Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Bahia de Caraquez

For one person, living is cheaper in Bahia de Caraquez: $806 a month against $1,608 in Monterrey, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Bahia de Caraquez
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Bahia de Caraquez Living Index

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Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Bahia de Caraquez

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$806

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in Bahia de Caraquez

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Monterrey and in Bahia de Caraquez actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,608 per month in Monterrey vs $806 in Bahia de Caraquez, rent included.

Monterrey $1,608
Bahia de Caraquez $806

A couple spends around $2,521 per month in Monterrey vs $1,384 in Bahia de Caraquez, rent included.

Monterrey $2,521
Bahia de Caraquez $1,384

A family of three spends $3,433 per month in Monterrey vs $1,963 in Bahia de Caraquez, rent included.

Monterrey $3,433
Bahia de Caraquez $1,963

Monterrey costs about 100% more than Bahia de Caraquez, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Monterrey sits 19% above the global median, while Bahia de Caraquez is 40% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.85 MX$256

$3.96 $3.96

249.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.70 MX$918

$51.6 $51.6

-3.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.05 MX$204

$9.16 $9.16

20.63%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$75.6

$2.81 $2.81

45.55%

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

$1.68 MX$30.97

$0.93 $0.93

80.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 MX$18.98

$0.75 $0.75

37.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 MX$44.28

$2.97 $2.97

-19.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 MX$80.3

$4.22 $4.22

3.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 MX$35.55

$1.20 $1.20

60.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 MX$54.2

$1.98 $1.98

48.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$34.66

$1.41 $1.41

33.33%

Eggs

$2.55 MX$47.06

$2.08 $2.08

22.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.84 MX$219

$7.07 $7.07

67.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 MX$173

$5.11 $5.11

83.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 MX$242

$9.05 $9.05

44.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 MX$62.5

$1.47 $1.47

129.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 MX$28.13

$1.16 $1.16

31.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.51

$0.97 $0.97

125.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$43.63

$0.96 $0.96

145.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$41.76

$1.22 $1.22

85.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.73 MX$50.5

$0.98 $0.98

178.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 MX$28.17

$0.87 $0.87

74.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$22.90

$0.99 $0.99

25.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.75 MX$87.8

$6.11 $6.11

-22.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.66 MX$252

$12.08 $12.08

13.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 MX$34.95

$1.57 $1.57

20.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 MX$55.2

$2.12 $2.12

41.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 MX$15.78

$0.37 $0.37

129.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.95 MX$572

$16.54 $16.54

87.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 MX$30.98

$1.39 $1.39

20.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 MX$20.87

$1.79 $1.79

-36.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.15 MX$206

$12.18 $12.18

-8.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 MX$28.91

$0.83 $0.83

87.95%

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

$21.4K MX$395.8K

$20.6K $20.6K

3.80%

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

$25.1K MX$463.2K

$31.6K $31.6K

-20.69%

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

$119 MX$2,206

$39.59 $39.59

201.57%

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

$26.21 MX$484

$15.13 $15.13

73.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.78 MX$495

$26.61 $26.61

0.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.03 MX$573

$29.01 $29.01

6.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.43 MX$396

$17.11 $17.11

25.25%

Cinema Ticket

$5.29 MX$97.7

$7.54 $7.54

-29.84%

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

$691 MX$12.8K

$369 $369

87.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K MX$212.1K

$5,654 $5,654

102.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.3 MX$1,335

$65.7 $65.7

10.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.72 MX$789

$40.86 $40.86

4.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 MX$2,024

$125 $125

-12.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,158

$92.6 $92.6

26.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$970 MX$17.9K

$261 $261

271.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$664 MX$12.3K

$183 $183

262.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,857 MX$34.3K

$765 $765

142.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 MX$23.8K

$439 $439

193.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,162 MX$76.9K

$1,253 $1,253

232.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,349 MX$43.4K

$791 $791

196.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,146 MX$21.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.79

10.05

17.31%

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

Last update for Monterrey: October 10, 2026

Last update for Bahia de Caraquez: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Monterrey

$664 41.3%

Bahia de Caraquez

$183 22.7% 72.4% $481

Groceries & Markets

Monterrey

$310 19.3%

Bahia de Caraquez

$200 24.8% 35.6% $111

Eating Out

Monterrey

$225 14%

Bahia de Caraquez

$123 15.3% 45.3% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monterrey

$172 10.7%

Bahia de Caraquez

$81 10.1% 52.8% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Monterrey

$154 9.6%

Bahia de Caraquez

$146 18.1% 5% $7.7

Getting Around

Monterrey

$42 2.6%

Bahia de Caraquez

$28 3.5% 32% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Monterrey

$42 2.6%

Bahia de Caraquez

$44 5.5% 6% $2.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $970 in Monterrey versus $261 in Bahia de Caraquez. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Monterrey versus $52.0 in Bahia de Caraquez. Groceries tell a different story – $310 in Monterrey vs $200 in Bahia de Caraquez – so Bahia de Caraquez wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🇪🇨 Bahia de Caraquez

🕒 Local time

16:32 4:32 PM

17:32 5:32 PM

1 h ahead of Monterrey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,142,994

24,963

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Monterrey Bahia de Caraquez 3,620 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Monterrey
Bahia de Caraquez

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Bahia de Caraquez: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,608 in Monterrey, $806 in Bahia de Caraquez – roughly 100% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,412 per month in Monterrey and $1,208 in Bahia de Caraquez. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bahia de Caraquez, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $691 per month in Monterrey and $369 in Bahia de Caraquez. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 55% more in Monterrey, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bahia de Caraquez, where all-in costs run around $806, than in Monterrey at $1,608. In Bahia de Caraquez it covers expenses comfortably, while in Monterrey it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Bahia de Caraquez has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $806 in Bahia de Caraquez to $1,608 in Monterrey. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Bahia de Caraquez. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Monterrey makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.