Cost of Living Comparison Between Los Cabos and Monterrey Cost of Living Comparison Between Los Cabos and Monterrey

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,106 in Los Cabos versus $1,574 in Monterrey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,747 in Los Cabos versus $2,529 in Monterrey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,389 in Los Cabos versus $3,484 in Monterrey.

Living in Los Cabos costs roughly 30% less than in Monterrey, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Los Cabos is 18% below, Monterrey is 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$182

$13.42 MX$230

-20.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.93 MX$668

$53.9 MX$924

-27.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.98 MX$137

$10.32 MX$177

-22.67%

Cappuccino

$3.38 MX$58.1

$3.58 MX$61.4

-5.59%

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

$1.25 MX$21.40

$1.43 MX$24.60

-12.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 MX$15.37

$0.99 MX$17.00

-9.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 MX$41.91

$2.59 MX$44.41

-5.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 MX$66.8

$4.27 MX$73.4

-8.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 MX$25.52

$1.67 MX$28.69

-10.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 MX$43.63

$2.64 MX$45.30

-3.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 MX$27.86

$1.87 MX$32.15

-13.37%

Eggs

$2.30 MX$39.56

$2.67 MX$45.90

-13.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.16 MX$140

$10.49 MX$180

-22.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.74 MX$133

$9.13 MX$157

-15.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$184

$13.85 MX$238

-22.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$45.55

$3.04 MX$52.3

-12.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$24.55

$1.40 MX$24.09

2.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$2.12 MX$36.41

-19.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.21

$2.06 MX$35.33

-20.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.10

$2.23 MX$38.25

-13.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.17

$2.56 MX$43.99

-24.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 MX$20.76

$1.53 MX$26.22

-20.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 MX$16.82

$1.07 MX$18.45

-8.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.28 MX$73.5

$4.13 MX$70.8

3.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.90 MX$187

$14.34 MX$246

-23.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$27.37

$1.79 MX$30.68

-11.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 MX$47.75

$3.18 MX$54.5

-12.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 MX$10.51

$0.77 MX$13.16

-20.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.85 MX$701

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.54 MX$43.68

$1.73 MX$29.77

46.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 MX$27.59

$0.96 MX$16.44

67.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.14 MX$140

$10.72 MX$184

-24.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.87

$1.36 MX$23.36

-6.62%

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

$21.5K MX$368.8K

$26.5K MX$454.9K

-18.93%

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

$22.4K MX$384.6K

$25.9K MX$443.8K

-13.34%

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

$56.3 MX$966

$123 MX$2,113

-54.30%

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

$22.01 MX$378

$27.98 MX$480

-21.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.40 MX$487

$29.71 MX$510

-4.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.36 MX$624

$37.13 MX$637

-2.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.88 MX$273

$21.88 MX$376

-27.42%

Cinema Ticket

$4.53 MX$77.8

$5.71 MX$97.9

-20.67%

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

$206 MX$3,543

$348 MX$5,972

-40.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,530 MX$60.6K

$8,997 MX$154.4K

-60.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 MX$917

$59.9 MX$1,028

-10.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.34 MX$675

$43.22 MX$742

-8.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.7 MX$1,540

$109 MX$1,878

-17.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.0 MX$1,339

$130 MX$2,228

-39.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$512 MX$8,790

$894 MX$15.3K

-42.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$396 MX$6,794

$656 MX$11.3K

-39.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.3K

$1,578 MX$27.1K

-39.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$769 MX$13.2K

$1,422 MX$24.4K

-45.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,973 MX$33.9K

$4,316 MX$74.1K

-54.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,269 MX$21.8K

$2,873 MX$49.3K

-55.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$874 MX$15.0K

$1,101 MX$18.9K

-20.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.48

11.55

-0.61%

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

Last update for Los Cabos: June 7, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $512 in Los Cabos and $894 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 26% 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: $39.00 in Los Cabos vs $54.0 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $297 per month, with Los Cabos cheaper across the board.

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

Los Cabos vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Los Cabos is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 42% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Monterrey earns 26% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $512 in Los Cabos versus $894 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Monterrey. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,106 per month in Los Cabos versus $1,574 in Monterrey – a 42% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,106 in Los Cabos versus $1,574 in Monterrey, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Los Cabos but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes Los Cabos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Los Cabos is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Monterrey, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Los Cabos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.