Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Moline, IL and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,608 a month against $2,197 in Moline, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Moline, IL
🇺🇸 United States
$2,197
/mo nomad
Monterrey
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,608
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,197 per month in Moline, IL vs $1,608 in Monterrey, rent included.

  • Moline, IL $2,197
  • Monterrey $1,608

A couple spends around $3,233 per month in Moline, IL vs $2,521 in Monterrey, rent included.

  • Moline, IL $3,233
  • Monterrey $2,521

A family of three spends $4,270 per month in Moline, IL vs $3,433 in Monterrey, rent included.

  • Moline, IL $4,270
  • Monterrey $3,433

Moline, IL costs about 37% more than Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Moline, IL and Monterrey sit above the global median – Moline, IL by 63%, Monterrey by 19%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Moline, IL
Monterrey
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.92 $20.92
$13.85 MX$256
51.05%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$89.0 $89.0
$49.70 MX$918
79.13%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.36 $8.36
$11.05 MX$204
-24.34%
Cappuccino
$4.90 $4.90
$4.09 MX$75.6
19.80%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.63 $2.63
$1.68 MX$30.97
56.55%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.52 $1.52
$1.03 MX$18.98
47.57%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.90 $3.90
$2.40 MX$44.28
62.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.10 $4.10
$4.35 MX$80.3
-5.75%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Moline, IL
Monterrey
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.01 $1.01
$1.92 MX$35.55
-47.40%
White Bread (500g)
$3.98 $3.98
$2.94 MX$54.2
35.37%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.22 $5.22
$1.88 MX$34.66
177.66%
Eggs
$3.32 $3.32
$2.55 MX$47.06
30.20%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.40 $14.40
$11.84 MX$219
21.62%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.74 $11.74
$9.36 MX$173
25.43%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.37 $15.37
$13.10 MX$242
17.33%
Apples (1kg)
$5.15 $5.15
$3.38 MX$62.5
52.37%
Banana (1kg)
$1.56 $1.56
$1.52 MX$28.13
2.63%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.05 $4.05
$2.19 MX$40.51
84.93%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.92 $4.92
$2.36 MX$43.63
108.47%
Potato (1kg)
$2.69 $2.69
$2.26 MX$41.76
19.03%
Onion (1kg)
$2.71 $2.71
$2.73 MX$50.5
-0.73%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.14 $2.14
$1.52 MX$28.17
40.79%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.74 $2.74
$1.24 MX$22.90
120.97%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.99 $13.99
$4.75 MX$87.8
194.53%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.84 $14.84
$13.66 MX$252
8.64%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.67 $1.67
$1.89 MX$34.95
-11.64%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.83 $1.83
$2.99 MX$55.2
-38.80%
🚌 Getting Around
Moline, IL
Monterrey
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.05 $1.05
$0.85 MX$15.78
23.53%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$32.47 $32.47
$30.95 MX$572
4.91%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.19 $3.19
$1.68 MX$30.98
89.88%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.38 $1.38
$1.13 MX$20.87
22.12%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$25.22 $25.22
$11.15 MX$206
126.19%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.18 $1.18
$1.56 MX$28.91
-24.36%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.4K $36.4K
$21.4K MX$395.8K
69.98%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.1K $24.1K
$25.1K MX$463.2K
-3.80%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Moline, IL
Monterrey
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$190 $190
$119 MX$2,206
59.26%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$69.0 $69.0
$26.21 MX$484
163.11%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$60.7 $60.7
$26.78 MX$495
126.81%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Moline, IL
Monterrey
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.98 $49.98
$31.03 MX$573
61.07%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$38.94 $38.94
$21.43 MX$396
81.71%
Cinema Ticket
$18.12 $18.12
$5.29 MX$97.7
242.53%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Moline, IL
Monterrey
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,518 $1,518
$691 MX$12.8K
119.67%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$24.2K $24.2K
$11.5K MX$212.1K
111.12%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Moline, IL
Monterrey
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$66.6 $66.6
$72.3 MX$1,335
-7.86%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.8 $51.8
$42.72 MX$789
21.21%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.2 $91.2
$110 MX$2,024
-16.75%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.7 $79.7
$117 MX$2,158
-31.71%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Moline, IL
Monterrey
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$986 $986
$970 MX$17.9K
1.74%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$914 $914
$664 MX$12.3K
37.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,440 $1,440
$1,857 MX$34.3K
-22.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,311 $1,311
$1,287 MX$23.8K
1.83%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,336 $1,336
$4,162 MX$76.9K
-67.89%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,336 $1,336
$2,349 MX$43.4K
-43.14%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Moline, IL
Monterrey
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,146 MX$21.2K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.56
11.79
-52.84%

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

Last update for Moline, IL: October 11, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Moline, IL
$914
Monterrey
$664 27.4% $250
Groceries & Markets
Moline, IL
$405
Monterrey
$310 23.3% $94
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Moline, IL
$320
Monterrey
$172 46.1% $147
Eating Out
Moline, IL
$295
Monterrey
$225 24% $71
Clothing & Footwear
Moline, IL
$130
Monterrey
$154 18% $23
Sport & Entertainment
Moline, IL
$86
Monterrey
$42 51.7% $45
Getting Around
Moline, IL
$47
Monterrey
$42 10.9% $5.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $986 in Moline, IL versus $970 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 $89.0 in Moline, IL versus $50.0 in Monterrey. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $405 vs $310 – making Monterrey the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Moline, IL
🇲🇽 Monterrey
🕒 Local time
11:43 11:43 AM
10:43 10:43 AM
1 h behind Moline, IL
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
42,985
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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 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
  • Moline, IL Monterrey 1,980 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Moline, 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
Moline, IL vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Moline, IL or Monterrey?
Moline, IL costs about 37% 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 Moline, IL and in Monterrey?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,295 per month in Moline, IL and $2,412 in Monterrey. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Moline, 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 Moline, IL and in Monterrey?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $89.0 in Moline, IL and $50.0 in Monterrey. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Moline, IL compared to Monterrey?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,197 in Moline, IL and $1,608 in Monterrey. That's a gap of about 37%.
Can you live on $3,000/month in Moline, IL or in Monterrey?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Monterrey, where all-in costs run around $1,608, than in Moline, IL at $2,197. In Monterrey it covers expenses comfortably, while in Moline, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Moline, IL or Monterrey?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Monterrey costs $1,608 versus $2,197 in Moline, IL. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
Should I move to Moline, IL or to Monterrey?
If budget matters most, go with Monterrey. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Moline, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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