Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kansas City, KS and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,608 a month against $2,693 in Kansas City, KS, rent and utilities included – about $13,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

132

Cost of Living Index in Kansas City, KS
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Kansas City, KS Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index

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Kansas City, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$2,693

/mo nomad

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,693 per month in Kansas City, KS vs $1,608 in Monterrey, rent included.

Kansas City, KS $2,693
Monterrey $1,608

A couple spends around $4,087 per month in Kansas City, KS vs $2,521 in Monterrey, rent included.

Kansas City, KS $4,087
Monterrey $2,521

A family of three spends $5,482 per month in Kansas City, KS vs $3,433 in Monterrey, rent included.

Kansas City, KS $5,482
Monterrey $3,433

Kansas City, KS costs about 67% more than Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Kansas City, KS and Monterrey sit above the global median – Kansas City, KS by 99%, Monterrey by 19%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.66 $23.66

$13.85 MX$256

70.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.4 $81.4

$49.70 MX$918

63.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.44 $12.44

$11.05 MX$204

12.58%

Cappuccino

$6.15 $6.15

$4.09 MX$75.6

50.37%

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

$3.14 $3.14

$1.68 MX$30.97

86.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$1.03 MX$18.98

144.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.11 $5.11

$2.40 MX$44.28

112.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.14 $9.14

$4.35 MX$80.3

110.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.92 MX$35.55

-44.27%

White Bread (500g)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.94 MX$54.2

17.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.13 $5.13

$1.88 MX$34.66

172.87%

Eggs

$4.47 $4.47

$2.55 MX$47.06

75.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.87 $13.87

$11.84 MX$219

17.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.63 $9.63

$9.36 MX$173

2.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.78 $13.78

$13.10 MX$242

5.19%

Apples (1kg)

$4.21 $4.21

$3.38 MX$62.5

24.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.52 MX$28.13

36.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.76 $5.76

$2.19 MX$40.51

163.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.53 $5.53

$2.36 MX$43.63

134.32%

Potato (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$2.26 MX$41.76

50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.85 $3.85

$2.73 MX$50.5

41.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 $2.34

$1.52 MX$28.17

53.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.24 MX$22.90

74.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.59 $9.59

$4.75 MX$87.8

101.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.31 $17.31

$13.66 MX$252

26.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.89 MX$34.95

-4.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.76 $3.76

$2.99 MX$55.2

25.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.47 $1.47

$0.85 MX$15.78

72.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.2 $54.2

$30.95 MX$572

75.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.88 $4.88

$1.68 MX$30.98

190.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.13 MX$20.87

12.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.88 $41.88

$11.15 MX$206

275.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.56 MX$28.91

-34.62%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$21.4K MX$395.8K

60.86%

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

$24.8K $24.8K

$25.1K MX$463.2K

-1.02%

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

$202 $202

$119 MX$2,206

69.27%

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

$54.8 $54.8

$26.21 MX$484

109.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.4 $66.4

$26.78 MX$495

147.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$113 $113

$31.03 MX$573

264.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$63.7 $63.7

$21.43 MX$396

197.39%

Cinema Ticket

$15.24 $15.24

$5.29 MX$97.7

188.09%

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

$448 $448

$691 MX$12.8K

-35.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.4K $21.4K

$11.5K MX$212.1K

86.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 $60.0

$72.3 MX$1,335

-17.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.36 $43.36

$42.72 MX$789

1.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 $105

$110 MX$2,024

-4.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 $145

$117 MX$2,158

23.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,510 $1,510

$970 MX$17.9K

55.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 $1,226

$664 MX$12.3K

84.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,771 $2,771

$1,857 MX$34.3K

49.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 $2,180

$1,287 MX$23.8K

69.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,198 $2,198

$4,162 MX$76.9K

-47.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,178 $2,178

$2,349 MX$43.4K

-7.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,127 $3,127

$1,146 MX$21.2K

172.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.56

11.79

-44.36%

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

Last update for Kansas City, KS: 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

Kansas City, KS

$1.2K 45.5%

Monterrey

$664 41.3% 45.9% $562

Groceries & Markets

Kansas City, KS

$403 15%

Monterrey

$310 19.3% 23% $93

Eating Out

Kansas City, KS

$367 13.6%

Monterrey

$225 14% 38.8% $142

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kansas City, KS

$323 12%

Monterrey

$172 10.7% 46.7% $151

Clothing & Footwear

Kansas City, KS

$159 5.9%

Monterrey

$154 9.6% 3.3% $5.3

Sport & Entertainment

Kansas City, KS

$143 5.3%

Monterrey

$42 2.6% 71% $102

Getting Around

Kansas City, KS

$71 2.7%

Monterrey

$42 2.6% 41.5% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,510 in Kansas City, KS 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 173% higher in Kansas City, KS, 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 $81.0 in Kansas City, KS versus $50.0 in Monterrey. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $403 vs $310 – making Monterrey the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Kansas City, KS

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🕒 Local time

12:09 12:09 PM

11:09 11:09 AM

1 h behind Kansas City, KS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

463,202

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 →

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Kansas City, KS Monterrey 1,590 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Kansas City, KS
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

Kansas City, KS vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kansas City, KS costs about 67% more than Monterrey, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,040 per month in Kansas City, KS 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 $448 per month in Kansas City, KS 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 30% more in Kansas City, KS, 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 Kansas City, KS at $2,693. In Monterrey it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kansas City, KS it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Monterrey costs $1,608 versus $2,693 in Kansas City, KS. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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