Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manhattan, KS and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,608 a month against $2,249 in Manhattan, KS, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

109

Cost of Living Index in Manhattan, KS
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Manhattan, KS Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index

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Manhattan, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$2,249

/mo nomad

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,249 in Manhattan, KS versus $1,608 in Monterrey.

Manhattan, KS $2,249
Monterrey $1,608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,271 in Manhattan, KS versus $2,521 in Monterrey.

Manhattan, KS $3,271
Monterrey $2,521

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,292 in Manhattan, KS versus $3,433 in Monterrey.

Manhattan, KS $4,292
Monterrey $3,433

Living in Manhattan, KS 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: Manhattan, KS 67% above, Monterrey 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.10 $15.10

$13.85 MX$256

9.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.1 $81.1

$49.70 MX$918

63.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.10 $12.10

$11.05 MX$204

9.50%

Cappuccino

$5.41 $5.41

$4.09 MX$75.6

32.27%

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

$1.97 $1.97

$1.68 MX$30.97

17.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.03 MX$18.98

42.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.10 $5.10

$2.40 MX$44.28

112.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.19 $9.19

$4.35 MX$80.3

111.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.92 MX$35.55

-54.17%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.94 MX$54.2

10.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.28 $6.28

$1.88 MX$34.66

234.04%

Eggs

$4.48 $4.48

$2.55 MX$47.06

75.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 $11.77

$11.84 MX$219

-0.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.70 $8.70

$9.36 MX$173

-7.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.68 $14.68

$13.10 MX$242

12.06%

Apples (1kg)

$6.79 $6.79

$3.38 MX$62.5

100.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.52 MX$28.13

42.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.79 $5.79

$2.19 MX$40.51

164.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 $4.29

$2.36 MX$43.63

81.78%

Potato (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$2.26 MX$41.76

49.12%

Onion (1kg)

$3.77 $3.77

$2.73 MX$50.5

38.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.52 MX$28.17

21.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 $2.66

$1.24 MX$22.90

114.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.57 $9.57

$4.75 MX$87.8

101.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.24 $17.24

$13.66 MX$252

26.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.89 MX$34.95

-9.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.99 MX$55.2

-15.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 MX$15.78

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 $60.8

$30.95 MX$572

96.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.88 $4.88

$1.68 MX$30.98

190.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.13 MX$20.87

69.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.39 $34.39

$11.15 MX$206

208.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.56 MX$28.91

-41.03%

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

$35.4K $35.4K

$21.4K MX$395.8K

65.14%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$25.1K MX$463.2K

2.08%

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

$144 $144

$119 MX$2,206

21.00%

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

$47.66 $47.66

$26.21 MX$484

81.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.2 $66.2

$26.78 MX$495

147.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.5 $74.5

$31.03 MX$573

140.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.43 MX$396

Cinema Ticket

$14.85 $14.85

$5.29 MX$97.7

180.72%

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

$833 $833

$691 MX$12.8K

20.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K $11.4K

$11.5K MX$212.1K

-0.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.15 $48.15

$72.3 MX$1,335

-33.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.94 $34.94

$42.72 MX$789

-18.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.5 $89.5

$110 MX$2,024

-18.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 $115

$117 MX$2,158

-1.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 $927

$970 MX$17.9K

-4.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$998 $998

$664 MX$12.3K

50.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,457 $1,457

$1,857 MX$34.3K

-21.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,452 $1,452

$1,287 MX$23.8K

12.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,366 $1,366

$4,162 MX$76.9K

-67.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,400 $1,400

$2,349 MX$43.4K

-40.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,433 $3,433

$1,146 MX$21.2K

199.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.33

11.79

-46.31%

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

Last update for Manhattan, KS: October 10, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manhattan, KS

$998 44.4%

Monterrey

$664 41.3% 33.5% $335

Groceries & Markets

Manhattan, KS

$404 18%

Monterrey

$310 19.3% 23.1% $93

Eating Out

Manhattan, KS

$280 12.4%

Monterrey

$225 14% 19.7% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manhattan, KS

$258 11.5%

Monterrey

$172 10.7% 33.3% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Manhattan, KS

$130 5.8%

Monterrey

$154 9.6% 18.6% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Manhattan, KS

$104 4.6%

Monterrey

$42 2.6% 60.1% $63

Getting Around

Manhattan, KS

$75 * 3.4%

Monterrey

$42 2.6% 44.6% $34

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 $927 in Manhattan, KS and $970 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manhattan, KS pays 199% 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: $81.0 in Manhattan, KS vs $50.0 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $404 vs $310 per month, with Monterrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Manhattan, KS

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🕒 Local time

03:39 3:39 AM

02:39 2:39 AM

1 h behind Manhattan, KS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,694,251

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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 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

Manhattan, KS Monterrey 1,540 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Manhattan, KS
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

Manhattan, KS vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 40% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 199% higher in Manhattan, KS, 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: $927 in Manhattan, KS versus $970 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $833 in Manhattan, KS versus $691 in Monterrey. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Manhattan, KS. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,608 in Monterrey versus $2,249 in Manhattan, KS, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Monterrey but tight or insufficient in Manhattan, KS. The gap between the two cities makes Monterrey the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Monterrey is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Manhattan, KS, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Manhattan, KS and Monterrey are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

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