Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Laredo, TX and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,608 a month against $1,952 in Laredo, TX, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

95

Cost of Living Index in Laredo, TX
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Laredo, TX Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index

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Laredo, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$1,952

/mo nomad

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,952 per month in Laredo, TX vs $1,608 in Monterrey, rent included.

Laredo, TX $1,952
Monterrey $1,608

A couple spends around $2,975 per month in Laredo, TX vs $2,521 in Monterrey, rent included.

Laredo, TX $2,975
Monterrey $2,521

A family of three spends $3,999 per month in Laredo, TX vs $3,433 in Monterrey, rent included.

Laredo, TX $3,999
Monterrey $3,433

Laredo, TX costs about 21% more than Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Laredo, TX and Monterrey sit above the global median – Laredo, TX by 45%, Monterrey by 19%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.70 $17.70

$13.85 MX$256

27.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 $69.5

$49.70 MX$918

39.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.78 $7.78

$11.05 MX$204

-29.59%

Cappuccino

$5.11 $5.11

$4.09 MX$75.6

24.94%

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

$2.20 $2.20

$1.68 MX$30.97

30.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$1.03 MX$18.98

63.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 $3.98

$2.40 MX$44.28

65.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.98 $5.98

$4.35 MX$80.3

37.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.92 MX$35.55

-49.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.93 $1.93

$2.94 MX$54.2

-34.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$1.88 MX$34.66

48.40%

Eggs

$3.82 $3.82

$2.55 MX$47.06

49.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.95 $8.95

$11.84 MX$219

-24.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.81 $9.81

$9.36 MX$173

4.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$13.10 MX$242

-0.92%

Apples (1kg)

$4.87 $4.87

$3.38 MX$62.5

44.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.52 MX$28.13

5.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.42 $4.42

$2.19 MX$40.51

101.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.36 MX$43.63

37.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.26 MX$41.76

11.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 $2.15

$2.73 MX$50.5

-21.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.52 MX$28.17

27.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.24 MX$22.90

38.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.47 $9.47

$4.75 MX$87.8

99.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.14 $13.14

$13.66 MX$252

-3.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.89 MX$34.95

-6.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 $3.53

$2.99 MX$55.2

18.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 $0.99

$0.85 MX$15.78

16.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.84 $19.84

$30.95 MX$572

-35.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 $3.60

$1.68 MX$30.98

114.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.13 MX$20.87

56.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.09 $24.09

$11.15 MX$206

116.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 $0.82

$1.56 MX$28.91

-47.44%

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

$24.7K $24.7K

$21.4K MX$395.8K

15.11%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$25.1K MX$463.2K

1.18%

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

$215 $215

$119 MX$2,206

80.18%

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

$63.1 $63.1

$26.21 MX$484

140.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.0 $65.0

$26.78 MX$495

142.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.94 $38.94

$31.03 MX$573

25.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.83 $19.83

$21.43 MX$396

-7.47%

Cinema Ticket

$14.51 $14.51

$5.29 MX$97.7

174.29%

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

$352 $352

$691 MX$12.8K

-49.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K $18.9K

$11.5K MX$212.1K

64.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.38 $45.38

$72.3 MX$1,335

-37.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.32 $20.32

$42.72 MX$789

-52.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.4 $69.4

$110 MX$2,024

-36.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 $119

$117 MX$2,158

2.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 $1,209

$970 MX$17.9K

24.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$796 $796

$664 MX$12.3K

19.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 $1,286

$1,857 MX$34.3K

-30.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,465 $1,465

$1,287 MX$23.8K

13.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,727 $1,727

$4,162 MX$76.9K

-58.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,725 $1,725

$2,349 MX$43.4K

-26.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,151 $3,151

$1,146 MX$21.2K

174.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.44

11.79

-45.38%

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

Last update for Laredo, TX: 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

Laredo, TX

$796 40.8%

Monterrey

$664 41.3% 16.6% $132

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Laredo, TX

$343 17.6%

Monterrey

$172 10.7% 49.8% $171

Groceries & Markets

Laredo, TX

$321 16.4%

Monterrey

$310 19.3% 3.1% $10

Eating Out

Laredo, TX

$274 14%

Monterrey

$225 14% 17.9% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Laredo, TX

$115 5.9%

Monterrey

$154 9.6% 34.1% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Laredo, TX

$68 3.5%

Monterrey

$42 2.6% 38.8% $26

Getting Around

Laredo, TX

$36 1.9%

Monterrey

$42 2.6% 15.1% $5.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,209 in Laredo, TX 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 175% higher in Laredo, TX, 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 $69.0 in Laredo, TX versus $50.0 in Monterrey. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $321 vs $310 – making Monterrey the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Laredo, TX

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🕒 Local time

22:32 10:32 PM

21:32 9:32 PM

1 h behind Laredo, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

255,205

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 →

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Laredo, TX Monterrey 220 km

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Laredo, TX
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

Laredo, TX vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Laredo, TX costs about 21% more than Monterrey, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,928 per month in Laredo, TX 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,952 in Laredo, TX and $1,608 in Monterrey. That's a gap of about 21%.

Public transport costs about 56% less in Monterrey. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Monterrey, where all-in costs run around $1,608, than in Laredo, TX at $1,952. In Monterrey it covers expenses comfortably, while in Laredo, TX it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Monterrey costs $1,608 versus $1,952 in Laredo, TX. 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, Laredo, TX makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.