Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Johnson City, TN and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,641 a month against $2,131 in Johnson City, TN, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

102

Cost of Living Index in Johnson City, TN
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Johnson City, TN Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index

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Johnson City, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,131

/mo nomad

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,131 per month in Johnson City, TN vs $1,641 in Monterrey, rent included.

Johnson City, TN $2,131
Monterrey $1,641

A couple spends around $3,129 per month in Johnson City, TN vs $2,573 in Monterrey, rent included.

Johnson City, TN $3,129
Monterrey $2,573

A family of three spends $4,128 per month in Johnson City, TN vs $3,504 in Monterrey, rent included.

Johnson City, TN $4,128
Monterrey $3,504

Johnson City, TN costs about 30% more than Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Johnson City, TN and Monterrey sit above the global median – Johnson City, TN by 58%, Monterrey by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.79 $13.79

$13.37 MX$250

3.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.0 $54.0

$47.95 MX$897

12.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.97 $9.97

$10.79 MX$202

-7.60%

Cappuccino

$5.13 $5.13

$3.77 MX$70.4

36.07%

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

$3.10 $3.10

$1.51 MX$28.26

105.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.03 MX$19.25

90.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.10 $5.10

$2.48 MX$46.41

105.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.10 $6.10

$4.36 MX$81.5

39.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.89 MX$35.43

-46.03%

White Bread (500g)

$3.91 $3.91

$2.85 MX$53.3

37.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$1.86 MX$34.71

111.29%

Eggs

$3.17 $3.17

$2.47 MX$46.12

28.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.36 $7.36

$11.81 MX$221

-37.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.82 $13.82

$8.97 MX$168

54.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 $13.10

$12.57 MX$235

4.22%

Apples (1kg)

$7.65 $7.65

$3.20 MX$59.8

139.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.50 MX$28.12

19.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.04 $4.04

$2.12 MX$39.74

90.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.51 $3.51

$2.33 MX$43.64

50.64%

Potato (1kg)

$3.34 $3.34

$2.22 MX$41.58

50.45%

Onion (1kg)

$4.45 $4.45

$2.58 MX$48.34

72.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.45 MX$27.04

51.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.22 MX$22.85

92.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.55 $8.55

$4.80 MX$89.7

78.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.11 $13.11

$13.30 MX$249

-1.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.93 MX$36.14

-15.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.16 $5.16

$2.86 MX$53.4

80.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 $1.02

$0.80 MX$14.94

27.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.34 $25.34

$30.94 MX$579

-18.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 $3.54

$1.83 MX$34.28

93.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.06 MX$19.78

24.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.07 $15.07

$10.82 MX$202

39.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$1.47 MX$27.54

-43.54%

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

$30.3K $30.3K

$24.1K MX$450.4K

25.91%

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

$24.4K $24.4K

$23.5K MX$440.2K

3.88%

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

$175 $175

$115 MX$2,144

52.69%

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

$52.1 $52.1

$26.37 MX$493

97.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.7 $61.7

$25.70 MX$481

140.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.99 $46.99

$30.53 MX$571

53.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.89 $19.89

$21.27 MX$398

-6.49%

Cinema Ticket

$12.03 $12.03

$4.96 MX$92.8

142.54%

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

$1,318 $1,318

$679 MX$12.7K

94.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K $10.4K

$14.2K MX$265.3K

-26.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.00 $38.00

$72.2 MX$1,350

-47.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.17 $31.17

$41.94 MX$784

-25.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.3 $86.3

$107 MX$2,011

-19.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.2 $93.2

$119 MX$2,219

-21.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,166 $1,166

$1,018 MX$19.0K

14.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$968 $968

$722 MX$13.5K

34.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,998 $1,998

$1,966 MX$36.8K

1.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,607 $1,607

$1,416 MX$26.5K

13.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,382 $2,382

$4,203 MX$78.6K

-43.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,029 $2,029

$2,782 MX$52.0K

-27.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,616 $3,616

$1,096 MX$20.5K

230.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.49

11.79

-44.95%

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

Last update for Johnson City, TN: 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

Johnson City, TN

$968 45.4%

Monterrey

$722 44% 25.5% $247

Groceries & Markets

Johnson City, TN

$391 18.4%

Monterrey

$302 18.4% 22.8% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Johnson City, TN

$289 13.6%

Monterrey

$167 10.2% 42.3% $122

Eating Out

Johnson City, TN

$260 12.2%

Monterrey

$216 13.2% 16.9% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Johnson City, TN

$112 5.3%

Monterrey

$153 9.3% 36.8% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Johnson City, TN

$71 3.3%

Monterrey

$40 2.5% 43.1% $31

Getting Around

Johnson City, TN

$40 1.9%

Monterrey

$41 2.5% 4.2% $1.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,166 in Johnson City, TN 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 Johnson City, TN are about 3.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54 in Johnson City, TN versus $48 in Monterrey. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $391 vs $302 – making Monterrey the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Johnson City, TN

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🕒 Local time

16:16 4:16 PM

15:16 3:16 PM

1 h behind Johnson City, TN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

66,027

1,142,994

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 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 = 0.895 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.7 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 20.9 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Johnson City, TN Monterrey 2,070 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Johnson City, TN
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

Johnson City, TN vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Johnson City, TN is pricier by about 30%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,196 per month in Johnson City, TN 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 $1,166 in Johnson City, TN.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54 in Johnson City, TN 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 $2,131 in Johnson City, TN and $1,641 in Monterrey. That makes Monterrey about 23% cheaper.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,131 in Johnson City, TN and $1,641 in Monterrey, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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, Johnson City, TN makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.