Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Acuna Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Acuna

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,595 per month in Monterrey vs $936 in Acuna, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,536 per month in Monterrey vs $1,576 in Acuna, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,477 per month in Monterrey vs $2,216 in Acuna, rent included.

Monterrey costs about 70% more than Acuna, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Monterrey sits 19% above the global median, while Acuna is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.02 MX$227

$13.80 MX$240

-5.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.6 MX$932

$22.64 MX$394

136.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.17 MX$177

$7.96 MX$139

27.76%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.2

$2.86 MX$49.71

31.12%

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

$1.44 MX$25.09

$1.06 MX$18.50

35.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.06

$0.98 MX$17.07

6.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 MX$44.86

$2.41 MX$42.00

7.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 MX$71.5

$3.95 MX$68.8

4.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 MX$29.14

$1.53 MX$26.60

9.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.63 MX$45.81

$2.03 MX$35.32

29.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.62

$1.68 MX$29.30

14.88%

Eggs

$2.60 MX$45.25

$2.91 MX$50.6

-10.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.47 MX$182

$6.99 MX$122

49.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.07 MX$158

$5.02 MX$87.3

80.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.42 MX$234

$8.57 MX$149

56.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 MX$54.9

$2.39 MX$41.66

32.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 MX$24.44

$1.45 MX$25.31

-3.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.39

$1.78 MX$31.00

17.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.35

$1.95 MX$33.94

7.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 MX$40.40

$1.74 MX$30.34

33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.53 MX$44.09

$1.44 MX$25.01

75.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$27.00

$1.05 MX$18.31

47.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.39

$1.25 MX$21.80

-11.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 MX$74.0

$4.08 MX$71.0

4.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.83 MX$206

$10.16 MX$177

16.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 MX$31.28

$1.55 MX$27.04

16.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 MX$54.2

$2.76 MX$48.04

13.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 MX$13.09

$0.66 MX$11.41

13.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.49 MX$687

$23.48 MX$409

68.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.76 MX$30.61

$2.69 MX$46.85

-34.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 MX$17.25

$1.59 MX$27.67

-37.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.60 MX$185

$8.49 MX$148

24.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.75

$1.24 MX$21.49

5.65%

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

$26.6K MX$463.1K

$17.8K MX$310.1K

49.34%

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

$25.7K MX$447.7K

$18.2K MX$316.3K

41.55%

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

$124 MX$2,151

$57.5 MX$1,000

115.03%

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

$27.80 MX$484

$22.55 MX$392

23.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.57 MX$514

$37.11 MX$646

-20.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.39 MX$668

$28.25 MX$492

35.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.87 MX$380

$14.64 MX$255

49.39%

Cinema Ticket

$5.95 MX$103

$4.17 MX$72.5

42.69%

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

$337 MX$5,863

$157 MX$2,738

114.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,908 MX$155.0K

$3,662 MX$63.7K

143.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,014

$46.13 MX$803

26.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.99 MX$731

$40.03 MX$697

4.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$1,886

$86.0 MX$1,496

26.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 MX$2,195

$82.0 MX$1,427

53.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$911 MX$15.8K

$296 MX$5,145

208.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$660 MX$11.5K

$200 MX$3,478

229.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,570 MX$27.3K

$822 MX$14.3K

90.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,426 MX$24.8K

$624 MX$10.9K

128.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,178 MX$72.7K

$1,732 MX$30.1K

141.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,845 MX$49.5K

$1,367 MX$23.8K

108.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,113 MX$19.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

11.48

0.61%

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

Last update for Monterrey: April 27, 2026

Last update for Acuna: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $911 in Monterrey versus $296 in Acuna. 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 $54.0 in Monterrey versus $23.00 in Acuna. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 vs $224 – making Acuna 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 Acuna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Monterrey is pricier by about 70%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,392 per month in Monterrey and $1,405 in Acuna. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Acuna, 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 $1,595 in Monterrey and $936 in Acuna. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 68% less in Acuna. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Acuna, where all-in costs run around $936, than in Monterrey at $1,595. In Acuna it covers expenses comfortably, while in Monterrey it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Acuna – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Acuna. 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.