Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Los Mochis and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Los Mochis: $1,143 a month against $1,641 in Monterrey, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Los Mochis, Mexico
Monterrey, Mexico
Los Mochis
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,143
/mo nomad
Monterrey
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,641
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,143 per month in Los Mochis vs $1,641 in Monterrey, rent included.

  • Los Mochis $1,143
  • Monterrey $1,641

A couple spends around $1,794 per month in Los Mochis vs $2,573 in Monterrey, rent included.

  • Los Mochis $1,794
  • Monterrey $2,573

A family of three spends $2,445 per month in Los Mochis vs $3,504 in Monterrey, rent included.

  • Los Mochis $2,445
  • Monterrey $3,504

Los Mochis is about 30% cheaper than Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Los Mochis sits 15% below the global median, while Monterrey is 21% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Los Mochis
Monterrey
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.84 MX$127
$13.37 MX$249
-48.84%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.90 MX$612
$47.95 MX$892
-31.39%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.62 MX$198
$10.79 MX$201
-1.58%
Cappuccino
$3.24 MX$60.3
$3.77 MX$70.1
-14.06%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.02 MX$19.03
$1.51 MX$28.11
-32.45%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.05 MX$19.59
$1.03 MX$19.15
1.94%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.61 MX$48.64
$2.48 MX$46.17
5.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 MX$61.7
$4.36 MX$81.1
-24.08%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Los Mochis
Monterrey
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.71 MX$31.76
$1.89 MX$35.25
-9.52%
White Bread (500g)
$2.22 MX$41.25
$2.85 MX$53.0
-22.11%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.40 MX$26.10
$1.86 MX$34.54
-24.73%
Eggs
$2.68 MX$49.88
$2.47 MX$45.89
8.50%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.60 MX$160
$11.81 MX$220
-27.18%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.03 MX$149
$8.97 MX$167
-10.48%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.00 MX$205
$12.57 MX$234
-12.49%
Apples (1kg)
$2.91 MX$54.2
$3.20 MX$59.5
-9.06%
Banana (1kg)
$1.44 MX$26.79
$1.50 MX$27.97
-4.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.02 MX$37.58
$2.12 MX$39.54
-4.72%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.98 MX$36.85
$2.33 MX$43.42
-15.02%
Potato (1kg)
$2.06 MX$38.29
$2.22 MX$41.37
-7.21%
Onion (1kg)
$1.62 MX$30.08
$2.58 MX$48.10
-37.21%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.59 MX$29.53
$1.45 MX$26.90
9.66%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.99 MX$18.38
$1.22 MX$22.73
-18.85%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.65 MX$86.5
$4.80 MX$89.3
-3.12%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.41 MX$212
$13.30 MX$248
-14.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.60 MX$29.76
$1.93 MX$35.95
-17.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.63 MX$48.92
$2.86 MX$53.1
-8.04%
🚌 Getting Around
Los Mochis
Monterrey
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.62 MX$11.50
$0.80 MX$14.86
-22.50%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.79 MX$554
$30.94 MX$576
-3.72%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.51 MX$46.78
$1.83 MX$34.10
37.16%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.92 MX$35.76
$1.06 MX$19.68
81.13%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$9.35 MX$174
$10.82 MX$201
-13.59%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.46 MX$27.15
$1.47 MX$27.40
-0.68%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.9K MX$445.4K
$24.1K MX$448.2K
-0.62%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.9K MX$426.7K
$23.5K MX$437.9K
-2.56%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Los Mochis
Monterrey
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$60.2 MX$1,120
$115 MX$2,133
-47.50%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.36 MX$416
$26.37 MX$491
-15.21%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.00 MX$540
$25.70 MX$478
12.84%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Los Mochis
Monterrey
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$31.80 MX$592
$30.53 MX$568
4.16%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.99 MX$372
$21.27 MX$396
-6.02%
Cinema Ticket
$5.09 MX$94.7
$4.96 MX$92.3
2.62%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Los Mochis
Monterrey
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$215 MX$3,997
$679 MX$12.6K
-68.35%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,401 MX$81.9K
$14.2K MX$263.9K
-68.97%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Los Mochis
Monterrey
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.4 MX$993
$72.2 MX$1,344
-26.08%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.35 MX$751
$41.94 MX$780
-3.79%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$100 MX$1,862
$107 MX$2,000
-6.89%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.0 MX$1,656
$119 MX$2,208
-24.99%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Los Mochis
Monterrey
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$593 MX$11.0K
$1,018 MX$18.9K
-41.73%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$405 MX$7,533
$722 MX$13.4K
-43.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,007 MX$18.7K
$1,966 MX$36.6K
-48.80%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$774 MX$14.4K
$1,416 MX$26.3K
-45.35%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,141 MX$39.8K
$4,203 MX$78.2K
-49.05%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,198 MX$22.3K
$2,782 MX$51.8K
-56.93%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Los Mochis
Monterrey
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$651 MX$12.1K
$1,096 MX$20.4K
-40.59%
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 Mochis: 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
Los Mochis
$405
Monterrey
$722 78.2% $317
Groceries & Markets
Los Mochis
$259
Monterrey
$302 16.5% $43
Eating Out
Los Mochis
$153
Monterrey
$216 40.6% $62
Clothing & Footwear
Los Mochis
$127
Monterrey
$153 20.3% $26
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Los Mochis
$112
Monterrey
$167 49.5% $55
Getting Around
Los Mochis
$44
Monterrey
$41 7.1% $3.1
Sport & Entertainment
Los Mochis
$42
Monterrey
$40 3.6% $1.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $593 in Los Mochis 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 run about 68% higher in Monterrey. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33 in Los Mochis versus $48 in Monterrey. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $259 vs $302 – making Los Mochis the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Los Mochis
🇲🇽 Monterrey
🕒 Local time
05:57 5:57 AM
06:57 6:57 AM
1 h ahead of Los Mochis
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
298,009
1,142,994
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.83 MXN (100 MXN = 4.8 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Los Mochis Monterrey 870 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Los Mochis
  • 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 Mochis vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Los Mochis or Monterrey?
Monterrey costs about 44% more than Los Mochis, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Los Mochis and in Monterrey?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,714 per month in Los Mochis and $2,461 in Monterrey. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Los Mochis or Monterrey?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Los Mochis, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $593 there versus $1,018 in Monterrey.
How much does it cost to live in Los Mochis compared to Monterrey?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,143 in Los Mochis and $1,641 in Monterrey. That makes Los Mochis about 30% cheaper.
How expensive is transport in Los Mochis compared to Monterrey?
Public transport costs about 4% less in Los Mochis. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Los Mochis or in Monterrey?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,143 in Los Mochis and $1,641 in Monterrey. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Los Mochis – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Should I move to Los Mochis or to Monterrey?
If budget matters most, go with Los Mochis. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Monterrey makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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