Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Bel Air, MD

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,641 a month against $2,452 in Bel Air, MD, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 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
123

Cost of Living Index in Bel Air, MD
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Bel Air, MD Living Index

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Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,641

/mo nomad

Bel Air, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,452

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in Bel Air, MD

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 Bel Air, MD actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Monterrey vs $2,452 in Bel Air, MD, rent included.

Monterrey $1,641
Bel Air, MD $2,452

A couple spends around $2,573 per month in Monterrey vs $3,688 in Bel Air, MD, rent included.

Monterrey $2,573
Bel Air, MD $3,688

A family of three spends $3,504 per month in Monterrey vs $4,925 in Bel Air, MD, rent included.

Monterrey $3,504
Bel Air, MD $4,925

Monterrey is about 33% cheaper than Bel Air, MD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Monterrey and Bel Air, MD sit above the global median – Monterrey by 21%, Bel Air, MD by 81%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.37 MX$250

$15.99 $15.99

-16.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.95 MX$897

$67.3 $67.3

-28.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.79 MX$202

$9.85 $9.85

9.54%

Cappuccino

$3.77 MX$70.4

$5.16 $5.16

-26.94%

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

$1.51 MX$28.26

$1.71 $1.71

-11.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 MX$19.25

$1.73 $1.73

-40.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 MX$46.41

$6.49 $6.49

-61.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 MX$81.5

$6.36 $6.36

-31.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 MX$35.43

$1.02 $1.02

85.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.85 MX$53.3

$3.62 $3.62

-21.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 MX$34.71

$4.34 $4.34

-57.14%

Eggs

$2.47 MX$46.12

$4.11 $4.11

-39.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.81 MX$221

$12.56 $12.56

-5.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.97 MX$168

$11.66 $11.66

-23.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$235

$17.35 $17.35

-27.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.20 MX$59.8

$5.11 $5.11

-37.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$28.12

$1.61 $1.61

-6.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.74

$4.42 $4.42

-52.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 MX$43.64

$4.64 $4.64

-49.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 MX$41.58

$2.91 $2.91

-23.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.58 MX$48.34

$2.99 $2.99

-13.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MX$27.04

$2.15 $2.15

-32.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MX$22.85

$2.22 $2.22

-45.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.80 MX$89.7

$10.01 $10.01

-52.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.30 MX$249

$14.98 $14.98

-11.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 MX$36.14

$1.97 $1.97

-2.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 MX$53.4

$3.51 $3.51

-18.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 MX$14.94

$1.86 $1.86

-56.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.94 MX$579

$60.5 $60.5

-48.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.83 MX$34.28

$3.46 $3.46

-47.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 MX$19.78

$1.70 $1.70

-37.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.82 MX$202

$29.96 $29.96

-63.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.54

$1.01 $1.01

45.54%

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

$24.1K MX$450.4K

$28.1K $28.1K

-14.37%

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

$23.5K MX$440.2K

$26.5K $26.5K

-11.30%

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

$115 MX$2,144

$199 $199

-42.28%

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

$26.37 MX$493

$58.1 $58.1

-54.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.70 MX$481

$71.3 $71.3

-63.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.53 MX$571

$43.18 $43.18

-29.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.27 MX$398

$38.38 $38.38

-44.58%

Cinema Ticket

$4.96 MX$92.8

$15.94 $15.94

-68.88%

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

$679 MX$12.7K

$1,361 $1,361

-50.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.2K MX$265.3K

$18.0K $18.0K

-21.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.2 MX$1,350

$47.54 $47.54

51.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.94 MX$784

$39.57 $39.57

5.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 MX$2,011

$80.7 $80.7

33.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 MX$2,219

$122 $122

-2.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,018 MX$19.0K

$1,562 $1,562

-34.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$722 MX$13.5K

$1,160 $1,160

-37.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 MX$36.8K

$2,866 $2,866

-31.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,416 MX$26.5K

$2,082 $2,082

-32.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,203 MX$78.6K

$2,966 $2,966

41.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,782 MX$52.0K

$2,469 $2,469

12.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,096 MX$20.5K

$5,229 $5,229

-79.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.79

6.59

78.91%

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

Last update for Monterrey: November 2, 2026

Last update for Bel Air, MD: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Monterrey

$722 44%

Bel Air, MD

$1.2K 47.3% 60.7% $438

Groceries & Markets

Monterrey

$302 18.4%

Bel Air, MD

$401 16.4% 32.8% $99

Eating Out

Monterrey

$216 13.2%

Bel Air, MD

$278 11.4% 28.9% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monterrey

$167 10.2%

Bel Air, MD

$328 13.4% 96.7% $161

Clothing & Footwear

Monterrey

$153 9.3%

Bel Air, MD

$130 5.3% 14.9% $23

Getting Around

Monterrey

$41 2.5%

Bel Air, MD

$80 3.3% 93.7% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Monterrey

$40 2.5%

Bel Air, MD

$75 3.1% 85.5% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,018 in Monterrey versus $1,562 in Bel Air, MD. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Bel Air, MD are about 4.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Monterrey versus $67 in Bel Air, MD. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $302 vs $401 – making Monterrey the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🇺🇸 Bel Air, MD

🕒 Local time

10:37 10:37 AM

11:37 11:37 AM

1 h ahead of Monterrey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,142,994

8,253

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.76 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 November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.7 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 21.01 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Monterrey Bel Air, MD 2,710 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Monterrey
Bel Air, MD

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 Bel Air, MD: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,641 in Monterrey, $2,452 in Bel Air, MD – Monterrey comes out roughly 33% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,461 per month in Monterrey and $3,678 in Bel Air, MD. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Monterrey, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,018 there versus $1,562 in Bel Air, MD.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,641 in Monterrey and $2,452 in Bel Air, MD. That makes Monterrey about 33% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 49% less in Monterrey. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,641 in Monterrey and $2,452 in Bel Air, MD, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Monterrey – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Monterrey. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bel Air, MD makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.