Cost of Living Comparison Between La Paz and Monterrey Cost of Living Comparison Between La Paz and Monterrey

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,192 in La Paz versus $1,601 in Monterrey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,010 in La Paz versus $2,585 in Monterrey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,828 in La Paz versus $3,568 in Monterrey.

Living in La Paz costs roughly 26% less than in Monterrey, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: La Paz is 11% below, Monterrey is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.57 MX$166

$13.01 MX$225

-26.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.7 MX$930

$53.8 MX$930

-0.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.20 MX$142

$10.21 MX$177

-19.69%

Cappuccino

$3.06 MX$52.9

$3.68 MX$63.7

-16.85%

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

$1.72 MX$29.83

$1.46 MX$25.30

17.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 MX$17.41

$1.00 MX$17.28

1.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 MX$38.36

$2.70 MX$46.62

-17.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.29 MX$91.5

$4.27 MX$73.9

23.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 MX$27.28

$1.67 MX$28.81

-5.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 MX$43.70

$2.68 MX$46.35

-5.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.20

$1.93 MX$33.35

-18.65%

Eggs

$2.42 MX$41.78

$2.63 MX$45.49

-7.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$142

$10.34 MX$179

-20.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 MX$137

$9.22 MX$159

-14.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.53 MX$182

$13.84 MX$239

-23.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 MX$46.51

$3.15 MX$54.5

-14.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 MX$25.02

$1.39 MX$24.01

4.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.59

$2.00 MX$34.59

-11.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 MX$27.50

$2.14 MX$37.03

-25.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 MX$31.58

$2.27 MX$39.19

-19.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.83

$2.54 MX$44.00

-22.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 MX$21.69

$1.57 MX$27.09

-20.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 MX$17.68

$1.07 MX$18.49

-4.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$4.25 MX$73.5

-4.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.41 MX$301

$14.36 MX$248

21.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 MX$27.59

$1.78 MX$30.81

-10.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 MX$46.98

$3.14 MX$54.4

-13.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 MX$10.47

$0.80 MX$13.87

-23.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.54 MX$701

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.56 MX$44.33

$1.68 MX$29.06

52.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 MX$26.74

$0.94 MX$16.28

64.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.43 MX$146

$10.76 MX$186

-21.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$22.17

$1.37 MX$23.68

-6.57%

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

$20.9K MX$361.2K

$26.7K MX$462.6K

-21.90%

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

$22.3K MX$386.3K

$25.6K MX$442.5K

-12.69%

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

$56.4 MX$975

$122 MX$2,104

-53.68%

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

$22.09 MX$382

$27.19 MX$470

-18.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.95 MX$518

$29.82 MX$516

0.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.62 MX$616

$38.49 MX$666

-7.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.81 MX$273

$21.46 MX$371

-26.33%

Cinema Ticket

$4.53 MX$78.4

$5.92 MX$102

-23.48%

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

$205 MX$3,551

$346 MX$5,979

-40.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,538 MX$61.2K

$8,997 MX$155.6K

-60.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.6 MX$927

$58.4 MX$1,010

-8.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.18 MX$695

$42.55 MX$736

-5.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 MX$1,533

$109 MX$1,892

-18.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.6 MX$1,394

$129 MX$2,231

-37.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$767 MX$13.3K

$913 MX$15.8K

-15.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 MX$8,499

$647 MX$11.2K

-24.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,793 MX$31.0K

$1,565 MX$27.1K

14.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,072 MX$18.5K

$1,401 MX$24.2K

-23.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,966 MX$34.0K

$4,371 MX$75.6K

-55.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,279 MX$22.1K

$2,839 MX$49.1K

-54.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$822 MX$14.2K

$1,104 MX$19.1K

-25.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.5

11.55

-0.43%

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

Last update for La Paz: June 2, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $767 in La Paz and $913 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 34% 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: $54.0 in La Paz vs $54.0 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $265 vs $298 per month, with La Paz cheaper across the board.

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 Paz vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

La Paz is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 34% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Monterrey earns 34% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $767 in La Paz versus $913 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Monterrey. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,192 per month in La Paz versus $1,601 in Monterrey – a 34% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,192 in La Paz versus $1,601 in Monterrey, a $1,500 budget is realistic in La Paz but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes La Paz the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, La Paz 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.

Safety-wise, La Paz 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 La Paz gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.