Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Little Rock, AR and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,607 a month against $2,137 in Little Rock, AR, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

104

Cost of Living Index in Little Rock, AR
Learn more

Little Rock, AR Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
Learn more

Monterrey Living Index

Jump to prices

Little Rock, AR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,137

/mo nomad

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,137 per month in Little Rock, AR vs $1,607 in Monterrey, rent included.

Little Rock, AR $2,137
Monterrey $1,607

A couple spends around $3,103 per month in Little Rock, AR vs $2,512 in Monterrey, rent included.

Little Rock, AR $3,103
Monterrey $2,512

A family of three spends $4,069 per month in Little Rock, AR vs $3,417 in Monterrey, rent included.

Little Rock, AR $4,069
Monterrey $3,417

Little Rock, AR costs about 33% more than Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Little Rock, AR and Monterrey sit above the global median – Little Rock, AR by 59%, Monterrey by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.18 $17.18

$13.75 MX$252

24.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.9 $73.9

$50.2 MX$921

47.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.84 $10.84

$11.13 MX$204

-2.61%

Cappuccino

$5.15 $5.15

$4.04 MX$74.2

27.48%

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

$2.94 $2.94

$1.70 MX$31.29

72.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$0.99 MX$18.17

145.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.54 $5.54

$2.41 MX$44.21

129.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.41 $6.41

$4.48 MX$82.3

43.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.92 MX$35.31

-42.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.69 $2.69

$2.89 MX$53.1

-6.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.94 MX$35.67

45.36%

Eggs

$3.39 $3.39

$2.50 MX$45.90

35.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.15 $10.15

$12.30 MX$226

-17.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.70 $11.70

$9.33 MX$171

25.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.86 $22.86

$13.07 MX$240

74.90%

Apples (1kg)

$5.03 $5.03

$3.38 MX$62.1

48.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.58 MX$29.02

-6.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.42 $4.42

$2.20 MX$40.45

100.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 $3.77

$2.45 MX$44.89

53.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 $2.72

$2.26 MX$41.47

20.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.57 $2.57

$2.74 MX$50.4

-6.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.53 MX$28.09

26.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.26 MX$23.16

53.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.74 $9.74

$4.84 MX$88.9

101.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 $13.47

$13.59 MX$249

-0.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.91 MX$35.01

-7.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$3.06 MX$56.3

-44.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 $1.36

$0.80 MX$14.60

70.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.95 $35.95

$31.77 MX$583

13.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.62 MX$29.78

56.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.10 MX$20.17

34.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.22 $24.22

$10.97 MX$201

120.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.52 MX$27.93

-40.79%

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

$37.4K $37.4K

$21.4K MX$392.4K

74.98%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$25.5K MX$467.6K

2.81%

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

$218 $218

$120 MX$2,198

81.79%

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

$59.9 $59.9

$27.08 MX$497

121.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.3 $68.3

$26.70 MX$490

155.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.12 $29.12

$31.15 MX$572

-6.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.94 $13.94

$21.95 MX$403

-36.49%

Cinema Ticket

$12.76 $12.76

$5.14 MX$94.4

148.25%

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

$1,014 $1,014

$688 MX$12.6K

47.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K $18.9K

$11.4K MX$209.8K

64.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.8 $50.8

$71.9 MX$1,321

-29.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.52 $39.52

$43.30 MX$795

-8.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.8 $83.8

$112 MX$2,059

-25.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 $147

$122 MX$2,236

20.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,132 $1,132

$957 MX$17.6K

18.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$874 $874

$670 MX$12.3K

30.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,577 $1,577

$1,887 MX$34.7K

-16.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,282 $1,282

$1,305 MX$24.0K

-1.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,870 $1,870

$4,159 MX$76.4K

-55.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,335 $1,335

$2,437 MX$44.7K

-45.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,805 $3,805

$1,133 MX$20.8K

235.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

11.79

-42.75%

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

Last update for Little Rock, AR: 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

Little Rock, AR

$874 40.9%

Monterrey

$670 41.4% 23.3% $204

Groceries & Markets

Little Rock, AR

$374 17.5%

Monterrey

$312 19.3% 16.5% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Little Rock, AR

$346 16.2%

Monterrey

$174 10.7% 49.8% $172

Eating Out

Little Rock, AR

$294 13.7%

Monterrey

$224 13.8% 23.9% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Little Rock, AR

$145 6.8%

Monterrey

$157 9.7% 8.7% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Little Rock, AR

$55 2.6%

Monterrey

$41 2.6% 24.2% $13

Getting Around

Little Rock, AR

$51 2.4%

Monterrey

$42 2.6% 18% $9.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,132 in Little Rock, AR 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 Little Rock, AR, 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 $74.0 in Little Rock, AR versus $50.0 in Monterrey. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $374 vs $312 – making Monterrey the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Little Rock, AR

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🕒 Local time

04:47 4:47 AM

03:47 3:47 AM

1 h behind Little Rock, AR

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

202,591

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Little Rock, AR Monterrey 1,270 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Little Rock, AR
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

Little Rock, AR vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,137 in Little Rock, AR, $1,607 in Monterrey – roughly 33% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,205 per month in Little Rock, AR 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.

Kindergarten costs $1,014 per month in Little Rock, AR and $688 in Monterrey. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 20% more in Little Rock, AR, 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 Little Rock, AR at $2,137. In Monterrey it covers expenses comfortably, while in Little Rock, AR it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Monterrey has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,607 in Monterrey to $2,137 in Little Rock, AR. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Monterrey. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Little Rock, AR makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.