Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lincoln, NE and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,607 a month against $2,250 in Lincoln, NE, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lincoln, NE
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Lincoln, NE Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index

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Lincoln, NE

🇺🇸 United States

$2,250

/mo nomad

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,250 in Lincoln, NE versus $1,607 in Monterrey.

Lincoln, NE $2,250
Monterrey $1,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,309 in Lincoln, NE versus $2,512 in Monterrey.

Lincoln, NE $3,309
Monterrey $2,512

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lincoln, NE versus $3,417 in Monterrey.

Lincoln, NE $4,368
Monterrey $3,417

Living in Lincoln, NE is roughly 40% more expensive than in Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lincoln, NE 68% above, Monterrey 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.25 $20.25

$13.75 MX$252

47.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.8 $78.8

$50.2 MX$921

57.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.22 $12.22

$11.13 MX$204

9.79%

Cappuccino

$5.46 $5.46

$4.04 MX$74.2

35.15%

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

$2.28 $2.28

$1.70 MX$31.29

34.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$0.99 MX$18.17

75.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.01 $5.01

$2.41 MX$44.21

107.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.13 $9.13

$4.48 MX$82.3

103.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.92 MX$35.31

-54.69%

White Bread (500g)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.89 MX$53.1

6.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.19 $6.19

$1.94 MX$35.67

219.07%

Eggs

$4.60 $4.60

$2.50 MX$45.90

84.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.62 $11.62

$12.30 MX$226

-5.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.36 $8.36

$9.33 MX$171

-10.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.70 $14.70

$13.07 MX$240

12.47%

Apples (1kg)

$6.63 $6.63

$3.38 MX$62.1

96.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.58 MX$29.02

31.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.79 $5.79

$2.20 MX$40.45

163.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.45 MX$44.89

71.02%

Potato (1kg)

$3.44 $3.44

$2.26 MX$41.47

52.21%

Onion (1kg)

$3.85 $3.85

$2.74 MX$50.4

40.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.53 MX$28.09

24.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 $2.64

$1.26 MX$23.16

109.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.73 $9.73

$4.84 MX$88.9

101.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.90 $16.90

$13.59 MX$249

24.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.91 MX$35.01

-5.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$3.06 MX$56.3

-16.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.70 $1.70

$0.80 MX$14.60

112.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.02 $35.02

$31.77 MX$583

10.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.04 $5.04

$1.62 MX$29.78

211.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.10 MX$20.17

70.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.54 $34.54

$10.97 MX$201

214.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.52 MX$27.93

-31.58%

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

$35.5K $35.5K

$21.4K MX$392.4K

66.19%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$25.5K MX$467.6K

-0.57%

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

$142 $142

$120 MX$2,198

18.73%

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

$48.30 $48.30

$27.08 MX$497

78.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.8 $64.8

$26.70 MX$490

142.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.6 $55.6

$31.15 MX$572

78.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.15 $26.15

$21.95 MX$403

19.13%

Cinema Ticket

$14.88 $14.88

$5.14 MX$94.4

189.49%

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

$839 $839

$688 MX$12.6K

21.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$209.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.72 $48.72

$71.9 MX$1,321

-32.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.40 $35.40

$43.30 MX$795

-18.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.7 $87.7

$112 MX$2,059

-21.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 $118

$122 MX$2,236

-3.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 $1,083

$957 MX$17.6K

13.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$964 $964

$670 MX$12.3K

43.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 $1,608

$1,887 MX$34.7K

-14.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,459 $1,459

$1,305 MX$24.0K

11.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,853 $1,853

$4,159 MX$76.4K

-55.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,889 $1,889

$2,437 MX$44.7K

-22.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,812 $3,812

$1,133 MX$20.8K

236.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.37

11.79

-45.97%

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

Last update for Lincoln, NE: October 3, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lincoln, NE

$964 43.6%

Monterrey

$670 41.4% 30.5% $294

Groceries & Markets

Lincoln, NE

$398 18%

Monterrey

$312 19.3% 21.6% $86

Eating Out

Lincoln, NE

$324 14.6%

Monterrey

$224 13.8% 30.9% $100

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lincoln, NE

$255 11.5%

Monterrey

$174 10.7% 32% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Lincoln, NE

$130 5.9%

Monterrey

$157 9.7% 20.6% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Lincoln, NE

$85 3.9%

Monterrey

$41 2.6% 51.5% $44

Getting Around

Lincoln, NE

$56 2.5%

Monterrey

$42 2.6% 25.2% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,083 in Lincoln, NE and $957 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lincoln, NE pays 236% 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: $79.0 in Lincoln, NE vs $50.0 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $398 vs $312 per month, with Monterrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lincoln, NE

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🕒 Local time

07:27 7:27 AM

06:27 6:27 AM

1 h behind Lincoln, NE

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

277,348

1,142,994

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.57 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lincoln, NE Monterrey 1,710 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Lincoln, NE
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

Lincoln, NE vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey wins on cost – living expenses run 40% lower than in Lincoln, NE. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Monterrey the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 236% higher in Lincoln, NE, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,083 in Lincoln, NE versus $957 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Monterrey – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $79.0 in Lincoln, NE. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,250 per month in Lincoln, NE versus $1,607 in Monterrey – a 40% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,607 in Monterrey versus $2,250 in Lincoln, NE, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Monterrey but tight or insufficient in Lincoln, NE. The gap between the two cities makes Monterrey the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Monterrey delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,607 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Monterrey hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lincoln, NE 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 Monterrey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Lincoln, NE. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.