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: $1,581 in Monterrey versus $1,085 in Azcapotzalco.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,534 in Monterrey versus $1,740 in Azcapotzalco.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,488 in Monterrey versus $2,395 in Azcapotzalco.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 46% more expensive than in Azcapotzalco, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.12 MX$227

$10.38 MX$180

26.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 MX$899

$39.67 MX$686

30.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.46 MX$181

$8.01 MX$139

30.59%

Cappuccino

$3.73 MX$64.5

$3.38 MX$58.4

10.36%

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

$1.40 MX$24.23

$1.30 MX$22.44

7.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.05 MX$18.17

$0.95 MX$16.44

10.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.69 MX$46.49

$2.36 MX$40.88

13.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 MX$74.9

$3.87 MX$67.0

11.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 MX$28.77

$1.44 MX$24.84

15.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.74

$2.60 MX$44.98

1.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.94

$1.61 MX$27.90

21.74%

Eggs

$2.62 MX$45.41

$2.38 MX$41.23

10.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.49 MX$181

$8.10 MX$140

29.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.88 MX$154

$7.99 MX$138

11.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 MX$235

$10.54 MX$182

28.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$52.8

$2.60 MX$44.94

17.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 MX$25.36

$1.45 MX$25.06

1.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.22

$1.77 MX$30.63

15.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.73

$1.59 MX$27.50

30.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 MX$40.47

$1.85 MX$32.07

26.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.52 MX$43.52

$1.96 MX$33.84

28.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 MX$27.17

$1.19 MX$20.66

31.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$0.98 MX$16.94

14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$4.10 MX$71.0

4.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.06 MX$243

$10.78 MX$187

30.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 MX$31.00

$1.59 MX$27.54

12.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 MX$53.5

$2.86 MX$49.46

8.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 MX$14.19

$0.60 MX$10.44

36.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.01 MX$692

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.75 MX$30.28

$2.56 MX$44.30

-31.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 MX$16.78

$1.59 MX$27.54

-38.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.63 MX$184

$8.39 MX$145

26.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 MX$23.65

$1.33 MX$22.99

3.01%

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

$26.3K MX$455.2K

$21.6K MX$373.3K

21.95%

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

$25.5K MX$441.3K

$22.3K MX$386.3K

14.23%

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

$123 MX$2,125

$57.1 MX$988

114.99%

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

$27.58 MX$477

$22.40 MX$387

23.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.78 MX$515

$28.66 MX$496

3.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.38 MX$664

$36.40 MX$630

5.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.94 MX$380

$15.56 MX$269

41.00%

Cinema Ticket

$5.86 MX$101

$4.58 MX$79.2

27.95%

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

$347 MX$6,004

$203 MX$3,514

70.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,938 MX$154.6K

$3,645 MX$63.1K

145.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.2 MX$1,006

$52.2 MX$903

11.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.19 MX$747

$39.64 MX$686

8.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$1,884

$89.7 MX$1,552

21.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 MX$2,187

$78.2 MX$1,353

61.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 MX$15.6K

$517 MX$8,936

74.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$661 MX$11.4K

$398 MX$6,880

66.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 MX$27.6K

$946 MX$16.4K

68.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,398 MX$24.2K

$765 MX$13.2K

82.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,267 MX$73.8K

$1,911 MX$33.1K

123.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,840 MX$49.1K

$1,214 MX$21.0K

134.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,135 MX$19.6K

$1,837 MX$31.8K

-38.23%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Azcapotzalco: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $903 in Monterrey and $517 in Azcapotzalco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Azcapotzalco pays 62% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $52.0 in Monterrey vs $40.00 in Azcapotzalco for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $296 vs $250 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 46% in total monthly costs ($1,581 vs $1,085 including rent). Azcapotzalco is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 62% lower in Azcapotzalco. 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: $903 in Monterrey versus $517 in Azcapotzalco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Monterrey. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,581 per month in Monterrey versus $1,085 in Azcapotzalco – a 46% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,085 in Azcapotzalco versus $1,581 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 46% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.