Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Iowa City, IA and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,608 a month against $2,368 in Iowa City, IA, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

114

Cost of Living Index in Iowa City, IA
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Iowa City, IA Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index

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Iowa City, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,368

/mo nomad

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,368 in Iowa City, IA versus $1,608 in Monterrey.

Iowa City, IA $2,368
Monterrey $1,608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,367 in Iowa City, IA versus $2,521 in Monterrey.

Iowa City, IA $3,367
Monterrey $2,521

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,366 in Iowa City, IA versus $3,433 in Monterrey.

Iowa City, IA $4,366
Monterrey $3,433

Living in Iowa City, IA is roughly 47% more expensive than in Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Iowa City, IA 75% above, Monterrey 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.24 $14.24

$13.85 MX$256

2.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 $68.1

$49.70 MX$918

37.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.74 $8.74

$11.05 MX$204

-20.90%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$4.09 MX$75.6

41.32%

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

$2.76 $2.76

$1.68 MX$30.97

64.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.03 MX$18.98

110.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.90 $4.90

$2.40 MX$44.28

104.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.80 $6.80

$4.35 MX$80.3

56.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$1.92 MX$35.55

-56.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.94 MX$54.2

-6.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.88 MX$34.66

7.45%

Eggs

$3.60 $3.60

$2.55 MX$47.06

41.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.51 $9.51

$11.84 MX$219

-19.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 $10.32

$9.36 MX$173

10.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.56 $20.56

$13.10 MX$242

56.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 $3.32

$3.38 MX$62.5

-1.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.52 MX$28.13

-19.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.75 $2.75

$2.19 MX$40.51

25.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.86 $4.86

$2.36 MX$43.63

105.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.26 MX$41.76

-10.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.37 $2.37

$2.73 MX$50.5

-13.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.52 MX$28.17

11.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.24 MX$22.90

95.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.79 $8.79

$4.75 MX$87.8

85.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.27 $13.27

$13.66 MX$252

-2.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.89 MX$34.95

-6.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 $4.32

$2.99 MX$55.2

44.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 MX$15.78

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.96 $15.96

$30.95 MX$572

-48.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.97 $3.97

$1.68 MX$30.98

136.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.13 MX$20.87

76.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.23 $43.23

$11.15 MX$206

287.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.56 MX$28.91

-35.90%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$21.4K MX$395.8K

68.28%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$25.1K MX$463.2K

0.69%

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

$266 $266

$119 MX$2,206

122.43%

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

$53.3 $53.3

$26.21 MX$484

103.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.9 $81.9

$26.78 MX$495

205.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.68 $48.68

$31.03 MX$573

56.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.82 $19.82

$21.43 MX$396

-7.51%

Cinema Ticket

$13.74 $13.74

$5.29 MX$97.7

159.74%

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

$1,285 $1,285

$691 MX$12.8K

85.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.7K $23.7K

$11.5K MX$212.1K

106.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.3 $64.3

$72.3 MX$1,335

-11.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 $50.1

$42.72 MX$789

17.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$110 MX$2,024

-8.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 $113

$117 MX$2,158

-3.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 $1,179

$970 MX$17.9K

21.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 $1,096

$664 MX$12.3K

65.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,297 $2,297

$1,857 MX$34.3K

23.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,671 $1,671

$1,287 MX$23.8K

29.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,825 $3,825

$4,162 MX$76.9K

-8.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,963 $1,963

$2,349 MX$43.4K

-16.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,701 $3,701

$1,146 MX$21.2K

222.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

11.79

-45.29%

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

Last update for Iowa City, IA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Iowa City, IA

$1.1K 46.3%

Monterrey

$664 41.3% 39.4% $432

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Iowa City, IA

$401 16.9%

Monterrey

$172 10.7% 57% $228

Groceries & Markets

Iowa City, IA

$350 14.8%

Monterrey

$310 19.3% 11.4% $40

Eating Out

Iowa City, IA

$267 11.3%

Monterrey

$225 14% 16% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Iowa City, IA

$148 6.2%

Monterrey

$154 9.6% 4.1% $6.1

Sport & Entertainment

Iowa City, IA

$76 3.2%

Monterrey

$42 2.6% 45.4% $35

Getting Around

Iowa City, IA

$30 * 1.3%

Monterrey

$42 2.6% 39.5% $12

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 $1,179 in Iowa City, IA and $970 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Iowa City, IA pays 223% 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: $68.0 in Iowa City, IA vs $50.0 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $310 per month, with Monterrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Iowa City, IA

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🕒 Local time

15:29 3:29 PM

14:29 2:29 PM

1 h behind Iowa City, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,828

1,142,994

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 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 October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Iowa City, IA Monterrey 1,950 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Iowa City, IA
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

Iowa City, IA vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 47% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 223% higher in Iowa City, IA, 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: $1,179 in Iowa City, IA versus $970 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 94% less than in Iowa City, IA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,285 in Iowa City, IA versus $691 in Monterrey. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,608 in Monterrey versus $2,368 in Iowa City, IA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Monterrey but tight or insufficient in Iowa City, IA. The gap between the two cities makes Monterrey the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Monterrey is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Iowa City, IA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Iowa City, IA 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 Monterrey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Iowa City, IA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.