Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Alexandria

For one person, living is cheaper in Alexandria: $1,044 a month against $1,607 in Monterrey, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Monterrey outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

79

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
Learn more

Monterrey Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Alexandria
Learn more

Alexandria Living Index

Jump to prices

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,607

/mo nomad

Alexandria

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,044

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in Alexandria

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 Alexandria actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,607 in Monterrey versus $1,044 in Alexandria.

Monterrey $1,607
Alexandria $1,044

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,512 in Monterrey versus $1,704 in Alexandria.

Monterrey $2,512
Alexandria $1,704

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,417 in Monterrey versus $2,364 in Alexandria.

Monterrey $3,417
Alexandria $2,364

Living in Monterrey is roughly 54% more expensive than in Alexandria, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 20% above, Alexandria is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.75 MX$252

$15.61 JMD 2,466

-11.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.2 MX$921

$76.6 JMD 12.1K

-34.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.13 MX$204

$8.75 JMD 1,381

27.20%

Cappuccino

$4.04 MX$74.2

$5.28 JMD 834

-23.48%

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

$1.70 MX$31.29

$1.16 JMD 184

46.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 MX$18.17

$0.68 JMD 107

45.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 MX$44.21

$2.27 JMD 359

6.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 MX$82.3

$3.21 JMD 508

39.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 MX$35.31

$4.09 JMD 646

-53.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 MX$53.1

$3.86 JMD 610

-25.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$35.67

$1.59 JMD 250

22.01%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$45.90

$3.53 JMD 557

-29.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.30 MX$226

$11.57 JMD 1,826

6.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.33 MX$171

$6.39 JMD 1,009

46.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.07 MX$240

$10.30 JMD 1,626

26.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 MX$62.1

$6.22 JMD 983

-45.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$29.02

$3.93 JMD 621

-59.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$40.45

$7.47 JMD 1,180

-70.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$44.89

$3.01 JMD 475

-18.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$41.47

$3.33 JMD 525

-32.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.74 MX$50.4

$2.59 JMD 409

5.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 MX$28.09

$3.12 JMD 492

-50.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 MX$23.16

$1.47 JMD 232

-14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.84 MX$88.9

$9.74 JMD 1,538

-50.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.59 MX$249

$11.57 JMD 1,827

17.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 MX$35.01

$2.90 JMD 458

-34.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 MX$56.3

$4.07 JMD 643

-24.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 MX$14.60

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.77 MX$583

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 MX$29.78

$1.17 JMD 185

38.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 MX$20.17

$3.13 JMD 494

-64.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.97 MX$201

$6.42 JMD 1,013

70.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$27.93

$1.42 JMD 224

7.04%

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

$21.4K MX$392.4K

$44.9K JMD 7.1M

-52.40%

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

$25.5K MX$467.6K

$32.9K JMD 5.2M

-22.66%

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

$120 MX$2,198

$174 JMD 27.5K

-31.28%

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

$27.08 MX$497

$30.04 JMD 4,744

-9.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.70 MX$490

$53.0 JMD 8,365

-49.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.15 MX$572

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.95 MX$403

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$94.4

$13.14 JMD 2,074

-60.88%

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

$688 MX$12.6K

$359 JMD 56.7K

91.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$209.8K

$8,225 JMD 1.3M

38.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.9 MX$1,321

$23.28 JMD 3,676

208.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.30 MX$795

$31.50 JMD 4,974

37.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$2,059

$77.3 JMD 12.2K

45.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,236

$102 JMD 16.1K

19.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$957 MX$17.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$670 MX$12.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 MX$34.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,305 MX$24.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,159 MX$76.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,437 MX$44.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,133 MX$20.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.79

9.45

24.76%

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

Last update for Monterrey: October 4, 2026

Last update for Alexandria: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Monterrey

$670 41.4%

Alexandria

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Monterrey

$312 19.3%

Alexandria

$388 37.6% 24.2% $76

Eating Out

Monterrey

$224 13.8%

Alexandria

$240 23.2% 7.1% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monterrey

$174 10.7%

Alexandria

$257 24.9% 48.3% $84

Clothing & Footwear

Monterrey

$157 9.7%

Alexandria

$105 10.2% 32.9% $52

Getting Around

Monterrey

$42 2.6%

Alexandria

$17 * 1.6% 60% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Monterrey

$41 2.6%

Alexandria

$26 * 2.5% 36.6% $15

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $50.0 in Monterrey vs $77.0 in Alexandria for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $312 vs $388 per month, with Monterrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🇯🇲 Alexandria

🕒 Local time

04:39 4:39 AM

05:39 5:39 AM

1 h ahead of Monterrey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,142,994

1,927

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JMD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.57 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

Jamaican Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 177 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.65 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Monterrey Alexandria 2,500 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Monterrey
Alexandria

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 Alexandria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey and Alexandria differ by about 54% in total monthly costs ($1,607 vs $1,044 including rent). Alexandria is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,411 in Monterrey and $1,567 in Alexandria to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $688 in Monterrey versus $359 in Alexandria. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Alexandria – a meal for two runs $77.0 versus $50.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,044 in Alexandria versus $1,607 in Monterrey, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Alexandria but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes Alexandria 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 Alexandria gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.