Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Appleton, WI

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,607 a month against $2,097 in Appleton, WI, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 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
103

Cost of Living Index in Appleton, WI
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Appleton, WI Living Index

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Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,607

/mo nomad

Appleton, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,097

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in Appleton, WI

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

A single person spends $1,607 per month in Monterrey vs $2,097 in Appleton, WI, rent included.

Monterrey $1,607
Appleton, WI $2,097

A couple spends around $2,512 per month in Monterrey vs $3,238 in Appleton, WI, rent included.

Monterrey $2,512
Appleton, WI $3,238

A family of three spends $3,417 per month in Monterrey vs $4,380 in Appleton, WI, rent included.

Monterrey $3,417
Appleton, WI $4,380

Monterrey is about 23% cheaper than Appleton, WI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Monterrey and Appleton, WI sit above the global median – Monterrey by 20%, Appleton, WI by 56%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.75 MX$252

$17.91 $17.91

-23.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.2 MX$921

$66.1 $66.1

-24.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.13 MX$204

$11.11 $11.11

0.18%

Cappuccino

$4.04 MX$74.2

$5.23 $5.23

-22.75%

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

$1.70 MX$31.29

$2.63 $2.63

-35.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 MX$18.17

$2.27 $2.27

-56.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 MX$44.21

$4.61 $4.61

-47.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 MX$82.3

$6.20 $6.20

-27.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 MX$35.31

$0.98 $0.98

95.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 MX$53.1

$3.00 $3.00

-3.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$35.67

$5.15 $5.15

-62.33%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$45.90

$4.71 $4.71

-46.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.30 MX$226

$14.34 $14.34

-14.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.33 MX$171

$8.43 $8.43

10.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.07 MX$240

$15.31 $15.31

-14.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 MX$62.1

$5.02 $5.02

-32.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$29.02

$1.32 $1.32

19.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$40.45

$3.09 $3.09

-28.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$44.89

$4.32 $4.32

-43.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$41.47

$2.06 $2.06

9.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.74 MX$50.4

$2.78 $2.78

-1.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 MX$28.09

$2.18 $2.18

-29.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 MX$23.16

$3.13 $3.13

-59.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.84 MX$88.9

$10.86 $10.86

-55.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.59 MX$249

$15.14 $15.14

-10.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 MX$35.01

$1.68 $1.68

13.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 MX$56.3

$3.48 $3.48

-12.07%

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

$3.29 $3.29

-50.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 MX$20.17

$1.42 $1.42

-22.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.97 MX$201

$24.47 $24.47

-55.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$27.93

$1.02 $1.02

49.02%

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

$21.4K MX$392.4K

$36.3K $36.3K

-41.12%

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

$25.5K MX$467.6K

$24.7K $24.7K

3.07%

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

$120 MX$2,198

$176 $176

-32.09%

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

$27.08 MX$497

$44.67 $44.67

-39.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.70 MX$490

$60.6 $60.6

-55.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.15 MX$572

$23.78 $23.78

30.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.95 MX$403

$41.09 $41.09

-46.58%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$94.4

$14.48 $14.48

-64.50%

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

$688 MX$12.6K

$1,512 $1,512

-54.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$209.8K

$31.2K $31.2K

-63.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.9 MX$1,321

$39.33 $39.33

82.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.30 MX$795

$25.09 $25.09

72.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$2,059

$50.9 $50.9

120.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,236

$109 $109

12.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$957 MX$17.6K

$1,501 $1,501

-36.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$670 MX$12.3K

$1,017 $1,017

-34.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 MX$34.7K

$1,804 $1,804

4.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,305 MX$24.0K

$1,910 $1,910

-31.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,159 MX$76.4K

$2,320 $2,320

79.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,437 MX$44.7K

$2,268 $2,268

7.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,133 MX$20.8K

$4,011 $4,011

-71.76%

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 Appleton, WI: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Monterrey

$670 41.4%

Appleton, WI

$1K 47.6% 51.7% $346

Groceries & Markets

Monterrey

$312 19.3%

Appleton, WI

$381 17.8% 21.9% $69

Eating Out

Monterrey

$224 13.8%

Appleton, WI

$294 13.8% 31.6% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monterrey

$174 10.7%

Appleton, WI

$282 13.2% 62.3% $108

Clothing & Footwear

Monterrey

$157 9.7%

Appleton, WI

$101 4.7% 35.9% $56

Getting Around

Monterrey

$42 2.6%

Appleton, WI

$10 * 0.5% 75.2% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Monterrey

$41 2.6%

Appleton, WI

$53 2.5% 27.3% $11

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $957 in Monterrey versus $1,501 in Appleton, WI. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 254% higher in Appleton, WI, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Monterrey versus $66.0 in Appleton, WI. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $312 vs $381 – making Monterrey the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🇺🇸 Appleton, WI

🕒 Local time

01:28 1:28 AM

02:28 2:28 AM

1 h ahead of Monterrey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,142,994

74,139

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Monterrey Appleton, WI 2,320 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Monterrey
Appleton, WI

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 Appleton, WI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Appleton, WI is pricier by about 30%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,411 per month in Monterrey and $3,145 in Appleton, WI. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Monterrey, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Monterrey and $66.0 in Appleton, WI. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 22% more in Appleton, WI, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Monterrey, where all-in costs run around $1,607, than in Appleton, WI at $2,097. In Monterrey it covers expenses comfortably, while in Appleton, WI it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Monterrey – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Monterrey. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Appleton, WI makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.