Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Abilene, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,608 a month against $2,186 in Abilene, TX, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index
106

Cost of Living Index in Abilene, TX
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Abilene, TX Living Index

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Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Abilene, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,186

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in Abilene, TX

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Monterrey and in Abilene, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Monterrey versus $2,186 in Abilene, TX.

Monterrey $1,608
Abilene, TX $2,186

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,521 in Monterrey versus $3,178 in Abilene, TX.

Monterrey $2,521
Abilene, TX $3,178

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,433 in Monterrey versus $4,169 in Abilene, TX.

Monterrey $3,433
Abilene, TX $4,169

Living in Monterrey costs roughly 26% less than in Abilene, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Monterrey 19% above, Abilene, TX 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.85 MX$256

$18.06 $18.06

-23.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.70 MX$918

$64.4 $64.4

-22.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.05 MX$204

$9.13 $9.13

21.03%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$75.6

$5.47 $5.47

-25.23%

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

$1.68 MX$30.97

$2.38 $2.38

-29.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 MX$18.98

$1.86 $1.86

-44.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 MX$44.28

$4.97 $4.97

-51.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 MX$80.3

$5.81 $5.81

-25.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 MX$35.55

$1.03 $1.03

86.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 MX$54.2

$2.32 $2.32

26.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$34.66

$5.63 $5.63

-66.61%

Eggs

$2.55 MX$47.06

$3.73 $3.73

-31.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.84 MX$219

$8.39 $8.39

41.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 MX$173

$13.02 $13.02

-28.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 MX$242

$14.06 $14.06

-6.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 MX$62.5

$3.39 $3.39

-0.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 MX$28.13

$0.97 $0.97

56.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.51

$4.67 $4.67

-53.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$43.63

$5.30 $5.30

-55.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$41.76

$4.22 $4.22

-46.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.73 MX$50.5

$3.51 $3.51

-22.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 MX$28.17

$2.48 $2.48

-38.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$22.90

$1.96 $1.96

-36.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.75 MX$87.8

$5.85 $5.85

-18.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.66 MX$252

$11.31 $11.31

20.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 MX$34.95

$2.55 $2.55

-25.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 MX$55.2

$4.11 $4.11

-27.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 MX$15.78

$1.71 $1.71

-50.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.95 MX$572

$53.3 $53.3

-41.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 MX$30.98

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 MX$20.87

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.15 MX$206

$14.86 $14.86

-24.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 MX$28.91

$0.86 $0.86

81.40%

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

$21.4K MX$395.8K

$19.1K $19.1K

12.06%

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

$25.1K MX$463.2K

$24.5K $24.5K

2.46%

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

$119 MX$2,206

$236 $236

-49.48%

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

$26.21 MX$484

$58.7 $58.7

-55.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.78 MX$495

$61.3 $61.3

-56.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.03 MX$573

$20.16 $20.16

53.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.43 MX$396

Cinema Ticket

$5.29 MX$97.7

$12.02 $12.02

-55.99%

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

$691 MX$12.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K MX$212.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.3 MX$1,335

$42.11 $42.11

71.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.72 MX$789

$19.74 $19.74

116.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 MX$2,024

$62.9 $62.9

74.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,158

$65.6 $65.6

77.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$970 MX$17.9K

$1,160 $1,160

-16.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$664 MX$12.3K

$981 $981

-32.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,857 MX$34.3K

$1,847 $1,847

0.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 MX$23.8K

$1,601 $1,601

-19.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,162 MX$76.9K

$1,667 $1,667

149.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,349 MX$43.4K

$1,711 $1,711

37.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,146 MX$21.2K

$3,281 $3,281

-65.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.79

6.49

81.66%

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

Last update for Monterrey: October 10, 2026

Last update for Abilene, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Monterrey

$664 41.3%

Abilene, TX

$981 44.9% 47.8% $318

Groceries & Markets

Monterrey

$310 19.3%

Abilene, TX

$368 16.8% 18.5% $58

Eating Out

Monterrey

$225 14%

Abilene, TX

$291 13.3% 29.6% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monterrey

$172 10.7%

Abilene, TX

$356 16.3% 107% $184

Clothing & Footwear

Monterrey

$154 9.6%

Abilene, TX

$86 3.9% 44.2% $68

Getting Around

Monterrey

$42 2.6%

Abilene, TX

$60 * 2.8% 44.2% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Monterrey

$42 2.6%

Abilene, TX

$44 2% 6.2% $2.6

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $970 in Monterrey and $1,160 in Abilene, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Abilene, TX pays 186% 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: $50.0 in Monterrey vs $64.0 in Abilene, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $310 vs $368 per month, with Monterrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🇺🇸 Abilene, TX

🕒 Local time

03:45 3:45 AM

04:45 4:45 AM

1 h ahead of Monterrey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,142,994

125,182

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Monterrey Abilene, TX 760 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Monterrey
Abilene, TX

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

Monterrey vs Abilene, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey and Abilene, TX differ by about 36% in total monthly costs ($1,608 vs $2,186 including rent). Monterrey is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 186% lower in Abilene, TX. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $970 in Monterrey versus $1,160 in Abilene, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Monterrey – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $64.0 in Abilene, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Monterrey runs roughly 72% less than in Abilene, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,608 in Monterrey versus $2,186 in Abilene, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Monterrey but tight or insufficient in Abilene, TX. 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 36% less than in Abilene, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.