Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Long Island, NY and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,641 a month against $4,291 in Long Island, NY, rent and utilities included – about $31,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

204

Cost of Living Index in Long Island, NY
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Long Island, NY Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index

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Long Island, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,291

/mo nomad

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,291 per month in Long Island, NY vs $1,641 in Monterrey, rent included.

Long Island, NY $4,291
Monterrey $1,641

A couple spends around $5,918 per month in Long Island, NY vs $2,573 in Monterrey, rent included.

Long Island, NY $5,918
Monterrey $2,573

A family of three spends $7,545 per month in Long Island, NY vs $3,504 in Monterrey, rent included.

Long Island, NY $7,545
Monterrey $3,504

Long Island, NY costs about 161% more than Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Long Island, NY and Monterrey sit above the global median – Long Island, NY by 217%, Monterrey by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.24 $25.24

$13.37 MX$251

88.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.5 $98.5

$47.95 MX$900

105.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.81 $10.81

$10.79 MX$203

0.19%

Cappuccino

$5.04 $5.04

$3.77 MX$70.7

33.69%

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

$2.17 $2.17

$1.51 MX$28.37

43.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.03 MX$19.33

50.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.91 $7.91

$2.48 MX$46.60

218.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.07 $8.07

$4.36 MX$81.8

85.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.89 MX$35.58

-29.63%

White Bread (500g)

$4.21 $4.21

$2.85 MX$53.5

47.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.86 MX$34.86

8.60%

Eggs

$5.26 $5.26

$2.47 MX$46.31

112.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.41 $7.41

$11.81 MX$222

-37.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.83 $15.83

$8.97 MX$168

76.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.64 $16.64

$12.57 MX$236

32.38%

Apples (1kg)

$4.21 $4.21

$3.20 MX$60.0

31.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.50 MX$28.23

-20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 $2.12

$2.12 MX$39.90

Tomato (1kg)

$6.13 $6.13

$2.33 MX$43.82

163.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 $1.08

$2.22 MX$41.75

-51.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.58 MX$48.54

-17.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.45 MX$27.15

6.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.22 MX$22.94

131.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.81 $11.81

$4.80 MX$90.1

146.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.59 $17.59

$13.30 MX$250

32.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.93 MX$36.28

-9.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 $4.11

$2.86 MX$53.6

43.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 $2.98

$0.80 MX$15.00

272.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$133 $133

$30.94 MX$581

328.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.83 MX$34.42

61.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.06 MX$19.86

88.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.94 $23.94

$10.82 MX$203

121.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.47 MX$27.65

-25.85%

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

$27.6K $27.6K

$24.1K MX$452.3K

14.75%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$23.5K MX$442.0K

13.42%

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

$187 $187

$115 MX$2,152

63.16%

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

$48.56 $48.56

$26.37 MX$495

84.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.5 $53.5

$25.70 MX$483

108.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.71 $31.71

$30.53 MX$573

3.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$103 $103

$21.27 MX$400

382.18%

Cinema Ticket

$14.32 $14.32

$4.96 MX$93.1

188.71%

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

$2,499 $2,499

$679 MX$12.7K

268.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$46.9K $46.9K

$14.2K MX$266.4K

230.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.41 $39.41

$72.2 MX$1,356

-45.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 $57.0

$41.94 MX$788

35.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.8 $76.8

$107 MX$2,019

-28.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 $157

$119 MX$2,228

32.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,021 $3,021

$1,018 MX$19.1K

196.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,867 $2,867

$722 MX$13.6K

297.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,806 $5,806

$1,966 MX$36.9K

195.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,171 $4,171

$1,416 MX$26.6K

194.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,156 $6,156

$4,203 MX$78.9K

46.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,203 $4,203

$2,782 MX$52.2K

51.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,621 $4,621

$1,096 MX$20.6K

321.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

11.79

-43.77%

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

Last update for Long Island, NY: November 2, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Long Island, NY

$2.9K 66.8%

Monterrey

$722 44% 74.8% $2.1K

Groceries & Markets

Long Island, NY

$403 9.4%

Monterrey

$302 18.4% 25% $101

Eating Out

Long Island, NY

$365 8.5%

Monterrey

$216 13.2% 40.9% $150

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Long Island, NY

$289 6.7%

Monterrey

$167 10.2% 42.3% $122

Getting Around

Long Island, NY

$157 3.7%

Monterrey

$41 2.5% 73.8% $116

Clothing & Footwear

Long Island, NY

$149 3.5%

Monterrey

$153 9.3% 2.9% $4.4

Sport & Entertainment

Long Island, NY

$60 1.4%

Monterrey

$40 2.5% 33% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,021 in Long Island, NY versus $1,018 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 in Long Island, NY are about 4.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $98 in Long Island, NY versus $48 in Monterrey. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $403 vs $302 – making Monterrey the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Long Island, NY

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🕒 Local time

20:52 8:52 PM

19:52 7:52 PM

1 h behind Long Island, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,804,968

1,142,994

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.891 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.74 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 November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.78 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 21.08 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Long Island, NY Monterrey 3,020 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Long Island, NY
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

Long Island, NY vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $4,291 in Long Island, NY, $1,641 in Monterrey – Monterrey comes out roughly 62% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,437 per month in Long Island, NY and $2,461 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,018 there versus $3,021 in Long Island, NY.

Kindergarten costs $2,499 per month in Long Island, NY and $679 in Monterrey. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 33% more in Long Island, NY, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Monterrey, where all-in costs run around $1,641, than in Long Island, NY at $4,291. In Monterrey it covers expenses comfortably, while in Long Island, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Long Island, NY has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,641 in Monterrey to $4,291 in Long Island, NY. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Monterrey. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Long Island, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.