Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Ankeny, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,607 a month against $2,326 in Ankeny, IA, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 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
113

Cost of Living Index in Ankeny, IA
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Ankeny, IA Living Index

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Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,607

/mo nomad

Ankeny, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,326

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in Ankeny, IA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,607 in Monterrey versus $2,326 in Ankeny, IA.

Monterrey $1,607
Ankeny, IA $2,326

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,512 in Monterrey versus $3,298 in Ankeny, IA.

Monterrey $2,512
Ankeny, IA $3,298

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,417 in Monterrey versus $4,270 in Ankeny, IA.

Monterrey $3,417
Ankeny, IA $4,270

Living in Monterrey costs roughly 31% less than in Ankeny, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Monterrey 20% above, Ankeny, IA 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.75 MX$252

$19.62 $19.62

-29.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.2 MX$921

$79.1 $79.1

-36.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.13 MX$204

$11.80 $11.80

-5.68%

Cappuccino

$4.04 MX$74.2

$5.46 $5.46

-26.01%

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

$1.70 MX$31.29

$2.97 $2.97

-42.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 MX$18.17

$1.74 $1.74

-43.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 MX$44.21

$5.06 $5.06

-52.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 MX$82.3

$5.79 $5.79

-22.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 MX$35.31

$0.91 $0.91

110.99%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 MX$53.1

$2.91 $2.91

-0.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$35.67

$3.27 $3.27

-40.67%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$45.90

$3.96 $3.96

-36.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.30 MX$226

$9.65 $9.65

27.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.33 MX$171

$8.65 $8.65

7.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.07 MX$240

$14.96 $14.96

-12.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 MX$62.1

$5.24 $5.24

-35.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$29.02

$1.52 $1.52

3.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$40.45

$4.89 $4.89

-55.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$44.89

$3.67 $3.67

-33.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$41.47

$2.22 $2.22

1.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.74 MX$50.4

$3.33 $3.33

-17.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 MX$28.09

$1.88 $1.88

-18.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 MX$23.16

$2.65 $2.65

-52.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.84 MX$88.9

$8.80 $8.80

-45.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.59 MX$249

$14.79 $14.79

-8.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 MX$35.01

$1.69 $1.69

13.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 MX$56.3

$2.47 $2.47

23.89%

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

$2.05 $2.05

-20.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 MX$20.17

$1.27 $1.27

-13.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.97 MX$201

$19.71 $19.71

-44.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$27.93

$0.99 $0.99

53.54%

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

$21.4K MX$392.4K

$35.7K $35.7K

-40.09%

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

$25.5K MX$467.6K

$25.4K $25.4K

0.33%

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

$120 MX$2,198

$159 $159

-24.88%

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

$27.08 MX$497

$53.2 $53.2

-49.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.70 MX$490

$64.2 $64.2

-58.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.15 MX$572

$74.0 $74.0

-57.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.95 MX$403

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$94.4

$14.95 $14.95

-65.62%

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

$688 MX$12.6K

$1,101 $1,101

-37.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$209.8K

$11.9K $11.9K

-4.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.9 MX$1,321

$48.27 $48.27

49.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.30 MX$795

$34.89 $34.89

24.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$2,059

$90.1 $90.1

24.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,236

$117 $117

4.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$957 MX$17.6K

$1,109 $1,109

-13.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$670 MX$12.3K

$1,141 $1,141

-41.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 MX$34.7K

$1,971 $1,971

-4.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,305 MX$24.0K

$1,599 $1,599

-18.40%

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

$5,289 $5,289

-78.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.79

6.37

85.09%

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

Last update for Monterrey: October 4, 2026

Last update for Ankeny, IA: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Monterrey

$670 41.4%

Ankeny, IA

$1.1K 49% 70.2% $471

Groceries & Markets

Monterrey

$312 19.3%

Ankeny, IA

$353 15.2% 13% $41

Eating Out

Monterrey

$224 13.8%

Ankeny, IA

$314 13.5% 40.2% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monterrey

$174 10.7%

Ankeny, IA

$277 11.9% 59.5% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Monterrey

$157 9.7%

Ankeny, IA

$130 5.6% 17% $27

Getting Around

Monterrey

$42 2.6%

Ankeny, IA

$8.4 * 0.4% 80% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Monterrey

$41 2.6%

Ankeny, IA

$104 4.5% 151% $62

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $957 in Monterrey and $1,109 in Ankeny, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ankeny, IA pays 367% 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 $79.0 in Ankeny, IA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $312 vs $353 per month, with Monterrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🇺🇸 Ankeny, IA

🕒 Local time

05:50 5:50 AM

06:50 6:50 AM

1 h ahead of Monterrey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,142,994

67,887

💱 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 = 20.57 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 Ankeny, IA 1,890 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Monterrey
Ankeny, IA

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 Ankeny, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey and Ankeny, IA differ by about 45% in total monthly costs ($1,607 vs $2,326 including rent). Monterrey is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 367% lower in Ankeny, IA. 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 $1,109 in Ankeny, IA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Ankeny, IA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,607 per month in Monterrey versus $2,326 in Ankeny, IA – a 45% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,607 in Monterrey versus $2,326 in Ankeny, IA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Monterrey but tight or insufficient in Ankeny, IA. 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.

Safety-wise, Monterrey and Ankeny, IA are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Monterrey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Ankeny, IA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.