Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montclair, NJ and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,641 a month against $2,908 in Montclair, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $15,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

139

Cost of Living Index in Montclair, NJ
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Montclair, NJ Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index

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Montclair, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,908

/mo nomad

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,908 per month in Montclair, NJ vs $1,641 in Monterrey, rent included.

Montclair, NJ $2,908
Monterrey $1,641

A couple spends around $4,306 per month in Montclair, NJ vs $2,573 in Monterrey, rent included.

Montclair, NJ $4,306
Monterrey $2,573

A family of three spends $5,704 per month in Montclair, NJ vs $3,504 in Monterrey, rent included.

Montclair, NJ $5,704
Monterrey $3,504

Montclair, NJ costs about 77% more than Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Montclair, NJ and Monterrey sit above the global median – Montclair, NJ by 115%, Monterrey by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.86 $19.86

$13.37 MX$250

48.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.7 $80.7

$47.95 MX$897

68.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.87 $12.87

$10.79 MX$202

19.28%

Cappuccino

$6.40 $6.40

$3.77 MX$70.4

69.76%

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

$2.44 $2.44

$1.51 MX$28.26

61.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.03 MX$19.25

42.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.07 $8.07

$2.48 MX$46.41

225.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.06 $7.06

$4.36 MX$81.5

61.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.89 MX$35.43

-32.80%

White Bread (500g)

$4.56 $4.56

$2.85 MX$53.3

60.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.18 $6.18

$1.86 MX$34.71

232.26%

Eggs

$6.07 $6.07

$2.47 MX$46.12

145.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.74 $13.74

$11.81 MX$221

16.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.31 $10.31

$8.97 MX$168

14.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.06 $20.06

$12.57 MX$235

59.59%

Apples (1kg)

$5.91 $5.91

$3.20 MX$59.8

84.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 $2.32

$1.50 MX$28.12

54.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.21 $4.21

$2.12 MX$39.74

98.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.33 $5.33

$2.33 MX$43.64

128.76%

Potato (1kg)

$3.11 $3.11

$2.22 MX$41.58

40.09%

Onion (1kg)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.58 MX$48.34

18.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.45 MX$27.04

100.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$1.22 MX$22.85

114.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.59 $14.59

$4.80 MX$89.7

203.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.29 $15.29

$13.30 MX$249

14.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.93 MX$36.14

-8.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 $3.68

$2.86 MX$53.4

28.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 MX$14.94

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.94 MX$579

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 $2.96

$1.83 MX$34.28

61.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.06 MX$19.78

108.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.37 $42.37

$10.82 MX$202

291.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.47 MX$27.54

-24.49%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$24.1K MX$450.4K

14.21%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$23.5K MX$440.2K

9.11%

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

$172 $172

$115 MX$2,144

50.17%

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

$50.2 $50.2

$26.37 MX$493

90.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.4 $50.4

$25.70 MX$481

96.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$81.0 $81.0

$30.53 MX$571

165.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.27 MX$398

Cinema Ticket

$20.28 $20.28

$4.96 MX$92.8

308.87%

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

$1,782 $1,782

$679 MX$12.7K

162.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.5K $20.5K

$14.2K MX$265.3K

44.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.3 $71.3

$72.2 MX$1,350

-1.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.9 $52.9

$41.94 MX$784

26.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 $99.9

$107 MX$2,011

-7.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 $119

$119 MX$2,219

0.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,276 $2,276

$1,018 MX$19.0K

123.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 $1,549

$722 MX$13.5K

114.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,736 $3,736

$1,966 MX$36.8K

90.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,631 $2,631

$1,416 MX$26.5K

85.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,203 MX$78.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,782 MX$52.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,096 MX$20.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.72

11.79

-43.00%

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

Last update for Montclair, NJ: October 31, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montclair, NJ

$1.5K 53.3%

Monterrey

$722 44% 53.4% $827

Groceries & Markets

Montclair, NJ

$453 15.6%

Monterrey

$302 18.4% 33.2% $150

Eating Out

Montclair, NJ

$344 11.8%

Monterrey

$216 13.2% 37.3% $129

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montclair, NJ

$273 9.4%

Monterrey

$167 10.2% 38.9% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Montclair, NJ

$154 5.3%

Monterrey

$153 9.3% 0.8% $1.2

Sport & Entertainment

Montclair, NJ

$122 4.2%

Monterrey

$40 2.5% 66.7% $81

Getting Around

Montclair, NJ

$14 * 0.5%

Monterrey

$41 2.5% 194% $27

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,276 in Montclair, NJ 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 $81 in Montclair, NJ versus $48 in Monterrey. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $453 vs $302 – making Monterrey the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Montclair, NJ

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🕒 Local time

16:19 4:19 PM

15:19 3:19 PM

1 h behind Montclair, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,669

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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Highest

Between locations

Montclair, NJ Monterrey 2,930 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Montclair, NJ
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

Montclair, NJ vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Montclair, NJ is pricier by about 77%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,363 per month in Montclair, NJ 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 $2,276 in Montclair, NJ.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,908 in Montclair, NJ and $1,641 in Monterrey. That makes Monterrey about 44% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,782 per month in Montclair, NJ and $679 in Monterrey. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

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.