Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Los Cabos and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Los Cabos: $1,433 a month against $1,647 in Monterrey, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Monterrey outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

69

Cost of Living Index in Los Cabos
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Los Cabos Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index

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Los Cabos

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,433

/mo nomad

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,647

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,433 in Los Cabos versus $1,647 in Monterrey.

Los Cabos $1,433
Monterrey $1,647

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,236 in Los Cabos versus $2,591 in Monterrey.

Los Cabos $2,236
Monterrey $2,591

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,039 in Los Cabos versus $3,536 in Monterrey.

Los Cabos $3,039
Monterrey $3,536

Living in Los Cabos costs roughly 13% less than in Monterrey.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Los Cabos 5% above, Monterrey 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.25 MX$413

$13.45 MX$250

65.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.10 MX$801

$48.43 MX$899

-11.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.63 MX$253

$10.90 MX$202

25.05%

Cappuccino

$5.17 MX$96.1

$3.82 MX$70.9

35.34%

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

$2.35 MX$43.72

$1.67 MX$30.94

40.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$36.76

$0.98 MX$18.25

102.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.07 MX$94.2

$2.35 MX$43.64

115.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.23 MX$153

$4.41 MX$81.9

86.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 MX$28.88

$1.80 MX$33.46

-13.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 MX$51.9

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.27 MX$42.15

$1.82 MX$33.89

24.73%

Eggs

$2.37 MX$44.06

$2.51 MX$46.66

-5.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.29 MX$173

$12.09 MX$224

-23.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.62 MX$179

$9.41 MX$175

2.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.21 MX$320

$12.71 MX$236

35.41%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 MX$74.3

$3.21 MX$59.6

24.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 MX$31.33

$1.50 MX$27.81

12.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.88 MX$53.5

$2.14 MX$39.83

34.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.40 MX$44.51

$2.32 MX$43.11

3.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.30 MX$42.64

$2.20 MX$40.89

4.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 MX$47.25

$2.60 MX$48.25

-2.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 MX$23.81

$1.44 MX$26.75

-11.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 MX$14.64

$1.17 MX$21.79

-32.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 MX$82.3

$4.79 MX$88.9

-7.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.36 MX$192

$13.22 MX$246

-21.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 MX$28.28

$1.94 MX$36.07

-21.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 MX$57.3

$2.89 MX$53.6

6.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 MX$25.45

$0.87 MX$16.20

57.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.56 MX$549

$31.14 MX$578

-5.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.48 MX$46.13

$1.66 MX$30.77

49.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.97 MX$36.58

$1.09 MX$20.31

80.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.11 MX$188

$10.67 MX$198

-5.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$24.96

$1.47 MX$27.37

-8.84%

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

$23.4K MX$434.7K

$24.2K MX$450.2K

-3.45%

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

$23.3K MX$433.1K

$23.6K MX$437.4K

-0.99%

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

$56.6 MX$1,050

$118 MX$2,189

-52.02%

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

$27.37 MX$508

$25.55 MX$474

7.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.83 MX$443

$26.43 MX$491

-9.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.66 MX$607

$30.77 MX$571

6.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.67 MX$365

$21.07 MX$391

-6.64%

Cinema Ticket

$4.21 MX$78.1

$5.09 MX$94.5

-17.29%

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

$214 MX$3,967

$694 MX$12.9K

-69.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,525 MX$84.0K

$11.3K MX$210.2K

-60.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.5 MX$1,699

$72.5 MX$1,346

26.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.53 MX$734

$41.51 MX$771

-4.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 MX$2,290

$110 MX$2,038

12.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,650

$115 MX$2,135

-22.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$597 MX$11.1K

$1,056 MX$19.6K

-43.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$438 MX$8,132

$721 MX$13.4K

-39.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 MX$18.7K

$1,999 MX$37.1K

-49.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$741 MX$13.8K

$1,435 MX$26.6K

-48.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,854 MX$34.4K

$4,219 MX$78.4K

-56.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,114 MX$20.7K

$2,731 MX$50.7K

-59.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$794 MX$14.7K

$1,149 MX$21.3K

-30.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.31

11.79

-4.07%

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

Last update for Los Cabos: October 27, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Los Cabos

$438 30.6%

Monterrey

$721 43.8% 64.7% $283

Eating Out

Los Cabos

$340 23.7%

Monterrey

$217 13.2% 36.1% $123

Groceries & Markets

Los Cabos

$304 21.2%

Monterrey

$303 18.4% 0.3% $0.9

Clothing & Footwear

Los Cabos

$154 10.8%

Monterrey

$152 9.3% 1.3% $2.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Los Cabos

$108 7.5%

Monterrey

$170 10.3% 57.6% $62

Getting Around

Los Cabos

$47 3.3%

Monterrey

$42 2.5% 11.8% $5.6

Sport & Entertainment

Los Cabos

$41 2.9%

Monterrey

$41 2.5% 0.3% $0.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $597 in Los Cabos and $1,056 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 45% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $43 in Los Cabos vs $48 in Monterrey. Groceries flip the comparison at $304 vs $303, with Monterrey cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Los Cabos

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🕒 Local time

00:25 12:25 AM

01:25 1:25 AM

1 h ahead of Los Cabos

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

202,694

1,142,994

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.38 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100 MXN = 5.38 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Los Cabos Monterrey 1,020 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Los Cabos
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

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,433 in Los Cabos and $1,647 in Monterrey, so Los Cabos is about 13% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 31% lower in Los Cabos. 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: $597 in Los Cabos versus $1,056 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Los Cabos runs roughly 5% less than in Monterrey. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $1,433 per month in Los Cabos versus $1,647 in Monterrey – Los Cabos is about 13% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Los Cabos wins on affordability, Monterrey on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.