Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Belfast, ME

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,641 a month against $2,589 in Belfast, ME, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 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
125

Cost of Living Index in Belfast, ME
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Belfast, ME Living Index

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Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,641

/mo nomad

Belfast, ME

🇺🇸 United States

$2,589

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in Belfast, ME

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

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Monterrey vs $2,589 in Belfast, ME, rent included.

Monterrey $1,641
Belfast, ME $2,589

A couple spends around $2,573 per month in Monterrey vs $3,813 in Belfast, ME, rent included.

Monterrey $2,573
Belfast, ME $3,813

A family of three spends $3,504 per month in Monterrey vs $5,037 in Belfast, ME, rent included.

Monterrey $3,504
Belfast, ME $5,037

Monterrey is about 37% cheaper than Belfast, ME, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Monterrey and Belfast, ME sit above the global median – Monterrey by 21%, Belfast, ME by 92%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.37 MX$250

$19.70 $19.70

-32.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.95 MX$897

$74.4 $74.4

-35.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.79 MX$202

$11.57 $11.57

-6.74%

Cappuccino

$3.77 MX$70.4

$5.40 $5.40

-30.19%

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

$1.51 MX$28.26

$2.62 $2.62

-42.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 MX$19.25

$2.04 $2.04

-49.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 MX$46.41

$6.07 $6.07

-59.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 MX$81.5

$7.07 $7.07

-38.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 MX$35.43

$1.06 $1.06

78.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.85 MX$53.3

$3.62 $3.62

-21.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 MX$34.71

$4.50 $4.50

-58.67%

Eggs

$2.47 MX$46.12

$4.21 $4.21

-41.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.81 MX$221

$12.14 $12.14

-2.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.97 MX$168

$10.84 $10.84

-17.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$235

$17.42 $17.42

-27.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.20 MX$59.8

$5.11 $5.11

-37.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$28.12

$1.62 $1.62

-7.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.74

$4.22 $4.22

-49.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 MX$43.64

$4.05 $4.05

-42.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 MX$41.58

$2.89 $2.89

-23.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.58 MX$48.34

$3.03 $3.03

-14.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MX$27.04

$2.20 $2.20

-34.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MX$22.85

$2.14 $2.14

-42.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.80 MX$89.7

$10.06 $10.06

-52.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.30 MX$249

$14.83 $14.83

-10.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 MX$36.14

$1.82 $1.82

6.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 MX$53.4

$3.39 $3.39

-15.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 MX$14.94

$2.12 $2.12

-62.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.94 MX$579

$61.4 $61.4

-49.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.83 MX$34.28

$3.82 $3.82

-52.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 MX$19.78

$1.66 $1.66

-36.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.82 MX$202

$31.77 $31.77

-65.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.54

$0.98 $0.98

50.00%

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

$24.1K MX$450.4K

$27.3K $27.3K

-11.63%

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

$23.5K MX$440.2K

$26.1K $26.1K

-9.95%

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

$115 MX$2,144

$200 $200

-42.65%

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

$26.37 MX$493

$57.5 $57.5

-54.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.70 MX$481

$68.6 $68.6

-62.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.53 MX$571

$41.30 $41.30

-26.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.27 MX$398

Cinema Ticket

$4.96 MX$92.8

$12.84 $12.84

-61.37%

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

$679 MX$12.7K

$1,362 $1,362

-50.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.2K MX$265.3K

$21.5K $21.5K

-34.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.2 MX$1,350

$53.5 $53.5

34.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.94 MX$784

$41.34 $41.34

1.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 MX$2,011

$87.7 $87.7

22.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 MX$2,219

$113 $113

4.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,018 MX$19.0K

$1,605 $1,605

-36.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$722 MX$13.5K

$1,269 $1,269

-43.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 MX$36.8K

$2,525 $2,525

-22.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,416 MX$26.5K

$2,138 $2,138

-33.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,203 MX$78.6K

$2,816 $2,816

49.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,782 MX$52.0K

$2,334 $2,334

19.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,096 MX$20.5K

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 Belfast, ME: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Monterrey

$722 44%

Belfast, ME

$1.3K 49% 75.9% $548

Groceries & Markets

Monterrey

$302 18.4%

Belfast, ME

$392 15.1% 29.7% $90

Eating Out

Monterrey

$216 13.2%

Belfast, ME

$320 12.4% 48.4% $104

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monterrey

$167 10.2%

Belfast, ME

$326 12.6% 95.5% $159

Clothing & Footwear

Monterrey

$153 9.3%

Belfast, ME

$133 5.1% 13.1% $20

Getting Around

Monterrey

$41 2.5%

Belfast, ME

$82 3.2% 98.7% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Monterrey

$40 2.5%

Belfast, ME

$67 2.6% 65.6% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,018 in Monterrey versus $1,605 in Belfast, ME. 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 $48 in Monterrey versus $74 in Belfast, ME. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $302 vs $392 – making Monterrey the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🇺🇸 Belfast, ME

🕒 Local time

14:51 2:51 PM

15:51 3:51 PM

1 h ahead of Monterrey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,142,994

6,800

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 EUR

1 USD = 0.895 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 = 20.9 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Monterrey Belfast, ME 3,500 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Monterrey
Belfast, ME

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 Belfast, ME: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Belfast, ME is pricier by about 58%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,461 per month in Monterrey and $3,884 in Belfast, ME. 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 $1,605 in Belfast, ME.

Public transport costs about 50% less in Monterrey. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $679 per month in Monterrey and $1,362 in Belfast, ME. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,641 in Monterrey and $2,589 in Belfast, ME, 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.

For expats, Monterrey is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 37% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.