Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Atotonilco el Alto Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Atotonilco el Alto

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,692 in Monterrey versus $1,284 in Atotonilco el Alto.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,638 in Monterrey versus $2,128 in Atotonilco el Alto.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,583 in Monterrey versus $2,972 in Atotonilco el Alto.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 32% more expensive than in Atotonilco el Alto, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 24% above, Atotonilco el Alto is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.54 MX$250

$11.77 MX$202

23.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.7 MX$904

$65.9 MX$1,132

-20.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.44 MX$196

$9.38 MX$161

21.96%

Cappuccino

$4.29 MX$73.7

$3.77 MX$64.7

13.79%

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

$1.72 MX$29.48

$1.79 MX$30.71

-3.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.00

$1.14 MX$19.64

-2.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$50.7

$3.69 MX$63.3

-20.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.78 MX$82.1

$5.74 MX$98.5

-16.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 MX$35.10

$1.96 MX$33.72

4.08%

White Bread (500g)

$3.09 MX$53.0

$2.88 MX$49.43

7.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.72

$2.07 MX$35.57

-5.31%

Eggs

$2.65 MX$45.42

$2.99 MX$51.4

-11.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.69 MX$218

$9.31 MX$160

36.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.80 MX$168

$9.55 MX$164

2.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 MX$232

$14.31 MX$246

-5.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.45 MX$59.3

$3.70 MX$63.5

-6.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.14

$1.70 MX$29.16

-3.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.35

$2.31 MX$39.72

-3.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 MX$43.87

$2.00 MX$34.33

28.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.40 MX$41.19

$2.00 MX$34.32

20.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 MX$49.38

$1.93 MX$33.05

49.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 MX$27.37

$1.65 MX$28.24

-3.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 MX$22.96

$1.24 MX$21.33

8.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 MX$88.9

$4.80 MX$82.4

7.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.68 MX$252

$18.86 MX$324

-22.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 MX$34.91

$2.44 MX$41.90

-16.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 MX$54.4

$4.40 MX$75.5

-27.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 MX$15.80

$0.77 MX$13.24

19.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.50 MX$575

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 MX$33.04

$3.52 MX$60.3

-45.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 MX$20.38

$2.78 MX$47.80

-57.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.75 MX$202

$11.50 MX$197

2.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 MX$27.05

$1.64 MX$28.23

-3.66%

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

$22.2K MX$381.5K

$22.6K MX$388.4K

-1.77%

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

$26.2K MX$449.6K

$25.3K MX$434.6K

3.46%

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

$124 MX$2,120

$65.6 MX$1,126

88.33%

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

$28.25 MX$485

$28.73 MX$493

-1.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.93 MX$479

$27.12 MX$465

2.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.96 MX$566

$39.72 MX$682

-17.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.09 MX$396

$24.52 MX$421

-5.83%

Cinema Ticket

$5.52 MX$94.8

$7.85 MX$135

-29.68%

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

$730 MX$12.5K

$279 MX$4,789

161.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K MX$202.8K

$5,373 MX$92.2K

119.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.3 MX$1,379

$56.5 MX$970

42.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.45 MX$780

$48.41 MX$831

-6.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 MX$2,051

$106 MX$1,814

13.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 MX$2,237

$104 MX$1,786

25.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,047 MX$18.0K

$637 MX$10.9K

64.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$728 MX$12.5K

$387 MX$6,640

88.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 MX$33.9K

$1,233 MX$21.2K

60.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,385 MX$23.8K

$763 MX$13.1K

81.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,432 MX$76.1K

$1,714 MX$29.4K

158.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 MX$45.0K

$1,238 MX$21.2K

111.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,168 MX$20.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.56

11.99

-3.59%

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

Last update for Monterrey: September 12, 2026

Last update for Atotonilco el Alto: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,047 in Monterrey and $637 in Atotonilco el Alto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $53.0 in Monterrey vs $66.0 in Atotonilco el Alto. Groceries flip the comparison at $328 vs $325, with Atotonilco el Alto cheaper for home cooking.

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 Atotonilco el Alto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Atotonilco el Alto is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 32% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,539 in Monterrey and $1,926 in Atotonilco el Alto to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,047 in Monterrey versus $637 in Atotonilco el Alto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $730 in Monterrey versus $279 in Atotonilco el Alto. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Atotonilco el Alto – a meal for two runs $66.0 versus $53.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,284 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $1,692 in Monterrey, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Atotonilco el Alto but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes Atotonilco el Alto the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Atotonilco el Alto is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Monterrey, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Monterrey and Atotonilco el Alto 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 Atotonilco el Alto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.