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: $1,692 in Monterrey versus $1,201 in Azcapotzalco.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,638 in Monterrey versus $1,929 in Azcapotzalco.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,583 in Monterrey versus $2,657 in Azcapotzalco.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 41% more expensive than in Azcapotzalco, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 24% above, Azcapotzalco is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.54 MX$251

$11.68 MX$201

24.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.7 MX$908

$47.54 MX$820

10.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.44 MX$197

$8.66 MX$149

32.10%

Cappuccino

$4.29 MX$74.0

$3.70 MX$63.9

15.95%

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

$1.72 MX$29.61

$1.42 MX$24.46

21.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.09

$1.14 MX$19.59

-2.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$50.9

$2.85 MX$49.18

3.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.78 MX$82.4

$4.33 MX$74.7

10.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 MX$35.26

$1.75 MX$30.22

16.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.09 MX$53.2

$2.89 MX$49.90

6.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.88

$1.80 MX$30.99

8.89%

Eggs

$2.65 MX$45.62

$2.52 MX$43.50

5.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.69 MX$219

$8.65 MX$149

46.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.80 MX$169

$9.04 MX$156

8.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 MX$233

$12.46 MX$215

8.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.45 MX$59.6

$2.89 MX$49.88

19.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.27

$1.64 MX$28.30

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.52

$2.00 MX$34.50

11.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 MX$44.07

$1.87 MX$32.16

36.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.40 MX$41.37

$2.12 MX$36.52

13.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 MX$49.60

$1.92 MX$33.14

50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 MX$27.49

$1.51 MX$26.02

5.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 MX$23.06

$1.15 MX$19.81

16.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 MX$89.3

$4.56 MX$78.7

13.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.68 MX$253

$11.48 MX$198

27.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 MX$35.06

$1.91 MX$32.89

6.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 MX$54.6

$3.30 MX$57.0

-3.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 MX$15.88

$0.67 MX$11.50

37.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.50 MX$578

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 MX$33.19

$2.80 MX$48.35

-31.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 MX$20.47

$2.05 MX$35.36

-41.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.75 MX$203

$13.02 MX$225

-9.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 MX$27.17

$1.49 MX$25.66

6.04%

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

$22.2K MX$383.3K

$22.5K MX$388.4K

-1.32%

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

$26.2K MX$451.6K

$26.2K MX$451.7K

-0.02%

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

$124 MX$2,130

$62.0 MX$1,068

99.37%

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

$28.25 MX$487

$23.41 MX$404

20.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.93 MX$481

$31.70 MX$546

-11.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.96 MX$568

$35.90 MX$619

-8.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.09 MX$398

$21.78 MX$375

6.01%

Cinema Ticket

$5.52 MX$95.2

$5.68 MX$97.9

-2.82%

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

$730 MX$12.6K

$250 MX$4,306

192.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K MX$203.7K

$4,822 MX$83.1K

145.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.3 MX$1,385

$59.4 MX$1,024

35.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.45 MX$784

$45.20 MX$779

0.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 MX$2,060

$107 MX$1,839

12.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 MX$2,247

$90.5 MX$1,560

44.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,047 MX$18.1K

$650 MX$11.2K

61.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$728 MX$12.6K

$406 MX$6,994

79.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 MX$34.1K

$1,118 MX$19.3K

76.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,385 MX$23.9K

$831 MX$14.3K

66.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,432 MX$76.4K

$1,983 MX$34.2K

123.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 MX$45.2K

$1,235 MX$21.3K

112.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,168 MX$20.1K

$1,832 MX$31.6K

-36.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.56

11.3

2.30%

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

Last update for Monterrey: September 12, 2026

Last update for Azcapotzalco: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,047 in Monterrey and $650 in Azcapotzalco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Azcapotzalco pays 57% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $53.0 in Monterrey vs $48.00 in Azcapotzalco for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $283 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 41% in total monthly costs ($1,692 vs $1,201 including rent). Azcapotzalco is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 57% 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: $1,047 in Monterrey versus $650 in Azcapotzalco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Monterrey. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,692 per month in Monterrey versus $1,201 in Azcapotzalco – a 41% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,201 in Azcapotzalco versus $1,692 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 41% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.