Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexicali and Monterrey Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexicali and Monterrey

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $990 per month in Mexicali vs $1,715 in Monterrey, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,623 per month in Mexicali vs $2,683 in Monterrey, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,256 per month in Mexicali vs $3,652 in Monterrey, rent included.

Mexicali is about 42% cheaper than Monterrey, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Mexicali sits 28% below the global median, while Monterrey is 25% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.43 MX$210

$14.60 MX$246

-14.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.44 MX$632

$53.5 MX$904

-30.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.03 MX$119

$11.95 MX$202

-41.17%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$60.9

$4.29 MX$72.4

-15.85%

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

$1.49 MX$25.13

$1.73 MX$29.15

-13.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$19.54

$1.06 MX$17.95

9.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.60 MX$60.8

$2.95 MX$49.84

22.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.49 MX$75.8

$4.73 MX$79.8

-5.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.00

$2.00 MX$33.70

-35.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 MX$43.45

$3.15 MX$53.1

-18.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 MX$26.85

$2.07 MX$34.86

-23.19%

Eggs

$2.99 MX$50.4

$2.78 MX$46.99

7.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.57 MX$43.44

$13.18 MX$222

-80.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.28 MX$106

$10.11 MX$171

-37.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.19 MX$121

$13.97 MX$236

-48.53%

Apples (1kg)

$1.74 MX$29.30

$3.49 MX$58.9

-50.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.29

$1.64 MX$27.64

-8.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.29

$2.28 MX$38.41

-34.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.74 MX$29.41

$2.60 MX$43.85

-33.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.20

$2.53 MX$42.75

-41.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 MX$24.99

$2.85 MX$48.03

-48.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 MX$25.55

$1.56 MX$26.30

-3.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.42

$1.29 MX$21.74

-29.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 MX$71.7

$5.21 MX$87.9

-18.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.66 MX$146

$14.84 MX$250

-41.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 MX$35.54

$2.01 MX$33.96

4.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.21 MX$71.0

$3.13 MX$52.9

34.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 MX$17.99

$0.90 MX$15.13

18.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.11 MX$626

$33.72 MX$569

10.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$52.9

$1.85 MX$31.28

69.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$40.63

$1.19 MX$20.14

102.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.43 MX$345

$11.82 MX$199

72.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 MX$25.40

$1.67 MX$28.26

-10.18%

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

$22.7K MX$382.5K

$22.6K MX$381.0K

0.39%

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

$26.1K MX$440.1K

$27.1K MX$457.6K

-3.82%

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

$51.5 MX$869

$128 MX$2,161

-59.78%

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

$23.99 MX$405

$28.03 MX$473

-14.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.52 MX$532

$28.47 MX$481

10.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.95 MX$674

$32.66 MX$551

22.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.79 MX$300

$23.24 MX$392

-23.45%

Cinema Ticket

$4.50 MX$76.0

$5.58 MX$94.2

-19.35%

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

$217 MX$3,668

$734 MX$12.4K

-70.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,992 MX$84.2K

$12.1K MX$204.5K

-58.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.19 MX$628

$79.5 MX$1,342

-53.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.92 MX$606

$46.39 MX$783

-22.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.6 MX$1,394

$120 MX$2,024

-31.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.00 MX$692

$133 MX$2,252

-69.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,067 MX$18.0K

$1,052 MX$17.8K

1.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 MX$5,010

$739 MX$12.5K

-59.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,489 MX$25.1K

$2,020 MX$34.1K

-26.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$599 MX$10.1K

$1,358 MX$22.9K

-55.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,852 MX$48.1K

$4,486 MX$75.7K

-36.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,562 MX$26.4K

$2,663 MX$44.9K

-41.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$914 MX$15.4K

$1,153 MX$19.5K

-20.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.07

11.56

4.41%

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

Last update for Mexicali: August 29, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,067 in Mexicali versus $1,052 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 26% higher in Monterrey, 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 $37.00 in Mexicali versus $54.0 in Monterrey. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $211 vs $333 – making Mexicali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Mexicali vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $990 in Mexicali, $1,715 in Monterrey – roughly 73% apart. Monterrey costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,484 per month in Mexicali and $2,572 in Monterrey. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mexicali, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 58% more in Monterrey, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37.00 in Mexicali and $54.0 in Monterrey. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mexicali, where all-in costs run around $990, than in Monterrey at $1,715. In Mexicali it covers expenses comfortably, while in Monterrey it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Monterrey has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $990 in Mexicali to $1,715 in Monterrey. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Mexicali. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Monterrey makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.