Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between La Libertad and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in La Libertad: $747 a month against $1,608 in Monterrey, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in La Libertad
Learn more

La Libertad Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
Learn more

Monterrey Living Index

Jump to prices

La Libertad

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$747

/mo nomad

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $747 in La Libertad versus $1,608 in Monterrey.

La Libertad $747
Monterrey $1,608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,203 in La Libertad versus $2,521 in Monterrey.

La Libertad $1,203
Monterrey $2,521

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,659 in La Libertad versus $3,433 in Monterrey.

La Libertad $1,659
Monterrey $3,433

Living in La Libertad costs roughly 54% less than in Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: La Libertad is 45% below, Monterrey is 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.68 $3.68

$13.85 MX$257

-73.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.56 $32.56

$49.70 MX$921

-34.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.23 $6.23

$11.05 MX$205

-43.62%

Cappuccino

$3.12 $3.12

$4.09 MX$75.8

-23.72%

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

$0.87 $0.87

$1.68 MX$31.06

-48.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 $0.67

$1.03 MX$19.03

-34.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.40 MX$44.40

-10.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$4.35 MX$80.6

-20.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.92 MX$35.64

-53.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 $1.47

$2.94 MX$54.4

-50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.88 MX$34.76

-12.77%

Eggs

$2.20 $2.20

$2.55 MX$47.19

-13.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.81 $6.81

$11.84 MX$219

-42.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.87 $4.87

$9.36 MX$173

-47.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.02 $7.02

$13.10 MX$243

-46.41%

Apples (1kg)

$1.70 $1.70

$3.38 MX$62.7

-49.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.52 MX$28.21

-27.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.23 $1.23

$2.19 MX$40.62

-43.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.99 $0.99

$2.36 MX$43.75

-58.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 $1.23

$2.26 MX$41.88

-45.58%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 $0.92

$2.73 MX$50.7

-66.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.78 $0.78

$1.52 MX$28.25

-48.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.24 MX$22.97

-5.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.78 $4.78

$4.75 MX$88.1

0.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.07 $9.07

$13.66 MX$253

-33.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.89 MX$35.05

-30.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 $2.83

$2.99 MX$55.3

-5.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 $0.31

$0.85 MX$15.82

-63.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.54 $19.54

$30.95 MX$573

-36.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.68 MX$31.06

-29.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.13 MX$20.93

-14.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.01 $10.01

$11.15 MX$207

-10.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 $0.82

$1.56 MX$28.99

-47.44%

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

$21.6K $21.6K

$21.4K MX$396.9K

0.95%

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

$29.4K $29.4K

$25.1K MX$464.5K

17.28%

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

$34.17 $34.17

$119 MX$2,212

-71.38%

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

$13.54 $13.54

$26.21 MX$486

-48.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.99 $24.99

$26.78 MX$496

-6.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.70 $26.70

$31.03 MX$575

-13.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.89 $17.89

$21.43 MX$397

-16.52%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 $6.51

$5.29 MX$98.0

23.06%

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

$254 $254

$691 MX$12.8K

-63.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,976 $4,976

$11.5K MX$212.7K

-56.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.7 $62.7

$72.3 MX$1,339

-13.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.00 $46.00

$42.72 MX$792

7.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 $88.6

$110 MX$2,030

-19.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 $80.4

$117 MX$2,164

-31.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$282 $282

$970 MX$18.0K

-70.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$191 $191

$664 MX$12.3K

-71.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$812 $812

$1,857 MX$34.4K

-56.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$357 $357

$1,287 MX$23.9K

-72.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,086 $1,086

$4,162 MX$77.1K

-73.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$681 $681

$2,349 MX$43.5K

-71.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,146 MX$21.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.05

11.79

-14.76%

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

Last update for La Libertad: 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 Libertad

$191 25.6%

Monterrey

$664 41.3% 247% $473

Groceries & Markets

La Libertad

$183 24.5%

Monterrey

$310 19.3% 69.9% $128

Clothing & Footwear

La Libertad

$125 16.7%

Monterrey

$154 9.6% 22.9% $29

Eating Out

La Libertad

$109 14.6%

Monterrey

$225 14% 105% $115

Monthly Utilities & Internet

La Libertad

$73 9.7%

Monterrey

$172 10.7% 137% $100

Sport & Entertainment

La Libertad

$40 5.3%

Monterrey

$42 2.6% 4.7% $1.9

Getting Around

La Libertad

$27 3.6%

Monterrey

$42 2.6% 55.4% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $282 in La Libertad and $970 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in La Libertad vs $50.0 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $183 vs $310 per month, with La Libertad cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇨 La Libertad

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🕒 Local time

14:58 2:58 PM

13:58 1:58 PM

1 h behind La Libertad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

75,881

1,142,994

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

100 MXN = 5.4 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 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 15, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 18.53 MXN (100 MXN = 5.4 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

La Libertad Monterrey 3,740 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

La Libertad
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 Libertad vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

La Libertad is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 115% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,121 in La Libertad and $2,412 in Monterrey to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $282 in La Libertad versus $970 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $254 in La Libertad versus $691 in Monterrey. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 70% higher in Monterrey. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $747 in La Libertad versus $1,608 in Monterrey, a $1,500 budget is realistic in La Libertad but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes La Libertad the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, La Libertad is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Monterrey, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find La Libertad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 115% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.