Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Ann Arbor, MI

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,641 a month against $2,835 in Ann Arbor, MI, rent and utilities included – about $14,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index
134

Cost of Living Index in Ann Arbor, MI
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Ann Arbor, MI Living Index

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Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,641

/mo nomad

Ann Arbor, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Monterrey versus $2,835 in Ann Arbor, MI.

Monterrey $1,641
Ann Arbor, MI $2,835

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,573 in Monterrey versus $4,204 in Ann Arbor, MI.

Monterrey $2,573
Ann Arbor, MI $4,204

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,504 in Monterrey versus $5,573 in Ann Arbor, MI.

Monterrey $3,504
Ann Arbor, MI $5,573

Living in Monterrey costs roughly 42% less than in Ann Arbor, MI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Monterrey 21% above, Ann Arbor, MI 110% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.37 MX$250

$18.53 $18.53

-27.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.95 MX$897

$60.4 $60.4

-20.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.79 MX$202

$12.07 $12.07

-10.60%

Cappuccino

$3.77 MX$70.4

$5.01 $5.01

-24.75%

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

$1.51 MX$28.26

$3.00 $3.00

-49.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 MX$19.25

$2.10 $2.10

-50.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 MX$46.41

$6.47 $6.47

-61.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 MX$81.5

$7.92 $7.92

-44.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 MX$35.43

$1.00 $1.00

89.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.85 MX$53.3

$3.92 $3.92

-27.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 MX$34.71

$4.88 $4.88

-61.89%

Eggs

$2.47 MX$46.12

$3.77 $3.77

-34.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.81 MX$221

$19.77 $19.77

-40.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.97 MX$168

$13.04 $13.04

-31.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$235

$14.43 $14.43

-12.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.20 MX$59.8

$6.85 $6.85

-53.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$28.12

$1.93 $1.93

-22.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.74

$3.65 $3.65

-41.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 MX$43.64

$4.54 $4.54

-48.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 MX$41.58

$2.42 $2.42

-8.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.58 MX$48.34

$2.96 $2.96

-12.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MX$27.04

$2.47 $2.47

-41.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MX$22.85

$1.97 $1.97

-38.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.80 MX$89.7

$10.28 $10.28

-53.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.30 MX$249

$15.28 $15.28

-12.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 MX$36.14

$2.07 $2.07

-6.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 MX$53.4

$3.82 $3.82

-25.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 MX$14.94

$1.51 $1.51

-47.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.94 MX$579

$45.78 $45.78

-32.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.83 MX$34.28

$3.08 $3.08

-40.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 MX$19.78

$1.51 $1.51

-29.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.82 MX$202

$26.76 $26.76

-59.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.54

$1.17 $1.17

25.64%

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

$24.1K MX$450.4K

$29.9K $29.9K

-19.41%

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

$23.5K MX$440.2K

$26.0K $26.0K

-9.45%

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

$115 MX$2,144

$198 $198

-42.24%

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

$26.37 MX$493

$58.4 $58.4

-54.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.70 MX$481

$73.4 $73.4

-64.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.53 MX$571

$49.60 $49.60

-38.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.27 MX$398

$19.59 $19.59

8.58%

Cinema Ticket

$4.96 MX$92.8

$12.90 $12.90

-61.55%

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

$679 MX$12.7K

$2,061 $2,061

-67.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.2K MX$265.3K

$19.6K $19.6K

-27.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.2 MX$1,350

$55.0 $55.0

31.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.94 MX$784

$43.95 $43.95

-4.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 MX$2,011

$111 $111

-3.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 MX$2,219

$104 $104

13.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,018 MX$19.0K

$2,164 $2,164

-52.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$722 MX$13.5K

$1,482 $1,482

-51.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 MX$36.8K

$4,034 $4,034

-51.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,416 MX$26.5K

$2,658 $2,658

-46.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,203 MX$78.6K

$5,556 $5,556

-24.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,782 MX$52.0K

$2,592 $2,592

7.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,096 MX$20.5K

$4,874 $4,874

-77.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.79

6.6

78.64%

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

Last update for Monterrey: November 2, 2026

Last update for Ann Arbor, MI: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Monterrey

$722 44%

Ann Arbor, MI

$1.5K 52.3% 105% $760

Groceries & Markets

Monterrey

$302 18.4%

Ann Arbor, MI

$430 15.2% 42.3% $128

Eating Out

Monterrey

$216 13.2%

Ann Arbor, MI

$313 11.1% 45.2% $97

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monterrey

$167 10.2%

Ann Arbor, MI

$330 11.7% 98.1% $163

Clothing & Footwear

Monterrey

$153 9.3%

Ann Arbor, MI

$142 5% 7.6% $12

Getting Around

Monterrey

$41 2.5%

Ann Arbor, MI

$62 2.2% 51.5% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Monterrey

$40 2.5%

Ann Arbor, MI

$75 2.7% 86.4% $35

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,018 in Monterrey and $2,164 in Ann Arbor, MI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ann Arbor, MI pays about 4.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $48 in Monterrey vs $60 in Ann Arbor, MI for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 vs $430 per month, with Monterrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🇺🇸 Ann Arbor, MI

🕒 Local time

15:11 3:11 PM

16:11 4:11 PM

1 h ahead of Monterrey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,142,994

123,851

💱 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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Between locations

Monterrey Ann Arbor, MI 2,390 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Monterrey
Ann Arbor, 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 Ann Arbor, MI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,641 in Monterrey and $2,835 in Ann Arbor, MI, so Monterrey is about 42% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 78% lower in Monterrey. 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: $1,018 in Monterrey versus $2,164 in Ann Arbor, MI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Monterrey – a meal for two runs $48 versus $60 in Ann Arbor, MI. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,641 per month in Monterrey versus $2,835 in Ann Arbor, MI – Monterrey is about 42% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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 42% less than in Ann Arbor, MI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.