterrey – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $74.0 in Houston, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,607 in Monterrey versus $2,711 in Houston, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Monterrey but tight or insufficient in Houston, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Monterrey the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Monterrey delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,607 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Monterrey hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Monterrey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 69% less than in Houston, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.