Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ithaca, NY and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,641 a month against $2,831 in Ithaca, NY, rent and utilities included – about $14,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

137

Cost of Living Index in Ithaca, NY
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Ithaca, NY Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index

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Ithaca, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,831

/mo nomad

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,831 per month in Ithaca, NY vs $1,641 in Monterrey, rent included.

Ithaca, NY $2,831
Monterrey $1,641

A couple spends around $3,871 per month in Ithaca, NY vs $2,573 in Monterrey, rent included.

Ithaca, NY $3,871
Monterrey $2,573

A family of three spends $4,911 per month in Ithaca, NY vs $3,504 in Monterrey, rent included.

Ithaca, NY $4,911
Monterrey $3,504

Ithaca, NY costs about 73% more than Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Ithaca, NY and Monterrey sit above the global median – Ithaca, NY by 109%, Monterrey by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.84 $19.84

$13.37 MX$251

48.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.0 $81.0

$47.95 MX$900

68.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.97 $10.97

$10.79 MX$203

1.67%

Cappuccino

$4.92 $4.92

$3.77 MX$70.7

30.50%

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

$2.59 $2.59

$1.51 MX$28.37

71.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.03 MX$19.33

66.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.36 $5.36

$2.48 MX$46.60

116.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.11 $7.11

$4.36 MX$81.8

63.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.89 MX$35.58

-48.68%

White Bread (500g)

$3.20 $3.20

$2.85 MX$53.5

12.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.99 $6.99

$1.86 MX$34.86

275.81%

Eggs

$4.09 $4.09

$2.47 MX$46.31

65.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.25 $14.25

$11.81 MX$222

20.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.88 $8.88

$8.97 MX$168

-1.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.11 $15.11

$12.57 MX$236

20.21%

Apples (1kg)

$4.91 $4.91

$3.20 MX$60.0

53.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.50 MX$28.23

23.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.60 $5.60

$2.12 MX$39.90

164.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.63 $4.63

$2.33 MX$43.82

98.71%

Potato (1kg)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.22 MX$41.75

41.44%

Onion (1kg)

$3.68 $3.68

$2.58 MX$48.54

42.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.45 MX$27.15

55.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.22 MX$22.94

67.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.66 $14.66

$4.80 MX$90.1

205.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 $14.25

$13.30 MX$250

7.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.93 MX$36.28

-4.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 $3.92

$2.86 MX$53.6

37.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 $1.52

$0.80 MX$15.00

90.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.59 $45.59

$30.94 MX$581

47.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.96 $4.96

$1.83 MX$34.42

171.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.06 MX$19.86

29.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.44 $30.44

$10.82 MX$203

181.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.47 MX$27.65

-27.89%

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

$27.7K $27.7K

$24.1K MX$452.3K

14.94%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$23.5K MX$442.0K

14.05%

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

$165 $165

$115 MX$2,152

43.90%

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

$47.57 $47.57

$26.37 MX$495

80.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.5 $50.5

$25.70 MX$483

96.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.49 $34.49

$30.53 MX$573

12.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.27 MX$400

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 $10.82

$4.96 MX$93.1

118.15%

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

$1,496 $1,496

$679 MX$12.7K

120.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K $16.8K

$14.2K MX$266.4K

18.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.80 $47.80

$72.2 MX$1,356

-33.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.20 $40.20

$41.94 MX$788

-4.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.9 $68.9

$107 MX$2,019

-35.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 $107

$119 MX$2,228

-9.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,276 $2,276

$1,018 MX$19.1K

123.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,626 $1,626

$722 MX$13.6K

125.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,435 $3,435

$1,966 MX$36.9K

74.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,159 $2,159

$1,416 MX$26.6K

52.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,632 $2,632

$4,203 MX$78.9K

-37.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,032 $2,032

$2,782 MX$52.2K

-26.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,027 $3,027

$1,096 MX$20.6K

176.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.46

11.79

-45.21%

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

Last update for Ithaca, NY: 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

Ithaca, NY

$1.6K 57.4%

Monterrey

$722 44% 55.6% $904

Groceries & Markets

Ithaca, NY

$396 14%

Monterrey

$302 18.4% 23.6% $93

Eating Out

Ithaca, NY

$309 10.9%

Monterrey

$216 13.2% 30.1% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ithaca, NY

$263 9.3%

Monterrey

$167 10.2% 36.6% $96

Clothing & Footwear

Ithaca, NY

$119 4.2%

Monterrey

$153 9.3% 28.8% $34

Getting Around

Ithaca, NY

$63 2.2%

Monterrey

$41 2.5% 35% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Ithaca, NY

$56 2%

Monterrey

$40 2.5% 27.9% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,276 in Ithaca, NY versus $1,018 in Monterrey. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Ithaca, NY are about 2.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81 in Ithaca, NY versus $48 in Monterrey. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $396 vs $302 – making Monterrey the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ithaca, NY

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🕒 Local time

22:41 10:41 PM

21:41 9:41 PM

1 h behind Ithaca, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

22,283

1,142,994

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.891 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.74 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 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.78 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 21.08 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

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Ithaca, NY Monterrey 2,860 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Ithaca, NY
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

Ithaca, NY vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,831 in Ithaca, NY, $1,641 in Monterrey – Monterrey comes out roughly 42% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,247 per month in Ithaca, NY and $2,461 in Monterrey. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Monterrey, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,018 there versus $2,276 in Ithaca, NY.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81 in Ithaca, NY and $48 in Monterrey. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,831 in Ithaca, NY and $1,641 in Monterrey. That makes Monterrey about 42% cheaper.

Families tend to lean toward Monterrey – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Monterrey. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ithaca, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.