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: $1,101 in Los Cabos versus $1,581 in Monterrey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,757 in Los Cabos versus $2,534 in Monterrey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,414 in Los Cabos versus $3,488 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 17% below, Monterrey is 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.48 MX$183

$13.12 MX$229

-20.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.57 MX$673

$52.0 MX$906

-25.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.95 MX$139

$10.46 MX$182

-24.00%

Cappuccino

$3.37 MX$58.7

$3.73 MX$65.1

-9.65%

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

$1.25 MX$21.75

$1.40 MX$24.42

-10.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.96 MX$16.79

$1.05 MX$18.32

-8.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.34 MX$40.86

$2.69 MX$46.87

-13.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 MX$66.8

$4.33 MX$75.5

-11.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$25.12

$1.66 MX$29.00

-13.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 MX$45.27

$2.64 MX$46.11

-1.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.21

$1.96 MX$34.22

-20.41%

Eggs

$2.33 MX$40.64

$2.62 MX$45.78

-11.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.12 MX$142

$10.49 MX$183

-22.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.05 MX$140

$8.88 MX$155

-9.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.49 MX$183

$13.56 MX$237

-22.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 MX$46.87

$3.05 MX$53.2

-11.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$24.15

$1.47 MX$25.56

-6.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 MX$30.02

$2.04 MX$35.51

-15.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 MX$27.66

$2.07 MX$36.02

-23.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 MX$32.14

$2.34 MX$40.80

-21.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 MX$33.89

$2.52 MX$43.87

-23.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 MX$21.04

$1.57 MX$27.39

-22.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 MX$17.23

$1.12 MX$19.46

-11.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.28 MX$74.7

$4.27 MX$74.5

0.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.70 MX$187

$14.06 MX$245

-23.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 MX$28.05

$1.79 MX$31.25

-10.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$48.03

$3.09 MX$54.0

-11.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 MX$10.62

$0.82 MX$14.30

-25.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.01 MX$698

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.53 MX$44.07

$1.75 MX$30.52

44.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 MX$27.99

$0.97 MX$16.91

64.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.39 MX$146

$10.63 MX$185

-21.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 MX$21.86

$1.37 MX$23.84

-8.76%

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

$21.5K MX$375.0K

$26.3K MX$458.8K

-18.27%

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

$22.7K MX$395.2K

$25.5K MX$444.9K

-11.17%

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

$57.2 MX$998

$123 MX$2,142

-53.42%

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

$22.39 MX$390

$27.58 MX$481

-18.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.66 MX$482

$29.78 MX$519

-7.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.54 MX$620

$38.38 MX$669

-7.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.99 MX$279

$21.94 MX$383

-27.12%

Cinema Ticket

$4.75 MX$82.9

$5.86 MX$102

-18.94%

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

$205 MX$3,569

$347 MX$6,052

-41.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,637 MX$63.4K

$8,938 MX$155.9K

-59.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 MX$939

$58.2 MX$1,014

-7.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.95 MX$697

$43.19 MX$753

-7.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.3 MX$1,540

$109 MX$1,899

-18.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.0 MX$1,361

$126 MX$2,204

-38.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$514 MX$8,960

$903 MX$15.7K

-43.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$389 MX$6,784

$661 MX$11.5K

-41.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$1,595 MX$27.8K

-40.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$777 MX$13.5K

$1,398 MX$24.4K

-44.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,865 MX$32.5K

$4,267 MX$74.4K

-56.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,232 MX$21.5K

$2,840 MX$49.5K

-56.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$845 MX$14.7K

$1,135 MX$19.8K

-25.58%

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $514 in Los Cabos and $903 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 34% 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 $52.0 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $296 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 44% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 34% 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: $514 in Los Cabos versus $903 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Monterrey. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,101 per month in Los Cabos versus $1,581 in Monterrey – a 44% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,101 in Los Cabos versus $1,581 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 44% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.