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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Monterrey vs $923 in Acapulco, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,638 per month in Monterrey vs $1,524 in Acapulco, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,583 per month in Monterrey vs $2,125 in Acapulco, rent included.

Monterrey costs about 83% more than Acapulco, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Monterrey sits 24% above the global median, while Acapulco is 33% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.54 MX$250

$10.04 MX$173

44.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.7 MX$907

$41.10 MX$708

28.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.44 MX$197

$12.81 MX$221

-10.69%

Cappuccino

$4.29 MX$73.9

$4.14 MX$71.3

3.62%

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

$1.72 MX$29.57

$1.74 MX$29.91

-1.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.06

$1.77 MX$30.54

-37.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$50.9

$3.30 MX$56.8

-10.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.78 MX$82.3

$5.11 MX$87.9

-6.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 MX$35.21

$1.69 MX$29.15

20.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.09 MX$53.2

$3.20 MX$55.1

-3.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.83

$1.72 MX$29.54

13.95%

Eggs

$2.65 MX$45.56

$1.93 MX$33.22

37.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.69 MX$219

$7.11 MX$122

78.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.80 MX$169

$8.50 MX$146

15.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 MX$233

$11.76 MX$203

15.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.45 MX$59.5

$5.05 MX$87.0

-31.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.23

$1.76 MX$30.26

-6.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.47

$3.40 MX$58.6

-34.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 MX$44.01

$3.42 MX$58.9

-25.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.40 MX$41.32

$3.76 MX$64.7

-36.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 MX$49.53

$3.19 MX$55.0

-9.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 MX$27.46

$1.38 MX$23.77

15.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 MX$23.03

$0.84 MX$14.54

59.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 MX$89.2

$8.88 MX$153

-41.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.68 MX$253

$7.05 MX$121

108.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 MX$35.02

$1.14 MX$19.56

78.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 MX$54.6

$2.88 MX$49.54

10.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 MX$15.85

$1.01 MX$17.32

-8.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.50 MX$577

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 MX$33.15

$5.12 MX$88.1

-62.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 MX$20.44

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.75 MX$202

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 MX$27.13

$1.56 MX$26.89

1.28%

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

$22.2K MX$382.7K

$23.0K MX$396.5K

-3.47%

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

$26.2K MX$451.0K

$25.8K MX$443.4K

1.72%

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

$124 MX$2,127

$43.43 MX$748

184.39%

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

$28.25 MX$487

$15.90 MX$274

77.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.93 MX$481

$23.16 MX$399

20.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.96 MX$568

$20.30 MX$350

62.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.09 MX$398

$14.86 MX$256

55.38%

Cinema Ticket

$5.52 MX$95.1

$4.10 MX$70.6

34.63%

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

$730 MX$12.6K

$175 MX$3,019

316.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K MX$203.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.3 MX$1,383

$69.1 MX$1,190

16.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.45 MX$783

$45.77 MX$788

-0.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 MX$2,057

$118 MX$2,039

0.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 MX$2,244

$89.2 MX$1,535

46.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,047 MX$18.0K

$548 MX$9,435

91.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$728 MX$12.5K

$164 MX$2,817

345.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 MX$34.0K

$1,032 MX$17.8K

91.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,385 MX$23.8K

$343 MX$5,908

303.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,432 MX$76.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 MX$45.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,168 MX$20.1K

$480 MX$8,271

143.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.56

11.6

-0.34%

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

Last update for Monterrey: September 12, 2026

Last update for Acapulco: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,047 in Monterrey versus $548 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 143% 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 $53.0 in Monterrey versus $41.00 in Acapulco. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $328 vs $288 – 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 83% more than Acapulco, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,539 per month in Monterrey and $1,385 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 $1,692 in Monterrey and $923 in Acapulco. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $730 per month in Monterrey and $175 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 $923, than in Monterrey at $1,692. 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 $923 versus $1,692 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.