Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Milwaukee, WI and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,607 a month against $2,502 in Milwaukee, WI, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in Milwaukee, WI
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Milwaukee, WI Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index

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Milwaukee, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,502

/mo nomad

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,502 in Milwaukee, WI versus $1,607 in Monterrey.

Milwaukee, WI $2,502
Monterrey $1,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,628 in Milwaukee, WI versus $2,512 in Monterrey.

Milwaukee, WI $3,628
Monterrey $2,512

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,754 in Milwaukee, WI versus $3,417 in Monterrey.

Milwaukee, WI $4,754
Monterrey $3,417

Living in Milwaukee, WI is roughly 56% more expensive than in Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Milwaukee, WI 87% above, Monterrey 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.33 $20.33

$13.75 MX$252

47.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.7 $73.7

$50.2 MX$921

46.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.85 $9.85

$11.13 MX$204

-11.50%

Cappuccino

$5.14 $5.14

$4.04 MX$74.2

27.23%

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

$2.86 $2.86

$1.70 MX$31.29

68.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$0.99 MX$18.17

105.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.16 $6.16

$2.41 MX$44.21

155.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.61 $7.61

$4.48 MX$82.3

69.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.79 $0.79

$1.92 MX$35.31

-58.85%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$2.89 MX$53.1

22.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.23 $5.23

$1.94 MX$35.67

169.59%

Eggs

$4.46 $4.46

$2.50 MX$45.90

78.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 $10.06

$12.30 MX$226

-18.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.72 $13.72

$9.33 MX$171

47.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.45 $16.45

$13.07 MX$240

25.86%

Apples (1kg)

$5.32 $5.32

$3.38 MX$62.1

57.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.58 MX$29.02

-4.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$2.20 MX$40.45

105.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.17 $5.17

$2.45 MX$44.89

111.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.26 MX$41.47

14.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.74 MX$50.4

-5.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 $2.33

$1.53 MX$28.09

52.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.26 MX$23.16

90.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.88 $10.88

$4.84 MX$88.9

124.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.90 $15.90

$13.59 MX$249

17.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.91 MX$35.01

3.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 $3.43

$3.06 MX$56.3

12.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.17 $2.17

$0.80 MX$14.60

171.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.0 $71.0

$31.77 MX$583

123.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.84 $2.84

$1.62 MX$29.78

75.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.10 MX$20.17

42.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.67 $20.67

$10.97 MX$201

88.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.52 MX$27.93

-34.87%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$21.4K MX$392.4K

67.40%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$25.5K MX$467.6K

0.60%

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

$198 $198

$120 MX$2,198

65.49%

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

$68.6 $68.6

$27.08 MX$497

153.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.6 $71.6

$26.70 MX$490

168.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.29 $43.29

$31.15 MX$572

38.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.72 $18.72

$21.95 MX$403

-14.72%

Cinema Ticket

$14.19 $14.19

$5.14 MX$94.4

176.07%

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

$1,803 $1,803

$688 MX$12.6K

162.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K $24.5K

$11.4K MX$209.8K

114.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.9 $54.9

$71.9 MX$1,321

-23.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.46 $40.46

$43.30 MX$795

-6.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.7 $91.7

$112 MX$2,059

-18.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$122 MX$2,236

-3.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,757 $1,757

$957 MX$17.6K

83.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,189 $1,189

$670 MX$12.3K

77.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,804 $2,804

$1,887 MX$34.7K

48.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,837 $1,837

$1,305 MX$24.0K

40.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,741 $2,741

$4,159 MX$76.4K

-34.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,683 $1,683

$2,437 MX$44.7K

-30.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,747 $3,747

$1,133 MX$20.8K

230.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.65

11.79

-43.60%

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

Last update for Milwaukee, WI: October 3, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Milwaukee, WI

$1.2K 46.5%

Monterrey

$670 41.4% 43.6% $519

Groceries & Markets

Milwaukee, WI

$409 16%

Monterrey

$312 19.3% 23.7% $97

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Milwaukee, WI

$338 13.2%

Monterrey

$174 10.7% 48.7% $165

Eating Out

Milwaukee, WI

$319 12.5%

Monterrey

$224 13.8% 30% $96

Clothing & Footwear

Milwaukee, WI

$137 5.4%

Monterrey

$157 9.7% 14.8% $20

Getting Around

Milwaukee, WI

$90 3.5%

Monterrey

$42 2.6% 53.5% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Milwaukee, WI

$72 2.8%

Monterrey

$41 2.6% 42.2% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,757 in Milwaukee, WI and $957 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Milwaukee, WI pays 231% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $74.0 in Milwaukee, WI vs $50.0 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $409 vs $312 per month, with Monterrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Milwaukee, WI

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🕒 Local time

05:22 5:22 AM

04:22 4:22 AM

1 h behind Milwaukee, WI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

605,013

1,142,994

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 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 October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.57 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

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Milwaukee, WI Monterrey 2,240 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Milwaukee, WI
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

Milwaukee, WI vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Milwaukee, WI and Monterrey differ by about 56% in total monthly costs ($2,502 vs $1,607 including rent). Monterrey is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 231% higher in Milwaukee, WI, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,757 in Milwaukee, WI versus $957 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,502 per month in Milwaukee, WI versus $1,607 in Monterrey – a 56% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Monterrey runs roughly 123% less than in Milwaukee, WI. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,607 in Monterrey versus $2,502 in Milwaukee, WI, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Monterrey but tight or insufficient in Milwaukee, WI. The gap between the two cities makes Monterrey the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Monterrey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Milwaukee, WI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.