Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Machala and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Machala: $654 a month against $1,608 in Monterrey, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Machala
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Machala Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index

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Machala

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$654

/mo nomad

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $654 in Machala versus $1,608 in Monterrey.

Machala $654
Monterrey $1,608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,045 in Machala versus $2,521 in Monterrey.

Machala $1,045
Monterrey $2,521

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,436 in Machala versus $3,433 in Monterrey.

Machala $1,436
Monterrey $3,433

Living in Machala costs roughly 59% less than in Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Machala is 52% below, Monterrey is 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.69 $2.69

$13.85 MX$256

-80.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.09 $25.09

$49.70 MX$918

-49.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.21 $5.21

$11.05 MX$204

-52.85%

Cappuccino

$2.70 $2.70

$4.09 MX$75.6

-33.99%

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

$0.84 $0.84

$1.68 MX$30.97

-50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 $0.75

$1.03 MX$18.98

-27.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.40 MX$44.28

-19.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 $3.80

$4.35 MX$80.3

-12.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.92 MX$35.55

-42.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 $1.05

$2.94 MX$54.2

-64.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.88 MX$34.66

-48.94%

Eggs

$1.50 $1.50

$2.55 MX$47.06

-41.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.34 $3.34

$11.84 MX$219

-71.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.12 $4.12

$9.36 MX$173

-55.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.80 $4.80

$13.10 MX$242

-63.36%

Apples (1kg)

$1.54 $1.54

$3.38 MX$62.5

-54.44%

Banana (1kg)

$0.64 $0.64

$1.52 MX$28.13

-57.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.74 $0.74

$2.19 MX$40.51

-66.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.53 $0.53

$2.36 MX$43.63

-77.54%

Potato (1kg)

$0.38 $0.38

$2.26 MX$41.76

-83.19%

Onion (1kg)

$0.49 $0.49

$2.73 MX$50.5

-82.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.37 $0.37

$1.52 MX$28.17

-75.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.24 MX$22.90

-20.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.39 $4.39

$4.75 MX$87.8

-7.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.59 $7.59

$13.66 MX$252

-44.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.89 MX$34.95

-20.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$2.99 MX$55.2

-29.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 $0.33

$0.85 MX$15.78

-61.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.38 $22.38

$30.95 MX$572

-27.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.68 MX$30.98

-12.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.13 MX$20.87

59.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.98 $7.98

$11.15 MX$206

-28.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 $0.59

$1.56 MX$28.91

-62.18%

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

$18.1K $18.1K

$21.4K MX$395.8K

-15.47%

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

$21.9K $21.9K

$25.1K MX$463.2K

-12.73%

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

$50.8 $50.8

$119 MX$2,206

-57.43%

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

$15.01 $15.01

$26.21 MX$484

-42.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.60 $26.60

$26.78 MX$495

-0.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.11 $43.11

$31.03 MX$573

38.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.17 $30.17

$21.43 MX$396

40.78%

Cinema Ticket

$4.91 $4.91

$5.29 MX$97.7

-7.18%

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

$133 $133

$691 MX$12.8K

-80.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,667 $5,667

$11.5K MX$212.1K

-50.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.9 $65.9

$72.3 MX$1,335

-8.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.72 $39.72

$42.72 MX$789

-7.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.8 $79.8

$110 MX$2,024

-27.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.6 $67.6

$117 MX$2,158

-42.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$193 $193

$970 MX$17.9K

-80.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$132 $132

$664 MX$12.3K

-80.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$349 $349

$1,857 MX$34.3K

-81.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$265 $265

$1,287 MX$23.8K

-79.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,162 MX$76.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,349 MX$43.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$458 $458

$1,146 MX$21.2K

-60.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.79

-57.59%

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

Last update for Machala: October 11, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Machala

$136 20.7%

Monterrey

$310 19.3% 129% $175

Accommodation & Living

Machala

$132 20.2%

Monterrey

$664 41.3% 403% $532

Clothing & Footwear

Machala

$114 17.4%

Monterrey

$154 9.6% 34.9% $40

Eating Out

Machala

$93 14.3%

Monterrey

$225 14% 141% $131

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Machala

$92 14.1%

Monterrey

$172 10.7% 86.5% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Machala

$53 8.1%

Monterrey

$42 2.6% 21.4% $11

Getting Around

Machala

$34 5.2%

Monterrey

$42 2.6% 21.9% $7.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $193 in Machala and $970 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 151% 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: $25.00 in Machala vs $50.0 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $136 vs $310 per month, with Machala cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Machala

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🕒 Local time

00:03 12:03 AM

23:03 11:03 PM

1 h behind Machala

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

231,260

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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 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

Machala Monterrey 3,890 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Machala
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

Machala vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Machala is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 146% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 151% 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: $193 in Machala versus $970 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Machala – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $50.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $654 per month in Machala versus $1,608 in Monterrey – a 146% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $654 in Machala versus $1,608 in Monterrey, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Machala but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes Machala the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Machala 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 Machala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 146% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.