Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Allen, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,607 a month against $2,821 in Allen, TX, rent and utilities included – about $14,600 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
137

Cost of Living Index in Allen, TX
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Allen, TX Living Index

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Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,607

/mo nomad

Allen, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,821

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in Allen, 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 Allen, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,607 in Monterrey versus $2,821 in Allen, TX.

Monterrey $1,607
Allen, TX $2,821

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,512 in Monterrey versus $4,059 in Allen, TX.

Monterrey $2,512
Allen, TX $4,059

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,417 in Monterrey versus $5,297 in Allen, TX.

Monterrey $3,417
Allen, TX $5,297

Living in Monterrey costs roughly 43% less than in Allen, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Monterrey 20% above, Allen, TX 111% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.75 MX$252

$20.20 $20.20

-31.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.2 MX$921

$58.9 $58.9

-14.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.13 MX$204

$10.97 $10.97

1.46%

Cappuccino

$4.04 MX$74.2

$5.87 $5.87

-31.18%

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

$1.70 MX$31.29

$2.79 $2.79

-39.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 MX$18.17

$1.70 $1.70

-41.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 MX$44.21

$5.60 $5.60

-56.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 MX$82.3

$9.12 $9.12

-50.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 MX$35.31

$0.92 $0.92

108.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 MX$53.1

$2.83 $2.83

2.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$35.67

$2.32 $2.32

-16.38%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$45.90

$3.69 $3.69

-32.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.30 MX$226

$10.49 $10.49

17.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.33 MX$171

$15.11 $15.11

-38.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.07 MX$240

$16.38 $16.38

-20.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 MX$62.1

$3.03 $3.03

11.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$29.02

$2.70 $2.70

-41.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$40.45

$2.89 $2.89

-23.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$44.89

$2.49 $2.49

-1.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$41.47

$2.15 $2.15

5.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.74 MX$50.4

$2.08 $2.08

31.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 MX$28.09

$1.77 $1.77

-13.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 MX$23.16

$2.41 $2.41

-47.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.84 MX$88.9

$9.52 $9.52

-49.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.59 MX$249

$11.82 $11.82

14.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 MX$35.01

$2.10 $2.10

-9.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 MX$56.3

$3.25 $3.25

-5.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 MX$14.60

$2.96 $2.96

-72.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.77 MX$583

$59.2 $59.2

-46.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 MX$29.78

$3.02 $3.02

-46.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 MX$20.17

$1.78 $1.78

-38.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.97 MX$201

$24.29 $24.29

-54.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$27.93

$0.88 $0.88

72.73%

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

$21.4K MX$392.4K

$37.0K $37.0K

-42.27%

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

$25.5K MX$467.6K

$25.0K $25.0K

1.84%

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

$120 MX$2,198

$164 $164

-27.15%

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

$27.08 MX$497

$89.5 $89.5

-69.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.70 MX$490

$66.7 $66.7

-59.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.15 MX$572

$74.8 $74.8

-58.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.95 MX$403

$30.58 $30.58

-28.22%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$94.4

$12.20 $12.20

-57.87%

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

$688 MX$12.6K

$1,760 $1,760

-60.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$209.8K

$28.2K $28.2K

-59.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.9 MX$1,321

$55.4 $55.4

29.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.30 MX$795

$28.65 $28.65

51.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$2,059

$94.1 $94.1

19.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,236

$98.8 $98.8

23.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$957 MX$17.6K

$1,498 $1,498

-36.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$670 MX$12.3K

$1,498 $1,498

-55.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 MX$34.7K

$2,491 $2,491

-24.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,305 MX$24.0K

$2,467 $2,467

-47.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,159 MX$76.4K

$3,654 $3,654

13.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,437 MX$44.7K

$3,027 $3,027

-19.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,133 MX$20.8K

$6,079 $6,079

-81.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.79

6.53

80.55%

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

Last update for Monterrey: October 4, 2026

Last update for Allen, TX: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Monterrey

$670 41.4%

Allen, TX

$1.5K 53.2% 124% $828

Groceries & Markets

Monterrey

$312 19.3%

Allen, TX

$360 12.8% 15.3% $48

Eating Out

Monterrey

$224 13.8%

Allen, TX

$329 11.7% 47.2% $106

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monterrey

$174 10.7%

Allen, TX

$321 11.4% 84.7% $147

Clothing & Footwear

Monterrey

$157 9.7%

Allen, TX

$125 4.4% 20.7% $33

Getting Around

Monterrey

$42 2.6%

Allen, TX

$83 3% 97.2% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Monterrey

$41 2.6%

Allen, TX

$99 3.5% 139% $58

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $957 in Monterrey and $1,498 in Allen, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Allen, TX pays 437% 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 $59.0 in Allen, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $312 vs $360 per month, with Monterrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🇺🇸 Allen, TX

🕒 Local time

22:00 10:00 PM

23:00 11:00 PM

1 h ahead of Monterrey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,142,994

106,874

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.59 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Monterrey Allen, TX 900 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Monterrey
Allen, 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 Allen, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey and Allen, TX differ by about 76% in total monthly costs ($1,607 vs $2,821 including rent). Monterrey is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 437% lower in Allen, 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: $957 in Monterrey versus $1,498 in Allen, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Allen, TX. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Monterrey – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $59.0 in Allen, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,607 in Monterrey versus $2,821 in Allen, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Monterrey but tight or insufficient in Allen, 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 76% less than in Allen, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.