Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lawrence, KS and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,607 a month against $2,242 in Lawrence, KS, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lawrence, KS
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Lawrence, KS Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index

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Lawrence, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$2,242

/mo nomad

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,242 per month in Lawrence, KS vs $1,607 in Monterrey, rent included.

Lawrence, KS $2,242
Monterrey $1,607

A couple spends around $3,313 per month in Lawrence, KS vs $2,512 in Monterrey, rent included.

Lawrence, KS $3,313
Monterrey $2,512

A family of three spends $4,383 per month in Lawrence, KS vs $3,417 in Monterrey, rent included.

Lawrence, KS $4,383
Monterrey $3,417

Lawrence, KS costs about 39% more than Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Lawrence, KS and Monterrey sit above the global median – Lawrence, KS by 67%, Monterrey by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.03 $15.03

$13.75 MX$253

9.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.6 $75.6

$50.2 MX$923

50.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.97 $10.97

$11.13 MX$205

-1.44%

Cappuccino

$5.08 $5.08

$4.04 MX$74.3

25.74%

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

$2.50 $2.50

$1.70 MX$31.33

47.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 $1.82

$0.99 MX$18.19

83.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.88 $5.88

$2.41 MX$44.27

143.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.37 $7.37

$4.48 MX$82.5

64.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$1.92 MX$35.36

-56.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.89 MX$53.2

8.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.31 $4.31

$1.94 MX$35.72

122.16%

Eggs

$3.91 $3.91

$2.50 MX$45.97

56.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.06 $11.06

$12.30 MX$226

-10.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.67 $12.67

$9.33 MX$172

35.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.68 $16.68

$13.07 MX$240

27.62%

Apples (1kg)

$5.41 $5.41

$3.38 MX$62.2

60.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.58 MX$29.07

33.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.92 $4.92

$2.20 MX$40.51

123.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.13 $4.13

$2.45 MX$44.96

68.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.26 MX$41.54

-20.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.96 $2.96

$2.74 MX$50.4

8.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.53 MX$28.13

10.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.26 MX$23.19

123.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.06 $7.06

$4.84 MX$89.0

45.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.16 $14.16

$13.59 MX$250

4.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.91 MX$35.06

-8.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 $1.66

$3.06 MX$56.4

-45.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 MX$14.62

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.77 MX$584

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 $2.96

$1.62 MX$29.82

82.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.10 MX$20.20

23.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.50 $25.50

$10.97 MX$202

132.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.52 MX$27.98

-38.16%

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

$22.6K $22.6K

$21.4K MX$393.0K

5.88%

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

$24.1K $24.1K

$25.5K MX$468.3K

-5.48%

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

$279 $279

$120 MX$2,201

132.64%

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

$63.7 $63.7

$27.08 MX$498

135.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.5 $64.5

$26.70 MX$491

141.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.86 $44.86

$31.15 MX$573

44.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.06 $12.06

$21.95 MX$404

-45.06%

Cinema Ticket

$12.24 $12.24

$5.14 MX$94.5

138.13%

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

$992 $992

$688 MX$12.6K

44.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.4K $19.4K

$11.4K MX$210.1K

69.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.8 $51.8

$71.9 MX$1,323

-27.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.24 $39.24

$43.30 MX$796

-9.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.4 $79.4

$112 MX$2,062

-29.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 $102

$122 MX$2,240

-16.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,191 $1,191

$957 MX$17.6K

24.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$907 $907

$670 MX$12.3K

35.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,944 $1,944

$1,887 MX$34.7K

3.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,665 $1,665

$1,305 MX$24.0K

27.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,365 $2,365

$4,159 MX$76.5K

-43.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,112 $2,112

$2,437 MX$44.8K

-13.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,805 $3,805

$1,133 MX$20.8K

235.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

11.79

-44.27%

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

Last update for Lawrence, KS: October 4, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lawrence, KS

$907 41.6%

Monterrey

$670 41.4% 26.1% $237

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lawrence, KS

$407 18.6%

Monterrey

$174 10.7% 57.3% $233

Groceries & Markets

Lawrence, KS

$391 17.9%

Monterrey

$312 19.3% 20.2% $79

Eating Out

Lawrence, KS

$275 12.6%

Monterrey

$224 13.8% 18.8% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Lawrence, KS

$123 5.6%

Monterrey

$157 9.7% 28.2% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Lawrence, KS

$69 3.2%

Monterrey

$41 2.6% 40.2% $28

Getting Around

Lawrence, KS

$9.7 * 0.5%

Monterrey

$42 2.6% 332% $32

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,191 in Lawrence, KS versus $957 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 236% higher in Lawrence, 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 $76.0 in Lawrence, KS versus $50.0 in Monterrey. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $391 vs $312 – making Monterrey the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lawrence, KS

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🕒 Local time

03:54 3:54 AM

02:54 2:54 AM

1 h behind Lawrence, KS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

95,358

1,142,994

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100 MXN = 5.44 USD

100 MXN = 4.85 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 11, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 11, 2026: 1 USD = 18.39 MXN (100 MXN = 5.44 USD). 1 EUR = 20.61 MXN (100 MXN = 4.85 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Lawrence, KS Monterrey 1,550 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Lawrence, 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

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

Lawrence, KS costs about 39% more than Monterrey, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,363 per month in Lawrence, KS and $2,411 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76.0 in Lawrence, KS and $50.0 in Monterrey. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 25% more in Lawrence, 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 $1,607, than in Lawrence, KS at $2,242. In Monterrey it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lawrence, KS it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Monterrey costs $1,607 versus $2,242 in Lawrence, 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, Lawrence, KS makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.