Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medford, MA and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,641 a month against $3,043 in Medford, MA, rent and utilities included – about $16,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

146

Cost of Living Index in Medford, MA
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Medford, MA Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index

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Medford, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,043

/mo nomad

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,043 per month in Medford, MA vs $1,641 in Monterrey, rent included.

Medford, MA $3,043
Monterrey $1,641

A couple spends around $4,134 per month in Medford, MA vs $2,573 in Monterrey, rent included.

Medford, MA $4,134
Monterrey $2,573

A family of three spends $5,225 per month in Medford, MA vs $3,504 in Monterrey, rent included.

Medford, MA $5,225
Monterrey $3,504

Medford, MA costs about 85% more than Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Medford, MA and Monterrey sit above the global median – Medford, MA by 125%, Monterrey by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.41 $17.41

$13.37 MX$250

30.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.9 $92.9

$47.95 MX$897

93.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.15 $12.15

$10.79 MX$202

12.60%

Cappuccino

$5.35 $5.35

$3.77 MX$70.4

41.91%

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

$2.87 $2.87

$1.51 MX$28.26

90.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$1.03 MX$19.25

144.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.04 $8.04

$2.48 MX$46.41

224.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.78 $7.78

$4.36 MX$81.5

78.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.89 MX$35.43

-42.86%

White Bread (500g)

$3.81 $3.81

$2.85 MX$53.3

33.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$1.86 MX$34.71

196.24%

Eggs

$4.66 $4.66

$2.47 MX$46.12

88.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.13 $11.13

$11.81 MX$221

-5.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.98 $13.98

$8.97 MX$168

55.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.86 $17.86

$12.57 MX$235

42.08%

Apples (1kg)

$6.84 $6.84

$3.20 MX$59.8

113.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.50 MX$28.12

20.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$2.12 MX$39.74

159.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.66 $5.66

$2.33 MX$43.64

142.92%

Potato (1kg)

$4.42 $4.42

$2.22 MX$41.58

99.10%

Onion (1kg)

$4.03 $4.03

$2.58 MX$48.34

56.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.45 MX$27.04

56.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.22 MX$22.85

-16.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.36 $13.36

$4.80 MX$89.7

178.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 $13.78

$13.30 MX$249

3.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.93 MX$36.14

11.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 $3.97

$2.86 MX$53.4

38.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$0.80 MX$14.94

208.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.0 $59.0

$30.94 MX$579

90.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.61 $2.61

$1.83 MX$34.28

42.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.06 MX$19.78

63.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.77 $27.77

$10.82 MX$202

156.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.47 MX$27.54

-26.53%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$24.1K MX$450.4K

12.41%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$23.5K MX$440.2K

13.28%

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

$236 $236

$115 MX$2,144

105.95%

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

$55.8 $55.8

$26.37 MX$493

111.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.7 $81.7

$25.70 MX$481

217.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.97 $42.97

$30.53 MX$571

40.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.27 MX$398

Cinema Ticket

$14.12 $14.12

$4.96 MX$92.8

184.68%

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

$1,849 $1,849

$679 MX$12.7K

172.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$44.9K $44.9K

$14.2K MX$265.3K

216.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.0 $56.0

$72.2 MX$1,350

-22.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.57 $37.57

$41.94 MX$784

-10.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.8 $80.8

$107 MX$2,011

-24.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 $101

$119 MX$2,219

-14.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,554 $1,554

$1,018 MX$19.0K

52.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,647 $1,647

$722 MX$13.5K

128.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,594 $2,594

$1,966 MX$36.8K

31.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,116 $2,116

$1,416 MX$26.5K

49.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,788 $2,788

$4,203 MX$78.6K

-33.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,298 $2,298

$2,782 MX$52.0K

-17.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,096 MX$20.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

11.79

-43.68%

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

Last update for Medford, MA: November 1, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medford, MA

$1.6K 54.1%

Monterrey

$722 44% 56.2% $925

Groceries & Markets

Medford, MA

$431 14.2%

Monterrey

$302 18.4% 29.9% $129

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medford, MA

$373 12.3%

Monterrey

$167 10.2% 55.4% $207

Eating Out

Medford, MA

$317 10.4%

Monterrey

$216 13.2% 32% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Medford, MA

$124 4.1%

Monterrey

$153 9.3% 23.7% $29

Getting Around

Medford, MA

$80 2.6%

Monterrey

$41 2.5% 48.5% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Medford, MA

$71 2.3%

Monterrey

$40 2.5% 43.2% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,554 in Medford, MA versus $1,018 in Monterrey. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $93 in Medford, MA versus $48 in Monterrey. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $431 vs $302 – making Monterrey the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Medford, MA

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🕒 Local time

17:13 5:13 PM

16:13 4:13 PM

1 h behind Medford, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

56,173

1,142,994

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 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 November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.7 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 20.9 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medford, MA Monterrey 3,250 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Medford, MA
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

Medford, MA vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medford, MA is pricier by about 85%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,565 per month in Medford, MA and $2,461 in Monterrey. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Monterrey, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,018 there versus $1,554 in Medford, MA.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,043 in Medford, MA and $1,641 in Monterrey. That makes Monterrey about 46% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 48% less in Monterrey. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Monterrey, where all-in costs run around $1,641, than in Medford, MA at $3,043. In Monterrey it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medford, MA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Monterrey – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Monterrey is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 46% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.