Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lowell, MA and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,641 a month against $2,623 in Lowell, MA, rent and utilities included – about $11,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

127

Cost of Living Index in Lowell, MA
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Lowell, MA Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index

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Lowell, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,623

/mo nomad

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,623 per month in Lowell, MA vs $1,641 in Monterrey, rent included.

Lowell, MA $2,623
Monterrey $1,641

A couple spends around $4,189 per month in Lowell, MA vs $2,573 in Monterrey, rent included.

Lowell, MA $4,189
Monterrey $2,573

A family of three spends $5,755 per month in Lowell, MA vs $3,504 in Monterrey, rent included.

Lowell, MA $5,755
Monterrey $3,504

Lowell, MA costs about 60% more than Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Lowell, MA and Monterrey sit above the global median – Lowell, MA by 94%, Monterrey by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.58 $16.58

$13.37 MX$250

24.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.2 $71.2

$47.95 MX$897

48.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.79 $8.79

$10.79 MX$202

-18.54%

Cappuccino

$4.95 $4.95

$3.77 MX$70.4

31.30%

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

$2.03 $2.03

$1.51 MX$28.26

34.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.03 MX$19.25

59.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.08 $5.08

$2.48 MX$46.41

104.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.84 $7.84

$4.36 MX$81.5

79.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.89 MX$35.43

-53.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.85 MX$53.3

-22.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.34 $5.34

$1.86 MX$34.71

187.10%

Eggs

$3.91 $3.91

$2.47 MX$46.12

58.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.25 $11.25

$11.81 MX$221

-4.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.85 $8.85

$8.97 MX$168

-1.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.87 $17.87

$12.57 MX$235

42.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.20 MX$59.8

-14.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.50 MX$28.12

-18.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.60 $6.60

$2.12 MX$39.74

211.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.65 $5.65

$2.33 MX$43.64

142.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 $1.61

$2.22 MX$41.58

-27.48%

Onion (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$2.58 MX$48.34

67.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 $2.34

$1.45 MX$27.04

61.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.22 MX$22.85

82.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.90 $13.90

$4.80 MX$89.7

189.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.77 $13.77

$13.30 MX$249

3.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.93 MX$36.14

-12.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 $3.89

$2.86 MX$53.4

36.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.85 $1.85

$0.80 MX$14.94

131.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.6 $54.6

$30.94 MX$579

76.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 $3.87

$1.83 MX$34.28

111.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.06 MX$19.78

59.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.74 $28.74

$10.82 MX$202

165.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.47 MX$27.54

-38.78%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$24.1K MX$450.4K

12.60%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$23.5K MX$440.2K

15.09%

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

$188 $188

$115 MX$2,144

63.66%

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

$52.2 $52.2

$26.37 MX$493

97.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.4 $66.4

$25.70 MX$481

158.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.27 $39.27

$30.53 MX$571

28.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.32 $12.32

$21.27 MX$398

-42.08%

Cinema Ticket

$14.07 $14.07

$4.96 MX$92.8

183.67%

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

$1,396 $1,396

$679 MX$12.7K

105.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$44.3K $44.3K

$14.2K MX$265.3K

212.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 $57.0

$72.2 MX$1,350

-21.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.87 $37.87

$41.94 MX$784

-9.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 $78.6

$107 MX$2,011

-26.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.5 $70.5

$119 MX$2,219

-40.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,647 $1,647

$1,018 MX$19.0K

61.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,423 $1,423

$722 MX$13.5K

97.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,643 $3,643

$1,966 MX$36.8K

85.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,097 $3,097

$1,416 MX$26.5K

118.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,527 $3,527

$4,203 MX$78.6K

-16.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,540 $3,540

$2,782 MX$52.0K

27.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,031 $4,031

$1,096 MX$20.5K

267.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.1

11.79

-48.26%

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

Last update for Lowell, MA: November 1, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lowell, MA

$1.4K 54.2%

Monterrey

$722 44% 49.3% $701

Groceries & Markets

Lowell, MA

$368 14.1%

Monterrey

$302 18.4% 18% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lowell, MA

$306 11.7%

Monterrey

$167 10.2% 45.6% $139

Eating Out

Lowell, MA

$274 10.5%

Monterrey

$216 13.2% 21.3% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Lowell, MA

$110 4.2%

Monterrey

$153 9.3% 39.5% $43

Getting Around

Lowell, MA

$74 2.8%

Monterrey

$41 2.5% 44.5% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Lowell, MA

$67 2.6%

Monterrey

$40 2.5% 40% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,647 in Lowell, MA 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 in Lowell, MA are about 3.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71 in Lowell, MA versus $48 in Monterrey. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $368 vs $302 – making Monterrey the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lowell, MA

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🕒 Local time

16:21 4:21 PM

15:21 3:21 PM

1 h behind Lowell, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

106,519

1,142,994

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.7 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 20.9 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lowell, MA Monterrey 3,240 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Lowell, MA
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

Lowell, MA vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lowell, MA is pricier by about 60%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,934 per month in Lowell, MA and $2,461 in Monterrey. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Monterrey, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,018 there versus $1,647 in Lowell, MA.

Public transport costs about 43% less in Monterrey. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,396 per month in Lowell, MA and $679 in Monterrey. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,623 in Lowell, MA and $1,641 in Monterrey, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Monterrey – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Monterrey. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lowell, MA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.