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: $1,484 in Los Cabos versus $1,728 in Monterrey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,376 in Los Cabos versus $2,711 in Monterrey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,268 in Los Cabos versus $3,694 in Monterrey.

Living in Los Cabos costs roughly 14% less than in Monterrey, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Los Cabos 8% above, Monterrey 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.29 MX$412

$14.63 MX$248

66.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.37 MX$787

$53.1 MX$901

-12.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.81 MX$234

$12.02 MX$204

14.89%

Cappuccino

$5.46 MX$92.7

$4.18 MX$71.0

30.62%

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

$2.43 MX$41.29

$1.70 MX$28.82

42.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 MX$34.56

$1.12 MX$18.95

82.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.98 MX$84.5

$2.92 MX$49.53

70.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.97 MX$152

$4.71 MX$79.9

90.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$28.85

$1.97 MX$33.50

-13.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.18 MX$54.0

$3.16 MX$53.6

0.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.52 MX$42.77

$2.00 MX$34.00

26.00%

Eggs

$2.57 MX$43.66

$2.68 MX$45.44

-4.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.04 MX$170

$13.14 MX$223

-23.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.22 MX$173

$9.98 MX$169

2.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.15 MX$325

$13.79 MX$234

38.87%

Apples (1kg)

$4.46 MX$75.6

$3.60 MX$61.1

23.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 MX$31.87

$1.65 MX$28.07

13.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.13 MX$53.2

$2.31 MX$39.26

35.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.71 MX$45.96

$2.58 MX$43.71

5.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.42 MX$41.02

$2.50 MX$42.39

-3.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 MX$48.35

$2.95 MX$50.0

-3.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.59

$1.62 MX$27.53

-14.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$14.92

$1.34 MX$22.70

-34.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.99 MX$84.6

$5.34 MX$90.7

-6.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.27 MX$191

$14.83 MX$252

-24.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 MX$28.05

$2.02 MX$34.28

-18.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 MX$56.8

$3.23 MX$54.8

3.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 MX$24.57

$0.87 MX$14.78

66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.53 MX$569

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.82 MX$47.83

$1.88 MX$31.82

50.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 MX$36.79

$1.15 MX$19.52

88.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.65 MX$198

$11.99 MX$203

-2.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.07

$1.68 MX$28.58

-8.33%

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

$22.4K MX$380.4K

$22.7K MX$385.0K

-1.18%

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

$25.6K MX$433.9K

$27.3K MX$462.8K

-6.25%

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

$63.7 MX$1,080

$124 MX$2,109

-48.77%

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

$29.60 MX$502

$28.42 MX$482

4.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.66 MX$452

$28.37 MX$481

-6.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.35 MX$634

$33.01 MX$560

13.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.34 MX$362

$23.10 MX$392

-7.62%

Cinema Ticket

$4.76 MX$80.8

$5.51 MX$93.5

-13.61%

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

$247 MX$4,191

$738 MX$12.5K

-66.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,856 MX$82.4K

$12.4K MX$211.1K

-60.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.2 MX$1,666

$80.9 MX$1,373

21.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.04 MX$781

$45.74 MX$776

0.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 MX$2,231

$121 MX$2,046

9.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 MX$1,548

$135 MX$2,295

-32.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$650 MX$11.0K

$1,045 MX$17.7K

-37.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$421 MX$7,134

$728 MX$12.3K

-42.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,135 MX$19.3K

$2,014 MX$34.2K

-43.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$831 MX$14.1K

$1,403 MX$23.8K

-40.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,976 MX$33.5K

$4,411 MX$74.8K

-55.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,212 MX$20.6K

$2,630 MX$44.6K

-53.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$892 MX$15.1K

$1,170 MX$19.8K

-23.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

11.56

-2.25%

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

Last update for Los Cabos: September 7, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $650 in Los Cabos and $1,045 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 31% 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: $46.00 in Los Cabos vs $53.0 in Monterrey. Groceries flip the comparison at $334 vs $333, with Monterrey cheaper for home cooking.

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 Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 31% lower in Monterrey. 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: $650 in Los Cabos versus $1,045 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Monterrey pay roughly 0% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,484 per month in Los Cabos versus $1,728 in Monterrey – a 16% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,484 in Los Cabos versus $1,728 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 16% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.