Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Joplin, MO and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,608 a month against $2,032 in Joplin, MO, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Joplin, MO
Learn more

Joplin, MO Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
Learn more

Monterrey Living Index

Jump to prices

Joplin, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,032

/mo nomad

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,032 in Joplin, MO versus $1,608 in Monterrey.

Joplin, MO $2,032
Monterrey $1,608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,801 in Joplin, MO versus $2,521 in Monterrey.

Joplin, MO $2,801
Monterrey $2,521

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,571 in Joplin, MO versus $3,433 in Monterrey.

Joplin, MO $3,571
Monterrey $3,433

Living in Joplin, MO is roughly 26% more expensive than in Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Joplin, MO 50% above, Monterrey 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.74 $14.74

$13.85 MX$256

6.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.6 $59.6

$49.70 MX$918

19.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.69 $10.69

$11.05 MX$204

-3.26%

Cappuccino

$4.59 $4.59

$4.09 MX$75.6

12.22%

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

$1.96 $1.96

$1.68 MX$30.97

16.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$1.03 MX$18.98

86.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.87 $4.87

$2.40 MX$44.28

102.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.14 $6.14

$4.35 MX$80.3

41.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.92 MX$35.55

-52.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.94 MX$54.2

-5.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.88 MX$34.66

14.89%

Eggs

$3.30 $3.30

$2.55 MX$47.06

29.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.99 $8.99

$11.84 MX$219

-24.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.02 $7.02

$9.36 MX$173

-25.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.27 $17.27

$13.10 MX$242

31.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.91 $3.91

$3.38 MX$62.5

15.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.52 MX$28.13

-21.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 $2.49

$2.19 MX$40.51

13.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 $2.12

$2.36 MX$43.63

-10.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 $1.23

$2.26 MX$41.76

-45.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.32 $2.32

$2.73 MX$50.5

-15.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.52 MX$28.17

25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.24 MX$22.90

75.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.64 $9.64

$4.75 MX$87.8

102.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.13 $15.13

$13.66 MX$252

10.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.89 MX$34.95

-5.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 $1.48

$2.99 MX$55.2

-50.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 $2.06

$0.85 MX$15.78

142.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.95 MX$572

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.68 MX$30.98

45.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.13 MX$20.87

40.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.74 $40.74

$11.15 MX$206

265.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.78 $0.78

$1.56 MX$28.91

-50.00%

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

$37.4K $37.4K

$21.4K MX$395.8K

74.64%

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

$24.4K $24.4K

$25.1K MX$463.2K

-2.81%

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

$278 $278

$119 MX$2,206

133.09%

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

$42.98 $42.98

$26.21 MX$484

63.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.2 $69.2

$26.78 MX$495

158.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.72 $14.72

$31.03 MX$573

-52.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.43 MX$396

Cinema Ticket

$13.47 $13.47

$5.29 MX$97.7

154.63%

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

$932 $932

$691 MX$12.8K

34.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K $16.0K

$11.5K MX$212.1K

39.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.69 $40.69

$72.3 MX$1,335

-43.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.86 $31.86

$42.72 MX$789

-25.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.4 $99.4

$110 MX$2,024

-9.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.0 $70.0

$117 MX$2,158

-40.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,265 $1,265

$970 MX$17.9K

30.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$911 $911

$664 MX$12.3K

37.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,694 $1,694

$1,857 MX$34.3K

-8.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,265 $1,265

$1,287 MX$23.8K

-1.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,441 $1,441

$4,162 MX$76.9K

-65.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,460 $1,460

$2,349 MX$43.4K

-37.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,370 $3,370

$1,146 MX$21.2K

194.00%

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 Joplin, MO: October 12, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Joplin, MO

$911 44.8%

Monterrey

$664 41.3% 27.1% $247

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Joplin, MO

$390 19.2%

Monterrey

$172 10.7% 55.9% $218

Groceries & Markets

Joplin, MO

$304 15%

Monterrey

$310 19.3% 2.1% $6.4

Eating Out

Joplin, MO

$257 12.7%

Monterrey

$225 14% 12.7% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Joplin, MO

$109 5.4%

Monterrey

$154 9.6% 41% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Joplin, MO

$42 2.1%

Monterrey

$42 2.6% 0.1% $0

Getting Around

Joplin, MO

$19 * 0.9%

Monterrey

$42 2.6% 124% $23

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 $1,265 in Joplin, MO and $970 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Joplin, MO pays 194% 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: $60.0 in Joplin, MO vs $50.0 in Monterrey. Groceries flip the comparison at $304 vs $310, with Joplin, MO cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Joplin, MO

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🕒 Local time

14:54 2:54 PM

13:54 1:54 PM

1 h behind Joplin, MO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

51,762

1,142,994

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.78 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Joplin, MO Monterrey 1,380 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Joplin, MO
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

Joplin, MO vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, utilities, and leisure. The 26% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 194% higher in Joplin, MO, 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: $1,265 in Joplin, MO versus $970 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Joplin, MO pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,032 per month in Joplin, MO versus $1,608 in Monterrey – a 26% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,608 in Monterrey versus $2,032 in Joplin, MO, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Monterrey but tight or insufficient in Joplin, MO. 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 Joplin, MO, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Joplin, MO 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 26% less than in Joplin, MO. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.