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: $1,245 in Matamoros versus $1,728 in Monterrey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,953 in Matamoros versus $2,711 in Monterrey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,660 in Matamoros versus $3,694 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 10% below, Monterrey is 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.95 MX$203

$14.63 MX$248

-18.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.23 MX$801

$53.1 MX$901

-11.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.18 MX$156

$12.02 MX$204

-23.63%

Cappuccino

$3.71 MX$62.9

$4.18 MX$71.0

-11.24%

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

$1.50 MX$25.48

$1.70 MX$28.82

-11.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.47

$1.12 MX$18.95

2.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.90 MX$49.27

$2.92 MX$49.53

-0.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 MX$76.1

$4.71 MX$79.9

-4.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 MX$29.87

$1.97 MX$33.50

-10.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 MX$46.94

$3.16 MX$53.6

-12.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 MX$30.86

$2.00 MX$34.00

-9.00%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.13

$2.68 MX$45.44

-5.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.72 MX$148

$13.14 MX$223

-33.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.75 MX$148

$9.98 MX$169

-12.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.41 MX$210

$13.79 MX$234

-10.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 MX$48.61

$3.60 MX$61.1

-20.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 MX$27.54

$1.65 MX$28.07

-1.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.53

$2.31 MX$39.26

-9.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 MX$33.11

$2.58 MX$43.71

-24.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.90

$2.50 MX$42.39

-17.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 MX$32.42

$2.95 MX$50.0

-35.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 MX$25.74

$1.62 MX$27.53

-6.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$19.67

$1.34 MX$22.70

-13.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.62 MX$78.4

$5.34 MX$90.7

-13.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.60 MX$197

$14.83 MX$252

-21.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 MX$32.86

$2.02 MX$34.28

-3.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 MX$55.7

$3.23 MX$54.8

1.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 MX$11.55

$0.87 MX$14.78

-21.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.53 MX$569

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.72 MX$46.18

$1.88 MX$31.82

44.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 MX$36.26

$1.15 MX$19.52

86.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.00 MX$204

$11.99 MX$203

0.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 MX$26.49

$1.68 MX$28.58

-7.14%

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

$22.6K MX$382.7K

$22.7K MX$385.0K

-0.59%

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

$25.6K MX$433.8K

$27.3K MX$462.8K

-6.27%

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

$61.9 MX$1,049

$124 MX$2,109

-50.24%

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

$24.37 MX$413

$28.42 MX$482

-14.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.52 MX$552

$28.37 MX$481

14.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.03 MX$628

$33.01 MX$560

12.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.35 MX$362

$23.10 MX$392

-7.58%

Cinema Ticket

$5.72 MX$97.1

$5.51 MX$93.5

3.81%

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

$245 MX$4,155

$738 MX$12.5K

-66.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,000 MX$84.8K

$12.4K MX$211.1K

-59.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 MX$981

$80.9 MX$1,373

-28.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.52 MX$772

$45.74 MX$776

-0.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$1,829

$121 MX$2,046

-10.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.5 MX$1,552

$135 MX$2,295

-32.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$652 MX$11.1K

$1,045 MX$17.7K

-37.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$424 MX$7,187

$728 MX$12.3K

-41.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 MX$18.9K

$2,014 MX$34.2K

-44.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$827 MX$14.0K

$1,403 MX$23.8K

-41.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,989 MX$33.7K

$4,411 MX$74.8K

-54.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,213 MX$20.6K

$2,630 MX$44.6K

-53.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,170 MX$19.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

11.56

-2.25%

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

Last update for Matamoros: September 5, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $652 in Matamoros and $1,045 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Matamoros vs $53.0 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $333 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 $1,868 in Matamoros and $2,592 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: $652 in Matamoros versus $1,045 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $245 in Matamoros versus $738 in Monterrey. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Matamoros – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $53.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,245 in Matamoros versus $1,728 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 $1,245 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.