Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Bayamo

For one person, living is cheaper in Bayamo: $1,498 a month against $1,641 in Monterrey, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index
71

Cost of Living Index in Bayamo
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Bayamo Living Index

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Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,641

/mo nomad

Bayamo

🇨🇺 Cuba

$1,498

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in Bayamo

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 Bayamo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Monterrey versus $1,498 in Bayamo.

Monterrey $1,641
Bayamo $1,498

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,573 in Monterrey versus $2,091 in Bayamo.

Monterrey $2,573
Bayamo $2,091

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,504 in Monterrey versus $2,684 in Bayamo.

Monterrey $3,504
Bayamo $2,684

Living in Monterrey is roughly 10% more expensive than in Bayamo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Monterrey 21% above, Bayamo 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.37 MX$250

$3.32 CUP 79.8

302.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.95 MX$897

$50.6 CUP 1,214

-5.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.79 MX$202

$6.91 CUP 166

56.15%

Cappuccino

$3.77 MX$70.4

$3.28 CUP 78.7

14.94%

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

$1.51 MX$28.26

$1.43 CUP 34.30

5.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 MX$19.25

$1.08 CUP 25.95

-4.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 MX$46.41

$1.97 CUP 47.31

25.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 MX$81.5

$1.71 CUP 40.93

154.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 MX$35.43

$3.04 CUP 73.0

-37.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.85 MX$53.3

$0.97 CUP 23.34

193.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 MX$34.71

$2.97 CUP 71.4

-37.37%

Eggs

$2.47 MX$46.12

$3.56 CUP 85.3

-30.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.81 MX$221

$6.12 CUP 147

92.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.97 MX$168

$6.16 CUP 148

45.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$235

$12.14 CUP 291

3.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.20 MX$59.8

$5.08 CUP 122

-37.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$28.12

$1.23 CUP 29.40

21.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.74

$1.47 CUP 35.16

44.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 MX$43.64

$1.48 CUP 35.61

57.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 MX$41.58

$2.03 CUP 48.70

9.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.58 MX$48.34

$3.03 CUP 72.8

-14.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MX$27.04

$1.02 CUP 24.54

42.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MX$22.85

$1.11 CUP 26.75

9.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.80 MX$89.7

$3.90 CUP 93.5

23.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.30 MX$249

$10.03 CUP 241

32.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 MX$36.14

$2.04 CUP 48.98

-5.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 MX$53.4

$2.04 CUP 48.86

40.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 MX$14.94

$0.19 CUP 4.58

321.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.94 MX$579

$35.29 CUP 847

-12.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.83 MX$34.28

$2.33 CUP 55.9

-21.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 MX$19.78

$0.39 CUP 9.24

171.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.82 MX$202

$19.62 CUP 471

-44.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.54

$1.29 CUP 30.87

13.95%

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

$24.1K MX$450.4K

$75.6K CUP 1.8M

-68.15%

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

$23.5K MX$440.2K

$88.6K CUP 2.1M

-73.44%

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

$115 MX$2,144

$29.72 CUP 713

285.63%

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

$26.37 MX$493

$9.81 CUP 236

168.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.70 MX$481

$250 CUP 5,989

-89.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.53 MX$571

$40.16 CUP 964

-23.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.27 MX$398

$9.82 CUP 236

116.60%

Cinema Ticket

$4.96 MX$92.8

$0.99 CUP 23.72

401.01%

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

$679 MX$12.7K

$95.9 CUP 2,300

608.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.2K MX$265.3K

$15.3K CUP 366.8K

-7.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.2 MX$1,350

$20.22 CUP 485

257.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.94 MX$784

$25.47 CUP 611

64.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 MX$2,011

$70.8 CUP 1,699

51.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 MX$2,219

$55.7 CUP 1,336

113.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,018 MX$19.0K

$427 CUP 10.3K

138.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$722 MX$13.5K

$677 CUP 16.2K

6.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 MX$36.8K

$593 CUP 14.2K

231.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,416 MX$26.5K

$963 CUP 23.1K

46.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,203 MX$78.6K

$398 CUP 9,545

956.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,782 MX$52.0K

$356 CUP 8,554

680.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,096 MX$20.5K

$20.24 CUP 486

5313.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.79

96.50%

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

Last update for Monterrey: November 2, 2026

Last update for Bayamo: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Monterrey

$722 44%

Bayamo

$677 45.2% 6.2% $45

Groceries & Markets

Monterrey

$302 18.4%

Bayamo

$262 17.5% 13.3% $40

Eating Out

Monterrey

$216 13.2%

Bayamo

$110 7.3% 49% $106

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monterrey

$167 10.2%

Bayamo

$289 19.3% 73.4% $122

Clothing & Footwear

Monterrey

$153 9.3%

Bayamo

$77 5.2% 49.4% $76

Getting Around

Monterrey

$41 2.5%

Bayamo

$40 2.7% 2.3% $0.9

Sport & Entertainment

Monterrey

$40 2.5%

Bayamo

$42 2.8% 4.2% $1.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,018 in Monterrey and $427 in Bayamo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays about 54 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $48 in Monterrey vs $51 in Bayamo. Groceries flip the comparison at $302 vs $262, with Bayamo cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🇨🇺 Bayamo

🕒 Local time

13:27 1:27 PM

14:27 2:27 PM

1 h ahead of Monterrey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,142,994

225,567

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Cuban Peso CUP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 EUR

100 CUP = 4.17 USD

100 CUP = 3.73 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CUP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.7 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 20.9 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

Cuban Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 24 CUP (100 CUP = 4.17 USD). 1 EUR = 26.82 CUP (100 CUP = 3.73 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Monterrey Bayamo 2,490 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Monterrey
Bayamo

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 Bayamo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bayamo is about 9% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Monterrey is about 54 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,018 in Monterrey versus $427 in Bayamo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Monterrey – a meal for two runs $48 versus $51 in Bayamo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,641 per month in Monterrey versus $1,498 in Bayamo – Bayamo is about 9% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Bayamo wins on affordability, Monterrey on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.