Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Azcapotzalco Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Azcapotzalco

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,595 in Monterrey versus $1,110 in Azcapotzalco.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,536 in Monterrey versus $1,738 in Azcapotzalco.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,477 in Monterrey versus $2,365 in Azcapotzalco.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 44% more expensive than Azcapotzalco, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 19% above, Azcapotzalco is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.02 MX$228

$10.51 MX$184

23.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.6 MX$938

$38.91 MX$681

37.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.17 MX$178

$8.12 MX$142

25.25%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$3.28 MX$57.4

14.33%

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

$1.44 MX$25.24

$1.23 MX$21.48

17.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.16

$0.90 MX$15.79

15.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 MX$45.11

$2.34 MX$40.89

10.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 MX$71.9

$3.95 MX$69.1

4.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 MX$29.31

$1.49 MX$26.01

12.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.63 MX$46.07

$2.59 MX$45.36

1.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.81

$1.58 MX$27.63

22.15%

Eggs

$2.60 MX$45.51

$2.30 MX$40.28

13.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.47 MX$183

$8.12 MX$142

28.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.07 MX$159

$7.66 MX$134

18.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.42 MX$235

$10.47 MX$183

28.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 MX$55.2

$2.71 MX$47.42

16.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 MX$24.58

$1.46 MX$25.56

-4.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.60

$1.70 MX$29.83

22.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.56

$1.60 MX$27.91

30.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 MX$40.64

$1.93 MX$33.86

20.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.53 MX$44.35

$1.93 MX$33.74

31.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$27.16

$1.20 MX$20.96

29.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.50

$0.98 MX$17.18

13.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 MX$74.4

$4.21 MX$73.7

0.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.83 MX$207

$11.14 MX$195

6.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 MX$31.46

$1.55 MX$27.06

16.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 MX$54.5

$2.77 MX$48.56

12.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 MX$13.16

$0.62 MX$10.79

20.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.49 MX$691

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.76 MX$30.78

$2.60 MX$45.52

-32.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 MX$17.35

$1.61 MX$28.13

-38.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.60 MX$186

$8.47 MX$148

25.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.88

$1.26 MX$22.09

3.97%

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

$26.6K MX$465.7K

$21.1K MX$369.1K

26.17%

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

$25.7K MX$450.3K

$22.1K MX$386.9K

16.38%

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

$124 MX$2,164

$57.4 MX$1,005

115.29%

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

$27.80 MX$486

$22.23 MX$389

25.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.57 MX$517

$28.36 MX$496

4.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.39 MX$672

$36.42 MX$637

5.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.87 MX$383

$15.84 MX$277

38.07%

Cinema Ticket

$5.95 MX$104

$4.54 MX$79.4

31.06%

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

$337 MX$5,896

$208 MX$3,646

61.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,908 MX$155.9K

$3,572 MX$62.5K

149.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,020

$53.6 MX$937

8.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.99 MX$735

$40.10 MX$702

4.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$1,897

$90.3 MX$1,580

20.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 MX$2,207

$80.0 MX$1,399

57.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$911 MX$15.9K

$516 MX$9,031

76.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$660 MX$11.5K

$390 MX$6,833

68.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,570 MX$27.5K

$948 MX$16.6K

65.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,426 MX$25.0K

$768 MX$13.4K

85.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,178 MX$73.1K

$2,001 MX$35.0K

108.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,845 MX$49.8K

$1,262 MX$22.1K

125.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,113 MX$19.5K

$1,872 MX$32.8K

-40.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

11.48

0.61%

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

Last update for Monterrey: April 27, 2026

Last update for Azcapotzalco: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $911 in Monterrey and $516 in Azcapotzalco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Azcapotzalco pays 68% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $54.0 in Monterrey vs $39.00 in Azcapotzalco for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $249 per month, with Azcapotzalco 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 Azcapotzalco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey and Azcapotzalco differ by about 44% in total monthly costs ($1,595 vs $1,110 including rent). Azcapotzalco is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Azcapotzalco earns 68% less. 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: $911 in Monterrey versus $516 in Azcapotzalco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Monterrey. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,595 per month in Monterrey versus $1,110 in Azcapotzalco – a 44% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,110 in Azcapotzalco versus $1,595 in Monterrey, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Azcapotzalco but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes Azcapotzalco 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.

Expats usually find Azcapotzalco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.