Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between McHenry, IL and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,599 a month against $2,886 in McHenry, IL, rent and utilities included – about $15,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

McHenry, IL
🇺🇸 United States
$2,886
/mo nomad
Monterrey
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,599
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,886 per month in McHenry, IL vs $1,599 in Monterrey, rent included.

  • McHenry, IL $2,886
  • Monterrey $1,599

A couple spends around $4,170 per month in McHenry, IL vs $2,493 in Monterrey, rent included.

  • McHenry, IL $4,170
  • Monterrey $2,493

A family of three spends $5,455 per month in McHenry, IL vs $3,387 in Monterrey, rent included.

  • McHenry, IL $5,455
  • Monterrey $3,387

McHenry, IL costs about 80% more than Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both McHenry, IL and Monterrey sit above the global median – McHenry, IL by 113%, Monterrey by 18%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
McHenry, IL
Monterrey
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.39 $20.39
$13.80 MX$255
47.75%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$65.8 $65.8
$47.99 MX$887
37.03%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.12 $13.12
$10.65 MX$197
23.19%
Cappuccino
$5.66 $5.66
$3.99 MX$73.7
41.85%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.10 $3.10
$1.66 MX$30.76
86.75%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.53 $2.53
$0.99 MX$18.21
155.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.13 $7.13
$2.36 MX$43.64
202.12%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.02 $8.02
$4.43 MX$81.8
81.04%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
McHenry, IL
Monterrey
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.93 $0.93
$1.82 MX$33.58
-48.90%
White Bread (500g)
$3.42 $3.42
$2.83 MX$52.4
20.85%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.16 $4.16
$1.92 MX$35.44
116.67%
Eggs
$3.79 $3.79
$2.48 MX$45.78
52.82%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.74 $14.74
$11.74 MX$217
25.55%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.08 $13.08
$9.10 MX$168
43.74%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.85 $19.85
$12.53 MX$232
58.42%
Apples (1kg)
$4.64 $4.64
$3.34 MX$61.6
38.92%
Banana (1kg)
$1.62 $1.62
$1.57 MX$29.10
3.18%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.30 $5.30
$2.16 MX$39.86
145.37%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.87 $4.87
$2.47 MX$45.65
97.17%
Potato (1kg)
$2.85 $2.85
$2.31 MX$42.64
23.38%
Onion (1kg)
$3.03 $3.03
$2.68 MX$49.47
13.06%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.16 $2.16
$1.46 MX$26.90
47.95%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.38 $2.38
$1.19 MX$22.07
100.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.80 $10.80
$4.75 MX$87.8
127.37%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.46 $15.46
$13.58 MX$251
13.84%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.67 $2.67
$1.92 MX$35.52
39.06%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.56 $4.56
$2.88 MX$53.2
58.33%
🚌 Getting Around
McHenry, IL
Monterrey
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.29 $2.29
$0.79 MX$14.66
189.87%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$31.36 MX$579
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.98 $3.98
$1.59 MX$29.44
150.31%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.97 $1.97
$1.06 MX$19.58
85.85%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$43.97 $43.97
$10.80 MX$200
307.13%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.05 $1.05
$1.55 MX$28.59
-32.26%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.3K $30.3K
$24.2K MX$446.4K
25.61%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.8K $25.8K
$24.3K MX$449.4K
6.13%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
McHenry, IL
Monterrey
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$273 $273
$117 MX$2,159
133.94%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$51.8 $51.8
$26.38 MX$488
96.51%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$82.6 $82.6
$26.04 MX$481
217.28%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
McHenry, IL
Monterrey
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.87 $44.87
$30.26 MX$559
48.28%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$21.25 MX$393
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.87 $14.87
$5.23 MX$96.6
184.32%
🧸 Childcare & Education
McHenry, IL
Monterrey
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,749 $1,749
$673 MX$12.4K
160.03%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.8K $23.8K
$11.1K MX$205.2K
114.74%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
McHenry, IL
Monterrey
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$64.8 $64.8
$72.1 MX$1,332
-10.09%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.4 $51.4
$42.38 MX$783
21.35%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$107 $107
$112 MX$2,066
-4.10%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122 $122
$119 MX$2,200
2.23%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
McHenry, IL
Monterrey
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,620 $1,620
$949 MX$17.5K
70.66%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,452 $1,452
$666 MX$12.3K
117.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,885 $2,885
$1,821 MX$33.7K
58.37%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,451 $2,451
$1,271 MX$23.5K
92.81%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,120 $3,120
$4,050 MX$74.8K
-22.98%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,499 $2,499
$2,348 MX$43.4K
6.44%
💵 Salaries & Financials
McHenry, IL
Monterrey
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$7,382 $7,382
$1,155 MX$21.3K
539.00%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.69
11.79
-43.26%

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

Last update for McHenry, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
McHenry, IL
$1.5K
Monterrey
$666 54.1% $786
Groceries & Markets
McHenry, IL
$428
Monterrey
$304 28.9% $124
Monthly Utilities & Internet
McHenry, IL
$408
Monterrey
$169 58.5% $238
Eating Out
McHenry, IL
$345
Monterrey
$221 35.7% $123
Clothing & Footwear
McHenry, IL
$155
Monterrey
$155 0% $0.1
Sport & Entertainment
McHenry, IL
$75
Monterrey
$41 45.4% $34
Getting Around
McHenry, IL
$23 *
Monterrey
$41 79.9% $18

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,620 in McHenry, IL versus $949 in Monterrey. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 539% higher in McHenry, IL, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66.0 in McHenry, IL versus $48.00 in Monterrey. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $428 vs $304 – making Monterrey the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 McHenry, IL
🇲🇽 Monterrey
🕒 Local time
16:47 4:47 PM
15:47 3:47 PM
1 h behind McHenry, IL
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
27,135
1,142,994
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • McHenry, IL Monterrey 2,160 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • McHenry, IL
  • 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
McHenry, IL vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, McHenry, IL or Monterrey?
McHenry, IL costs about 80% more than Monterrey, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in McHenry, IL and in Monterrey?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,328 per month in McHenry, IL and $2,399 in Monterrey. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, McHenry, IL or Monterrey?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Monterrey, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do dining costs compare in McHenry, IL and in Monterrey?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $66.0 in McHenry, IL and $48.00 in Monterrey. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in McHenry, IL or in Monterrey?
Groceries cost about 41% more in McHenry, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Can you live on $2,000/month in McHenry, IL or in Monterrey?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Monterrey, where all-in costs run around $1,599, than in McHenry, IL at $2,886. In Monterrey it covers expenses comfortably, while in McHenry, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, McHenry, IL or Monterrey?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Monterrey costs $1,599 versus $2,886 in McHenry, IL. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
Should I move to McHenry, IL or to Monterrey?
If budget matters most, go with Monterrey. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, McHenry, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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