Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Baytown, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,599 a month against $2,424 in Baytown, TX, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Baytown, TX
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Baytown, TX Living Index

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Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,599

/mo nomad

Baytown, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,424

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in Baytown, TX

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,599 in Monterrey versus $2,424 in Baytown, TX.

Monterrey $1,599
Baytown, TX $2,424

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,493 in Monterrey versus $3,066 in Baytown, TX.

Monterrey $2,493
Baytown, TX $3,066

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,387 in Monterrey versus $3,707 in Baytown, TX.

Monterrey $3,387
Baytown, TX $3,707

Living in Monterrey costs roughly 34% less than in Baytown, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Monterrey 18% above, Baytown, TX 79% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.80 MX$255

$19.61 $19.61

-29.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.99 MX$887

$40.32 $40.32

19.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$197

$11.08 $11.08

-3.88%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$73.7

$5.44 $5.44

-26.65%

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

$1.66 MX$30.76

$2.24 $2.24

-25.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 MX$18.21

$1.80 $1.80

-45.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 MX$43.64

$5.27 $5.27

-55.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 MX$81.8

$5.70 $5.70

-22.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 MX$33.58

$1.14 $1.14

59.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.83 MX$52.4

$2.39 $2.39

18.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.44

$5.72 $5.72

-66.43%

Eggs

$2.48 MX$45.78

$3.65 $3.65

-32.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.74 MX$217

$8.78 $8.78

33.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.10 MX$168

$10.14 $10.14

-10.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.53 MX$232

$21.78 $21.78

-42.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.34 MX$61.6

$4.51 $4.51

-25.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$29.10

$1.02 $1.02

53.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.16 MX$39.86

$5.60 $5.60

-61.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 MX$45.65

$5.42 $5.42

-54.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$42.64

$2.68 $2.68

-13.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.68 MX$49.47

$5.43 $5.43

-50.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$26.90

$1.22 $1.22

19.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$22.07

$2.01 $2.01

-40.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.75 MX$87.8

$5.94 $5.94

-20.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.58 MX$251

$11.48 $11.48

18.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 MX$35.52

$3.54 $3.54

-45.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$53.2

$3.97 $3.97

-27.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 MX$14.66

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.36 MX$579

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.59 MX$29.44

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 MX$19.58

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.80 MX$200

$14.91 $14.91

-27.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$28.59

$0.93 $0.93

66.67%

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

$24.2K MX$446.4K

$48.1K $48.1K

-49.74%

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

$24.3K MX$449.4K

$24.8K $24.8K

-2.08%

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

$117 MX$2,159

$196 $196

-40.48%

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

$26.38 MX$488

$39.52 $39.52

-33.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.04 MX$481

$68.3 $68.3

-61.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.26 MX$559

$14.86 $14.86

103.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.25 MX$393

Cinema Ticket

$5.23 MX$96.6

$9.18 $9.18

-43.03%

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

$673 MX$12.4K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K MX$205.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.1 MX$1,332

$36.77 $36.77

96.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.38 MX$783

$20.09 $20.09

110.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$2,066

$63.7 $63.7

75.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 MX$2,200

$65.9 $65.9

80.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$949 MX$17.5K

$1,280 $1,280

-25.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$666 MX$12.3K

$1,304 $1,304

-48.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,821 MX$33.7K

$1,823 $1,823

-0.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 MX$23.5K

$1,381 $1,381

-7.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,050 MX$74.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,348 MX$43.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,155 MX$21.3K

$3,645 $3,645

-68.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.79

6.71

75.71%

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

Last update for Monterrey: October 18, 2026

Last update for Baytown, TX: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Monterrey

$666 41.7%

Baytown, TX

$1.3K 53.8% 95.7% $637

Groceries & Markets

Monterrey

$304 19%

Baytown, TX

$390 16.1% 28.1% $85

Eating Out

Monterrey

$221 13.9%

Baytown, TX

$309 12.8% 39.7% $88

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monterrey

$169 10.6%

Baytown, TX

$304 12.5% 79.6% $135

Clothing & Footwear

Monterrey

$155 9.7%

Baytown, TX

$84 3.5% 46% $72

Getting Around

Monterrey

$41 2.6%

Baytown, TX

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Monterrey

$41 2.6%

Baytown, TX

$33 1.4% 18.4% $7.5

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $949 in Monterrey and $1,280 in Baytown, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Baytown, TX pays 215% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $48.00 in Monterrey vs $40.00 in Baytown, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $304 vs $390, with Monterrey cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🇺🇸 Baytown, TX

🕒 Local time

10:51 10:51 AM

11:51 11:51 AM

1 h ahead of Monterrey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,142,994

75,418

💱 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 22, 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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Monterrey Baytown, TX 690 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Monterrey
Baytown, TX

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 Baytown, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey wins on cost – living expenses run 52% lower than in Baytown, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Monterrey the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 215% lower in Baytown, TX. 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: $949 in Monterrey versus $1,280 in Baytown, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,599 per month in Monterrey versus $2,424 in Baytown, TX – a 52% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Baytown, TX. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,599 in Monterrey versus $2,424 in Baytown, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Monterrey but tight or insufficient in Baytown, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Monterrey the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Monterrey delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,599 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Monterrey hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Monterrey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Baytown, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.