Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between La Crosse, WI and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,608 a month against $2,198 in La Crosse, WI, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in La Crosse, WI
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La Crosse, WI Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index

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La Crosse, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,198

/mo nomad

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,198 per month in La Crosse, WI vs $1,608 in Monterrey, rent included.

La Crosse, WI $2,198
Monterrey $1,608

A couple spends around $3,399 per month in La Crosse, WI vs $2,521 in Monterrey, rent included.

La Crosse, WI $3,399
Monterrey $2,521

A family of three spends $4,601 per month in La Crosse, WI vs $3,433 in Monterrey, rent included.

La Crosse, WI $4,601
Monterrey $3,433

La Crosse, WI costs about 37% more than Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both La Crosse, WI and Monterrey sit above the global median – La Crosse, WI by 63%, Monterrey by 19%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.98 $14.98

$13.85 MX$256

8.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.2 $71.2

$49.70 MX$918

43.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.17 $11.17

$11.05 MX$204

1.09%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$4.09 MX$75.6

38.14%

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

$2.20 $2.20

$1.68 MX$30.97

30.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.03 MX$18.98

14.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.44 $4.44

$2.40 MX$44.28

85.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 $5.97

$4.35 MX$80.3

37.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.72 $0.72

$1.92 MX$35.55

-62.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.94 MX$54.2

-13.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$1.88 MX$34.66

153.72%

Eggs

$2.40 $2.40

$2.55 MX$47.06

-5.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.96 $9.96

$11.84 MX$219

-15.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.69 $10.69

$9.36 MX$173

14.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.45 $16.45

$13.10 MX$242

25.57%

Apples (1kg)

$4.90 $4.90

$3.38 MX$62.5

44.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.52 MX$28.13

-26.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.11 $3.11

$2.19 MX$40.51

42.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$2.36 MX$43.63

121.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 $2.00

$2.26 MX$41.76

-11.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 $2.31

$2.73 MX$50.5

-15.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.52 MX$28.17

35.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.24 MX$22.90

37.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.74 $9.74

$4.75 MX$87.8

105.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 $11.04

$13.66 MX$252

-19.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.89 MX$34.95

-3.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.99 MX$55.2

-35.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 $0.98

$0.85 MX$15.78

15.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.58 $35.58

$30.95 MX$572

14.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.44 $3.44

$1.68 MX$30.98

104.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.13 MX$20.87

69.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.67 $44.67

$11.15 MX$206

300.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.56 MX$28.91

-42.95%

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

$38.8K $38.8K

$21.4K MX$395.8K

81.25%

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

$24.3K $24.3K

$25.1K MX$463.2K

-3.11%

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

$206 $206

$119 MX$2,206

72.79%

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

$54.4 $54.4

$26.21 MX$484

107.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.9 $66.9

$26.78 MX$495

149.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.44 $39.44

$31.03 MX$573

27.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.95 $3.95

$21.43 MX$396

-81.57%

Cinema Ticket

$11.92 $11.92

$5.29 MX$97.7

125.33%

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

$890 $890

$691 MX$12.8K

28.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K MX$212.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.3 $63.3

$72.3 MX$1,335

-12.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.3 $63.3

$42.72 MX$789

48.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.6 $79.6

$110 MX$2,024

-27.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$117 MX$2,158

3.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 $763

$970 MX$17.9K

-21.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 $1,000

$664 MX$12.3K

50.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,227 $2,227

$1,857 MX$34.3K

19.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 $1,983

$1,287 MX$23.8K

54.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,907 $1,907

$4,162 MX$76.9K

-54.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,920 $1,920

$2,349 MX$43.4K

-18.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,088 $4,088

$1,146 MX$21.2K

256.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

11.79

-43.77%

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

Last update for La Crosse, WI: 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

La Crosse, WI

$1K 45.5%

Monterrey

$664 41.3% 33.6% $337

Groceries & Markets

La Crosse, WI

$338 15.4%

Monterrey

$310 19.3% 8.2% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

La Crosse, WI

$328 14.9%

Monterrey

$172 10.7% 47.4% $155

Eating Out

La Crosse, WI

$269 12.2%

Monterrey

$225 14% 16.5% $44

Clothing & Footwear

La Crosse, WI

$147 6.7%

Monterrey

$154 9.6% 4.5% $6.6

Sport & Entertainment

La Crosse, WI

$63 2.9%

Monterrey

$42 2.6% 34.2% $22

Getting Around

La Crosse, WI

$52 2.4%

Monterrey

$42 2.6% 20.5% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $763 in La Crosse, WI 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 257% higher in La Crosse, WI, 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 $71.0 in La Crosse, WI versus $50.0 in Monterrey. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $338 vs $310 – making Monterrey the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 La Crosse, WI

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🕒 Local time

04:13 4:13 AM

03:13 3:13 AM

1 h behind La Crosse, WI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

52,680

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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 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

La Crosse, WI Monterrey 2,180 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

La Crosse, WI
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

La Crosse, WI vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,198 in La Crosse, WI, $1,608 in Monterrey – roughly 37% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,297 per month in La Crosse, WI 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.

Groceries cost about 9% more in La Crosse, WI, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in La Crosse, WI and $50.0 in Monterrey. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Monterrey, where all-in costs run around $1,608, than in La Crosse, WI at $2,198. In Monterrey it covers expenses comfortably, while in La Crosse, WI it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Monterrey has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,608 in Monterrey to $2,198 in La Crosse, WI. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, La Crosse, WI makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.