Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lubbock, TX and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,599 a month against $2,232 in Lubbock, TX, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

108

Cost of Living Index in Lubbock, TX
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Lubbock, TX Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index

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Lubbock, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,232

/mo nomad

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,599

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,232 in Lubbock, TX versus $1,599 in Monterrey.

Lubbock, TX $2,232
Monterrey $1,599

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,132 in Lubbock, TX versus $2,493 in Monterrey.

Lubbock, TX $3,132
Monterrey $2,493

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,032 in Lubbock, TX versus $3,387 in Monterrey.

Lubbock, TX $4,032
Monterrey $3,387

Living in Lubbock, TX is roughly 40% more expensive than in Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lubbock, TX 65% above, Monterrey 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.91 $14.91

$13.80 MX$255

8.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.0 $75.0

$47.99 MX$887

56.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.81 $11.81

$10.65 MX$197

10.89%

Cappuccino

$7.41 $7.41

$3.99 MX$73.7

85.71%

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

$2.40 $2.40

$1.66 MX$30.76

44.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 $1.55

$0.99 MX$18.21

56.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.03 $7.03

$2.36 MX$43.64

197.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.67 $8.67

$4.43 MX$81.8

95.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.82 MX$33.58

-49.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.61 $3.61

$2.83 MX$52.4

27.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.17 $4.17

$1.92 MX$35.44

117.19%

Eggs

$3.59 $3.59

$2.48 MX$45.78

44.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.44 $22.44

$11.74 MX$217

91.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.04 $11.04

$9.10 MX$168

21.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.20 $19.20

$12.53 MX$232

53.23%

Apples (1kg)

$5.01 $5.01

$3.34 MX$61.6

50.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.57 MX$29.10

5.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.16 MX$39.86

72.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.60 $5.60

$2.47 MX$45.65

126.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 $1.10

$2.31 MX$42.64

-52.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.70 $2.70

$2.68 MX$49.47

0.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 $2.41

$1.46 MX$26.90

65.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.86 $3.86

$1.19 MX$22.07

224.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.91 $9.91

$4.75 MX$87.8

108.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.93 $19.93

$13.58 MX$251

46.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.92 MX$35.52

-7.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.06 $5.06

$2.88 MX$53.2

75.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 MX$14.66

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.36 MX$579

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.59 MX$29.44

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.61 $4.61

$1.06 MX$19.58

334.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.80 MX$200

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.55 MX$28.59

-39.35%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$24.2K MX$446.4K

12.80%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$24.3K MX$449.4K

6.11%

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

$199 $199

$117 MX$2,159

70.48%

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

$84.2 $84.2

$26.38 MX$488

219.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.2 $73.2

$26.04 MX$481

181.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.91 $24.91

$30.26 MX$559

-17.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.25 MX$393

Cinema Ticket

$13.04 $13.04

$5.23 MX$96.6

149.33%

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

$639 $639

$673 MX$12.4K

-5.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K MX$205.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.2 $65.2

$72.1 MX$1,332

-9.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$73.7 $73.7

$42.38 MX$783

74.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.0 $67.0

$112 MX$2,066

-40.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 MX$2,200

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,044 $1,044

$949 MX$17.5K

9.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$940 $940

$666 MX$12.3K

41.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,650 $1,650

$1,821 MX$33.7K

-9.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,210 $1,210

$1,271 MX$23.5K

-4.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,650 $1,650

$4,050 MX$74.8K

-59.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,362 $1,362

$2,348 MX$43.4K

-41.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,490 $3,490

$1,155 MX$21.3K

202.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

11.79

-45.46%

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

Last update for Lubbock, TX: October 18, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lubbock, TX

$940 42.1%

Monterrey

$666 41.7% 29.1% $273

Groceries & Markets

Lubbock, TX

$458 20.5%

Monterrey

$304 19% 33.5% $153

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lubbock, TX

$357 16%

Monterrey

$169 10.6% 52.5% $187

Eating Out

Lubbock, TX

$312 14%

Monterrey

$221 13.9% 29% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Lubbock, TX

$93 * 4.2%

Monterrey

$155 9.7% 67.7% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Lubbock, TX

$51 2.3%

Monterrey

$41 2.6% 20.2% $10

Getting Around

Lubbock, TX

$23 * 1%

Monterrey

$41 2.6% 79.7% $18

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,044 in Lubbock, TX and $949 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lubbock, TX pays 202% 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: $75.0 in Lubbock, TX vs $48.00 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $458 vs $304 per month, with Monterrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lubbock, TX

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🕒 Local time

11:15 11:15 AM

10:15 10:15 AM

1 h behind Lubbock, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

257,141

1,142,994

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 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 October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lubbock, TX Monterrey 890 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Lubbock, TX
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

Lubbock, TX vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lubbock, TX and Monterrey differ by about 40% in total monthly costs ($2,232 vs $1,599 including rent). Monterrey is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 202% higher in Lubbock, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,044 in Lubbock, TX versus $949 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Lubbock, TX. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,232 per month in Lubbock, TX versus $1,599 in Monterrey – a 40% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,599 in Monterrey versus $2,232 in Lubbock, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Monterrey but tight or insufficient in Lubbock, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Monterrey the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Monterrey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Lubbock, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.