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: $1,604 in Monterrey versus $1,093 in Azcapotzalco.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,594 in Monterrey versus $1,759 in Azcapotzalco.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,584 in Monterrey versus $2,424 in Azcapotzalco.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 47% more expensive than in Azcapotzalco, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 20% above, Azcapotzalco is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.25 MX$230

$10.53 MX$183

25.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 MX$902

$39.28 MX$682

32.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.16 MX$176

$8.09 MX$140

25.59%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.2

$3.28 MX$56.8

12.80%

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

$1.44 MX$25.01

$1.24 MX$21.49

16.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.05 MX$18.15

$0.96 MX$16.73

9.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 MX$44.48

$2.44 MX$42.36

4.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.26 MX$74.0

$3.95 MX$68.6

7.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.87

$1.49 MX$25.84

8.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.95

$2.50 MX$43.31

8.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.40

$1.56 MX$27.13

19.87%

Eggs

$2.63 MX$45.56

$2.30 MX$39.90

14.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.14 MX$176

$8.24 MX$143

23.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.03 MX$157

$7.95 MX$138

13.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.37 MX$232

$10.50 MX$182

27.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 MX$55.3

$2.58 MX$44.83

23.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 MX$24.20

$1.46 MX$25.37

-4.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.77

$1.78 MX$30.81

12.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.27

$1.65 MX$28.60

26.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 MX$38.81

$1.86 MX$32.27

20.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.51 MX$43.59

$1.93 MX$33.41

30.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 MX$26.30

$1.25 MX$21.61

21.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.65

$0.99 MX$17.12

8.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.32 MX$75.1

$4.29 MX$74.5

0.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.78 MX$257

$10.68 MX$185

38.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 MX$30.75

$1.59 MX$27.63

11.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 MX$53.0

$2.72 MX$47.14

12.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 MX$13.99

$0.61 MX$10.61

32.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.93 MX$693

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.73 MX$30.07

$2.65 MX$45.94

-34.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 MX$17.33

$1.55 MX$26.94

-35.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.40 MX$180

$8.49 MX$147

22.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.26

$1.31 MX$22.79

2.29%

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

$26.9K MX$467.3K

$21.4K MX$370.6K

26.09%

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

$25.6K MX$445.1K

$22.8K MX$395.5K

12.55%

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

$120 MX$2,089

$57.2 MX$992

110.55%

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

$26.90 MX$467

$21.77 MX$378

23.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.12 MX$523

$28.19 MX$489

6.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 MX$657

$35.76 MX$621

5.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.69 MX$377

$15.62 MX$271

38.86%

Cinema Ticket

$5.94 MX$103

$4.60 MX$79.9

29.13%

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

$338 MX$5,873

$210 MX$3,650

60.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,935 MX$155.1K

$3,554 MX$61.7K

151.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.8 MX$1,020

$53.4 MX$927

10.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.17 MX$749

$39.15 MX$679

10.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 MX$1,902

$90.2 MX$1,566

21.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 MX$2,248

$79.6 MX$1,381

62.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$898 MX$15.6K

$510 MX$8,845

76.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$643 MX$11.2K

$400 MX$6,942

60.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 MX$28.0K

$941 MX$16.3K

71.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,405 MX$24.4K

$766 MX$13.3K

83.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,411 MX$76.6K

$2,011 MX$34.9K

119.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,937 MX$51.0K

$1,270 MX$22.0K

131.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,108 MX$19.2K

$1,861 MX$32.3K

-40.47%

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: June 13, 2026

Last update for Azcapotzalco: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $898 in Monterrey and $510 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: $52.0 in Monterrey vs $39.00 in Azcapotzalco for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 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 47% in total monthly costs ($1,604 vs $1,093 including rent). Azcapotzalco is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 68% 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: $898 in Monterrey versus $510 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 $1,604 per month in Monterrey versus $1,093 in Azcapotzalco – a 47% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,093 in Azcapotzalco versus $1,604 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 47% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.