Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jackson, MS and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,608 a month against $2,445 in Jackson, MS, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

118

Cost of Living Index in Jackson, MS
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Jackson, MS Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index

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Jackson, MS

🇺🇸 United States

$2,445

/mo nomad

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,445 per month in Jackson, MS vs $1,608 in Monterrey, rent included.

Jackson, MS $2,445
Monterrey $1,608

A couple spends around $3,524 per month in Jackson, MS vs $2,521 in Monterrey, rent included.

Jackson, MS $3,524
Monterrey $2,521

A family of three spends $4,603 per month in Jackson, MS vs $3,433 in Monterrey, rent included.

Jackson, MS $4,603
Monterrey $3,433

Jackson, MS costs about 52% more than Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Jackson, MS and Monterrey sit above the global median – Jackson, MS by 81%, Monterrey by 19%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.22 $17.22

$13.85 MX$256

24.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.0 $60.0

$49.70 MX$918

20.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.29 $9.29

$11.05 MX$204

-15.93%

Cappuccino

$4.12 $4.12

$4.09 MX$75.6

0.73%

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

$1.64 $1.64

$1.68 MX$30.97

-2.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.03 MX$18.98

60.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.11 $4.11

$2.40 MX$44.28

71.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.05 $4.05

$4.35 MX$80.3

-6.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.92 MX$35.55

-48.96%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.94 MX$54.2

4.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.16 $4.16

$1.88 MX$34.66

121.28%

Eggs

$3.77 $3.77

$2.55 MX$47.06

47.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.11 $8.11

$11.84 MX$219

-31.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.22 $11.22

$9.36 MX$173

19.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.12 $7.12

$13.10 MX$242

-45.65%

Apples (1kg)

$5.50 $5.50

$3.38 MX$62.5

62.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.52 MX$28.13

-28.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$2.19 MX$40.51

-33.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.80 $4.80

$2.36 MX$43.63

103.39%

Potato (1kg)

$3.23 $3.23

$2.26 MX$41.76

42.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.73 MX$50.5

-28.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.52 MX$28.17

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.24 MX$22.90

75.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.70 $7.70

$4.75 MX$87.8

62.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.16 $13.16

$13.66 MX$252

-3.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.89 MX$34.95

-10.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 $1.65

$2.99 MX$55.2

-44.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.11 $4.11

$0.85 MX$15.78

383.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$123 $123

$30.95 MX$572

297.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.68 MX$30.98

19.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 $1.35

$1.13 MX$20.87

19.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.04 $19.04

$11.15 MX$206

70.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.56 MX$28.91

-36.54%

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

$35.1K $35.1K

$21.4K MX$395.8K

63.67%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$25.1K MX$463.2K

6.05%

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

$184 $184

$119 MX$2,206

53.76%

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

$69.1 $69.1

$26.21 MX$484

163.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.2 $74.2

$26.78 MX$495

177.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.3 $64.3

$31.03 MX$573

107.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.27 $16.27

$21.43 MX$396

-24.08%

Cinema Ticket

$12.94 $12.94

$5.29 MX$97.7

144.61%

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

$599 $599

$691 MX$12.8K

-13.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.1K $25.1K

$11.5K MX$212.1K

118.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.45 $47.45

$72.3 MX$1,335

-34.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.91 $22.91

$42.72 MX$789

-46.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.2 $83.2

$110 MX$2,024

-24.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$117 MX$2,158

0.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$955 $955

$970 MX$17.9K

-1.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 $1,179

$664 MX$12.3K

77.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,258 $2,258

$1,857 MX$34.3K

21.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,885 $1,885

$1,287 MX$23.8K

46.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,568 $1,568

$4,162 MX$76.9K

-62.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,571 $1,571

$2,349 MX$43.4K

-33.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,764 $2,764

$1,146 MX$21.2K

141.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.18

11.79

-47.58%

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

Last update for Jackson, MS: 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

Jackson, MS

$1.2K 48.2%

Monterrey

$664 41.3% 43.7% $515

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jackson, MS

$327 13.4%

Monterrey

$172 10.7% 47.3% $155

Groceries & Markets

Jackson, MS

$322 13.2%

Monterrey

$310 19.3% 3.5% $11

Eating Out

Jackson, MS

$257 10.5%

Monterrey

$225 14% 12.6% $32

Getting Around

Jackson, MS

$148 6.1%

Monterrey

$42 2.6% 71.9% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Jackson, MS

$122 5%

Monterrey

$154 9.6% 26.1% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Jackson, MS

$90 3.7%

Monterrey

$42 2.6% 53.8% $49

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $955 in Jackson, MS versus $970 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 run about 141% higher in Jackson, MS, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Jackson, MS versus $50.0 in Monterrey. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $322 vs $310 – making Monterrey the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Jackson, MS

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🕒 Local time

12:37 12:37 PM

11:37 11:37 AM

1 h behind Jackson, MS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

153,701

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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 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

Jackson, MS Monterrey 1,230 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Jackson, MS
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

Jackson, MS vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jackson, MS costs about 52% more than Monterrey, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,667 per month in Jackson, MS and $2,412 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $599 per month in Jackson, MS and $691 in Monterrey. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 4% more in Jackson, MS, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Monterrey, where all-in costs run around $1,608, than in Jackson, MS at $2,445. In Monterrey it covers expenses comfortably, while in Jackson, MS it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Monterrey costs $1,608 versus $2,445 in Jackson, MS. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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