Cost of Living Comparison Between Matamoros and Monterrey Cost of Living Comparison Between Matamoros and Monterrey

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,151 in Matamoros versus $1,595 in Monterrey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,822 in Matamoros versus $2,536 in Monterrey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,493 in Matamoros versus $3,477 in Monterrey.

Living in Matamoros costs roughly 28% less than in Monterrey, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Matamoros is 14% below, Monterrey is 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.55 MX$185

$13.02 MX$228

-18.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.52 MX$692

$53.6 MX$938

-26.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 MX$136

$10.17 MX$178

-23.70%

Cappuccino

$3.35 MX$58.7

$3.75 MX$65.6

-10.67%

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

$1.28 MX$22.39

$1.44 MX$25.24

-11.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$16.16

$1.04 MX$18.16

-11.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 MX$41.35

$2.58 MX$45.11

-8.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 MX$66.8

$4.11 MX$71.9

-7.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 MX$26.13

$1.67 MX$29.31

-10.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 MX$45.56

$2.63 MX$46.07

-1.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 MX$28.05

$1.93 MX$33.81

-17.10%

Eggs

$2.32 MX$40.63

$2.60 MX$45.51

-10.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.06 MX$141

$10.47 MX$183

-23.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 MX$137

$9.07 MX$159

-13.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.48 MX$183

$13.42 MX$235

-21.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.95

$3.16 MX$55.2

-16.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 MX$24.66

$1.40 MX$24.58

0.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 MX$31.53

$2.09 MX$36.60

-13.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 MX$29.10

$2.09 MX$36.56

-20.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.81

$2.32 MX$40.64

-16.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 MX$34.05

$2.53 MX$44.35

-22.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 MX$21.90

$1.55 MX$27.16

-19.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 MX$17.75

$1.11 MX$19.50

-9.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$71.5

$4.25 MX$74.4

-4.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.17 MX$213

$11.83 MX$207

2.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 MX$28.11

$1.80 MX$31.46

-10.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 MX$47.96

$3.12 MX$54.5

-12.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 MX$10.68

$0.75 MX$13.16

-18.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.05 MX$561

$39.49 MX$691

-18.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 MX$44.61

$1.76 MX$30.78

44.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 MX$28.21

$0.99 MX$17.35

62.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.48 MX$148

$10.60 MX$186

-20.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$22.13

$1.31 MX$22.88

-3.82%

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

$21.1K MX$369.3K

$26.6K MX$465.7K

-20.70%

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

$22.3K MX$390.1K

$25.7K MX$450.3K

-13.35%

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

$57.5 MX$1,006

$124 MX$2,164

-53.50%

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

$21.86 MX$383

$27.80 MX$486

-21.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.82 MX$487

$29.57 MX$517

-5.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.63 MX$623

$38.39 MX$672

-7.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.58 MX$273

$21.87 MX$383

-28.76%

Cinema Ticket

$4.76 MX$83.3

$5.95 MX$104

-20.00%

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

$209 MX$3,650

$337 MX$5,896

-38.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,104 MX$54.3K

$8,908 MX$155.9K

-65.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 MX$936

$58.3 MX$1,020

-8.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.42 MX$707

$41.99 MX$735

-3.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.2 MX$1,596

$108 MX$1,897

-15.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.4 MX$1,389

$126 MX$2,207

-37.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 MX$8,743

$911 MX$15.9K

-45.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$400 MX$7,006

$660 MX$11.5K

-39.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$929 MX$16.3K

$1,570 MX$27.5K

-40.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$772 MX$13.5K

$1,426 MX$25.0K

-45.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,755 MX$30.7K

$4,178 MX$73.1K

-57.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,283 MX$22.4K

$2,845 MX$49.8K

-54.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,113 MX$19.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.48

11.55

-0.61%

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

Last update for Matamoros: April 25, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Matamoros and $911 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $40.00 in Matamoros vs $54.0 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $253 vs $292 per month, with Matamoros cheaper across the board.

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

Matamoros vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Matamoros wins on cost – living expenses run 39% lower than in Monterrey. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Matamoros the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,727 in Matamoros and $2,392 in Monterrey to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $500 in Matamoros versus $911 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Matamoros – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $54.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,151 per month in Matamoros versus $1,595 in Monterrey – a 39% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,151 in Matamoros versus $1,595 in Monterrey, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Matamoros but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes Matamoros the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Matamoros delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,151 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Matamoros hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Matamoros gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.