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: $1,618 in Monterrey versus $1,186 in Atotonilco el Alto.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Monterrey versus $1,881 in Atotonilco el Alto.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,552 in Monterrey versus $2,576 in Atotonilco el Alto.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 37% more expensive than in Atotonilco el Alto, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 21% above, Atotonilco el Alto is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.41 MX$235

$9.83 MX$172

36.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.7 MX$924

$46.43 MX$814

13.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.11 MX$177

$7.83 MX$137

29.12%

Cappuccino

$3.73 MX$65.4

$3.56 MX$62.4

4.78%

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

$1.44 MX$25.31

$1.27 MX$22.21

13.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 MX$17.60

$0.95 MX$16.62

5.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.67 MX$46.81

$2.34 MX$40.98

14.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.20 MX$73.6

$4.12 MX$72.3

1.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 MX$29.19

$1.56 MX$27.33

6.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.63

$2.57 MX$45.04

5.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 MX$34.18

$1.96 MX$34.40

-0.51%

Eggs

$2.66 MX$46.71

$2.40 MX$42.04

10.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.21 MX$179

$8.29 MX$145

23.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.91 MX$156

$9.41 MX$165

-5.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.78 MX$242

$12.99 MX$228

6.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 MX$53.3

$3.63 MX$63.7

-16.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 MX$24.60

$1.53 MX$26.76

-8.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 MX$35.34

$1.93 MX$33.80

4.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 MX$36.37

$1.78 MX$31.29

16.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 MX$40.66

$1.71 MX$29.99

35.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.55 MX$44.78

$1.81 MX$31.67

40.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 MX$26.48

$1.26 MX$22.09

19.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.93

$1.11 MX$19.39

-2.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 MX$74.5

$4.18 MX$73.3

1.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.28 MX$250

$16.88 MX$296

-15.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 MX$31.32

$1.95 MX$34.22

-8.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$3.25 MX$56.9

-2.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 MX$13.54

$0.66 MX$11.56

16.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.89 MX$717

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.76 MX$30.81

$3.14 MX$55.0

-43.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 MX$17.39

$1.19 MX$20.94

-16.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.39 MX$182

$9.29 MX$163

11.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.55

$1.25 MX$21.94

7.20%

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

$26.6K MX$467.3K

$20.1K MX$351.9K

32.81%

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

$25.6K MX$448.3K

$20.5K MX$358.8K

24.95%

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

$121 MX$2,128

$63.4 MX$1,112

91.33%

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

$27.40 MX$481

$24.16 MX$424

13.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.75 MX$522

$28.24 MX$495

5.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.46 MX$657

$36.15 MX$634

3.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.78 MX$382

$15.81 MX$277

37.76%

Cinema Ticket

$5.75 MX$101

$6.13 MX$107

-6.20%

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

$348 MX$6,098

$322 MX$5,655

7.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,983 MX$157.6K

$4,874 MX$85.5K

84.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 MX$1,037

$50.5 MX$886

17.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.88 MX$735

$42.08 MX$738

-0.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 MX$1,880

$99.6 MX$1,747

7.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 MX$2,249

$96.0 MX$1,684

33.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$889 MX$15.6K

$519 MX$9,096

71.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$646 MX$11.3K

$392 MX$6,881

64.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,577 MX$27.7K

$938 MX$16.4K

68.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,378 MX$24.2K

$755 MX$13.2K

82.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,238 MX$74.3K

$2,061 MX$36.1K

105.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,757 MX$48.4K

$1,182 MX$20.7K

133.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,133 MX$19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

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

Last update for Monterrey: July 11, 2026

Last update for Atotonilco el Alto: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $889 in Monterrey and $519 in Atotonilco el Alto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $53.0 in Monterrey vs $46.00 in Atotonilco el Alto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $296 vs $291 per month, with Atotonilco el Alto cheaper across the board.

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 37% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,428 in Monterrey and $1,778 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: $889 in Monterrey versus $519 in Atotonilco el Alto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $348 in Monterrey versus $322 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 $46.00 versus $53.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,186 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $1,618 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 37% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.