Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Brownwood, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,599 a month against $1,712 in Brownwood, TX, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Monterrey
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,599
/mo nomad
Brownwood, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$1,712
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in Brownwood, 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 Brownwood, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,599 per month in Monterrey vs $1,712 in Brownwood, TX, rent included.

  • Monterrey $1,599
  • Brownwood, TX $1,712

A couple spends around $2,493 per month in Monterrey vs $2,646 in Brownwood, TX, rent included.

  • Monterrey $2,493
  • Brownwood, TX $2,646

A family of three spends $3,387 per month in Monterrey vs $3,579 in Brownwood, TX, rent included.

  • Monterrey $3,387
  • Brownwood, TX $3,579

Monterrey is about 7% cheaper than Brownwood, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Monterrey and Brownwood, TX sit above the global median – Monterrey by 18%, Brownwood, TX by 26%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Monterrey
Brownwood, TX
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.80 MX$255
$13.58 $13.58
1.62%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.99 MX$887
$78.4 $78.4
-38.76%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.65 MX$197
$9.83 $9.83
8.34%
Cappuccino
$3.99 MX$73.7
$5.31 $5.31
-24.86%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.66 MX$30.76
$2.41 $2.41
-31.12%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.99 MX$18.21
$1.75 $1.75
-43.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.36 MX$43.64
$6.76 $6.76
-65.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.43 MX$81.8
$7.32 $7.32
-39.48%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Monterrey
Brownwood, TX
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.82 MX$33.58
$0.71 $0.71
156.34%
White Bread (500g)
$2.83 MX$52.4
$1.42 $1.42
99.30%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.92 MX$35.44
$2.07 $2.07
-7.25%
Eggs
$2.48 MX$45.78
$2.03 $2.03
22.17%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.74 MX$217
$7.91 $7.91
48.42%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.10 MX$168
$8.91 $8.91
2.13%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.53 MX$232
$13.38 $13.38
-6.35%
Apples (1kg)
$3.34 MX$61.6
$2.99 $2.99
11.71%
Banana (1kg)
$1.57 MX$29.10
$1.25 $1.25
25.60%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.16 MX$39.86
$2.69 $2.69
-19.70%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.47 MX$45.65
$2.10 $2.10
17.62%
Potato (1kg)
$2.31 MX$42.64
$2.14 $2.14
7.94%
Onion (1kg)
$2.68 MX$49.47
$2.10 $2.10
27.62%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.46 MX$26.90
$1.79 $1.79
-18.44%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.19 MX$22.07
$2.43 $2.43
-51.03%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.75 MX$87.8
$9.99 $9.99
-52.45%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.58 MX$251
$20.21 $20.21
-32.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.92 MX$35.52
$1.70 $1.70
12.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.88 MX$53.2
$3.21 $3.21
-10.28%
🚌 Getting Around
Monterrey
Brownwood, TX
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.79 MX$14.66
$2.25 $2.25
-64.89%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$31.36 MX$579
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.59 MX$29.44
$2.93 $2.93
-45.73%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.06 MX$19.58
$1.73 $1.73
-38.73%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.80 MX$200
$33.87 $33.87
-68.11%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.55 MX$28.59
$0.95 $0.95
63.16%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.2K MX$446.4K
$27.2K $27.2K
-11.20%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.3K MX$449.4K
$22.4K $22.4K
8.55%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Monterrey
Brownwood, TX
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$117 MX$2,159
$99.8 $99.8
17.08%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.38 MX$488
$47.47 $47.47
-44.43%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$26.04 MX$481
$39.48 $39.48
-34.04%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Monterrey
Brownwood, TX
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$30.26 MX$559
$42.24 $42.24
-28.36%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.25 MX$393
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.23 MX$96.6
$11.20 $11.20
-53.30%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Monterrey
Brownwood, TX
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$673 MX$12.4K
$1,329 $1,329
-49.39%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.1K MX$205.2K
$23.6K $23.6K
-52.86%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Monterrey
Brownwood, TX
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$72.1 MX$1,332
$58.4 $58.4
23.38%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.38 MX$783
$37.56 $37.56
12.83%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$112 MX$2,066
$85.5 $85.5
30.78%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 MX$2,200
$68.8 $68.8
73.07%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Monterrey
Brownwood, TX
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$949 MX$17.5K
$1,616 $1,616
-41.26%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$666 MX$12.3K
$768 $768
-13.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,821 MX$33.7K
$2,478 $2,478
-26.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,271 MX$23.5K
$1,351 $1,351
-5.92%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,050 MX$74.8K
$2,391 $2,391
69.40%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,348 MX$43.4K
$2,350 $2,350
-0.10%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Monterrey
Brownwood, TX
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,155 MX$21.3K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.79
6.21
89.86%

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

Last update for Monterrey: October 18, 2026

Last update for Brownwood, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Monterrey
$666
Brownwood, TX
$768 15.3% $102
Groceries & Markets
Monterrey
$304
Brownwood, TX
$292 4% $12
Eating Out
Monterrey
$221
Brownwood, TX
$267 20.5% $45
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Monterrey
$169
Brownwood, TX
$187 10.3% $17
Clothing & Footwear
Monterrey
$155
Brownwood, TX
$113 27.5% $43
Getting Around
Monterrey
$41
Brownwood, TX
$21 * 50.3% $21
Sport & Entertainment
Monterrey
$41
Brownwood, TX
$65 58.8% $24

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $949 in Monterrey versus $1,616 in Brownwood, TX. 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 $48.00 in Monterrey versus $78.0 in Brownwood, TX. Groceries tell a different story – $304 in Monterrey vs $292 in Brownwood, TX – so Brownwood, TX wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Monterrey
🇺🇸 Brownwood, TX
🕒 Local time
07:55 7:55 AM
08:55 8:55 AM
1 h ahead of Monterrey
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,142,994
19,763
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Monterrey Brownwood, TX 680 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Monterrey
  • Brownwood, 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 Brownwood, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Brownwood, TX cheaper than Monterrey?
Yes – Brownwood, TX is pricier by about 7%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,399 per month in Monterrey and $2,568 in Brownwood, TX. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Monterrey, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Monterrey or in Brownwood, TX?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Monterrey and $78.0 in Brownwood, TX. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Monterrey and in Brownwood, TX?
Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Brownwood, TX – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for living in Monterrey or in Brownwood, TX?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Monterrey, where all-in costs run around $1,599, than in Brownwood, TX at $1,712. In Monterrey it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brownwood, TX it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Monterrey or Brownwood, TX more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Monterrey. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Brownwood, TX makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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