Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Acapulco Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Acapulco

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,601 per month in Monterrey vs $955 in Acapulco, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,585 per month in Monterrey vs $1,460 in Acapulco, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,568 per month in Monterrey vs $1,965 in Acapulco, rent included.

Monterrey costs about 68% more than Acapulco, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Monterrey sits 20% above the global median, while Acapulco is 29% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.01 MX$226

$10.78 MX$187

20.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$932

$32.02 MX$555

67.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.21 MX$177

$11.34 MX$197

-9.96%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$63.8

$3.76 MX$65.1

-2.13%

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

$1.46 MX$25.34

$1.82 MX$31.55

-19.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 MX$17.31

$1.54 MX$26.74

-35.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 MX$46.70

$2.57 MX$44.59

5.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$4.74 MX$82.1

-9.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 MX$28.86

$1.56 MX$26.96

7.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 MX$46.43

$3.19 MX$55.2

-15.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.41

$1.55 MX$26.87

24.52%

Eggs

$2.63 MX$45.57

$1.74 MX$30.21

51.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.34 MX$179

$6.24 MX$108

65.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.22 MX$160

$8.12 MX$141

13.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.84 MX$240

$10.78 MX$187

28.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 MX$54.6

$4.53 MX$78.5

-30.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 MX$24.06

$1.68 MX$29.12

-17.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.65

$3.19 MX$55.3

-37.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$37.10

$3.12 MX$54.0

-31.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.26

$3.44 MX$59.6

-34.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 MX$44.08

$2.87 MX$49.77

-11.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 MX$27.14

$1.25 MX$21.71

25.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.53

$0.78 MX$13.44

37.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 MX$73.6

$7.82 MX$135

-45.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.36 MX$249

$7.04 MX$122

103.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 MX$30.87

$1.04 MX$18.02

71.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 MX$54.5

$2.62 MX$45.45

19.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 MX$13.89

$0.73 MX$12.69

9.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.54 MX$703

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 MX$29.11

$4.27 MX$74.0

-60.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 MX$16.31

$1.54 MX$26.73

-38.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.76 MX$186

$8.38 MX$145

28.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 MX$23.72

$1.26 MX$21.77

8.73%

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

$26.7K MX$463.4K

$21.0K MX$363.3K

27.55%

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

$25.6K MX$443.3K

$22.1K MX$383.3K

15.67%

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

$122 MX$2,108

$38.89 MX$674

212.83%

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

$27.19 MX$471

$22.51 MX$390

20.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.82 MX$517

$20.88 MX$362

42.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.49 MX$667

$18.76 MX$325

105.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.46 MX$372

$13.24 MX$229

62.08%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 MX$103

$3.62 MX$62.8

63.54%

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

$346 MX$5,990

$156 MX$2,711

120.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,997 MX$155.9K

$3,565 MX$61.8K

152.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.4 MX$1,012

$63.9 MX$1,107

-8.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.55 MX$737

$41.96 MX$727

1.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$1,896

$106 MX$1,830

3.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 MX$2,235

$80.3 MX$1,392

60.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$913 MX$15.8K

$506 MX$8,764

80.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$647 MX$11.2K

$243 MX$4,216

166.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,565 MX$27.1K

$918 MX$15.9K

70.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,401 MX$24.3K

$249 MX$4,310

463.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,371 MX$75.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,839 MX$49.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,104 MX$19.1K

$486 MX$8,428

126.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

11.5

0.43%

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

Last update for Monterrey: June 1, 2026

Last update for Acapulco: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $913 in Monterrey versus $506 in Acapulco. 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 127% 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 $54.0 in Monterrey versus $32.00 in Acapulco. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 vs $268 – making Acapulco 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

Monterrey vs Acapulco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey costs about 68% more than Acapulco, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,402 per month in Monterrey and $1,433 in Acapulco. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,601 in Monterrey and $955 in Acapulco. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $346 per month in Monterrey and $156 in Acapulco. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Acapulco, where all-in costs run around $955, than in Monterrey at $1,601. In Acapulco it covers expenses comfortably, while in Monterrey it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Acapulco costs $955 versus $1,601 in Monterrey. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Acapulco. 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.