Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Alpena, MI

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,641 a month against $1,977 in Alpena, MI, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in Alpena, MI
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Alpena, MI Living Index

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Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,641

/mo nomad

Alpena, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$1,977

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in Alpena, MI

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

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Monterrey vs $1,977 in Alpena, MI, rent included.

Monterrey $1,641
Alpena, MI $1,977

A couple spends around $2,573 per month in Monterrey vs $2,869 in Alpena, MI, rent included.

Monterrey $2,573
Alpena, MI $2,869

A family of three spends $3,504 per month in Monterrey vs $3,761 in Alpena, MI, rent included.

Monterrey $3,504
Alpena, MI $3,761

Monterrey is about 17% cheaper than Alpena, MI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Monterrey and Alpena, MI sit above the global median – Monterrey by 21%, Alpena, MI by 46%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.37 MX$250

$21.24 $21.24

-37.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.95 MX$897

$75.7 $75.7

-36.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.79 MX$202

$10.31 $10.31

4.66%

Cappuccino

$3.77 MX$70.4

$5.26 $5.26

-28.33%

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

$1.51 MX$28.26

$1.89 $1.89

-20.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 MX$19.25

$1.03 $1.03

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 MX$46.41

$5.60 $5.60

-55.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 MX$81.5

$7.23 $7.23

-39.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 MX$35.43

$0.88 $0.88

114.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.85 MX$53.3

$2.58 $2.58

10.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 MX$34.71

$4.86 $4.86

-61.73%

Eggs

$2.47 MX$46.12

$3.90 $3.90

-36.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.81 MX$221

$11.39 $11.39

3.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.97 MX$168

$12.06 $12.06

-25.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$235

$9.71 $9.71

29.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.20 MX$59.8

$5.60 $5.60

-42.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$28.12

$1.59 $1.59

-5.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.74

$4.91 $4.91

-56.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 MX$43.64

$4.75 $4.75

-50.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 MX$41.58

$2.99 $2.99

-25.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.58 MX$48.34

$3.38 $3.38

-23.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MX$27.04

$1.65 $1.65

-12.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MX$22.85

$2.23 $2.23

-45.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.80 MX$89.7

$8.79 $8.79

-45.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.30 MX$249

$14.59 $14.59

-8.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 MX$36.14

$1.96 $1.96

-1.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 MX$53.4

$3.45 $3.45

-17.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 MX$14.94

$1.97 $1.97

-59.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.94 MX$579

$62.7 $62.7

-50.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.83 MX$34.28

$2.93 $2.93

-37.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 MX$19.78

$1.68 $1.68

-36.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.82 MX$202

$26.50 $26.50

-59.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.54

$1.00 $1.00

47.00%

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

$24.1K MX$450.4K

$26.7K $26.7K

-9.87%

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

$23.5K MX$440.2K

$22.8K $22.8K

3.43%

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

$115 MX$2,144

$199 $199

-42.44%

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

$26.37 MX$493

$40.69 $40.69

-35.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.70 MX$481

$44.41 $44.41

-42.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.53 MX$571

$45.04 $45.04

-32.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.27 MX$398

Cinema Ticket

$4.96 MX$92.8

$14.12 $14.12

-64.87%

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

$679 MX$12.7K

$1,423 $1,423

-52.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.2K MX$265.3K

$18.9K $18.9K

-24.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.2 MX$1,350

$42.40 $42.40

70.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.94 MX$784

$30.56 $30.56

37.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 MX$2,011

$88.7 $88.7

21.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 MX$2,219

$55.0 $55.0

115.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,018 MX$19.0K

$972 $972

4.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$722 MX$13.5K

$753 $753

-4.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 MX$36.8K

$1,730 $1,730

13.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,416 MX$26.5K

$1,035 $1,035

36.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,203 MX$78.6K

$2,749 $2,749

52.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,782 MX$52.0K

$2,061 $2,061

34.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,096 MX$20.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.79

6.35

85.67%

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

Last update for Monterrey: November 2, 2026

Last update for Alpena, MI: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Monterrey

$722 44%

Alpena, MI

$753 38.1% 4.4% $32

Groceries & Markets

Monterrey

$302 18.4%

Alpena, MI

$369 18.7% 22.2% $67

Eating Out

Monterrey

$216 13.2%

Alpena, MI

$318 16.1% 47.4% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monterrey

$167 10.2%

Alpena, MI

$284 14.4% 70.5% $118

Clothing & Footwear

Monterrey

$153 9.3%

Alpena, MI

$97 4.9% 36.3% $56

Getting Around

Monterrey

$41 2.5%

Alpena, MI

$82 4.1% 98.6% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Monterrey

$40 2.5%

Alpena, MI

$73 3.7% 81.2% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,018 in Monterrey versus $972 in Alpena, MI. 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 $48 in Monterrey versus $76 in Alpena, MI. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $302 vs $369 – making Monterrey the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🇺🇸 Alpena, MI

🕒 Local time

15:05 3:05 PM

16:05 4:05 PM

1 h ahead of Monterrey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,142,994

10,637

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 EUR

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.7 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 20.9 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Monterrey Alpena, MI 2,630 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Monterrey
Alpena, MI

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 Alpena, MI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,641 in Monterrey, $1,977 in Alpena, MI – Monterrey comes out roughly 17% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,461 per month in Monterrey and $2,966 in Alpena, MI. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,018 in Monterrey and $972 in Alpena, MI. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Kindergarten costs $679 per month in Monterrey and $1,423 in Alpena, MI. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 22% more in Alpena, MI, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,641 in Monterrey and $1,977 in Alpena, MI, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Monterrey has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,641 in Monterrey to $1,977 in Alpena, MI. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.