Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Burlington, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,599 a month against $1,769 in Burlington, IA, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 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
86

Cost of Living Index in Burlington, IA
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Burlington, IA Living Index

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Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,599

/mo nomad

Burlington, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$1,769

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in Burlington, IA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,599 in Monterrey versus $1,769 in Burlington, IA.

Monterrey $1,599
Burlington, IA $1,769

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,493 in Monterrey versus $2,675 in Burlington, IA.

Monterrey $2,493
Burlington, IA $2,675

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,387 in Monterrey versus $3,580 in Burlington, IA.

Monterrey $3,387
Burlington, IA $3,580

Living in Monterrey costs roughly 10% less than in Burlington, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Monterrey 18% above, Burlington, IA 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.80 MX$255

$11.35 $11.35

21.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.99 MX$887

$59.1 $59.1

-18.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$197

$8.84 $8.84

20.48%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$73.7

$4.74 $4.74

-15.82%

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

$1.66 MX$30.76

$1.95 $1.95

-14.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 MX$18.21

$2.02 $2.02

-50.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 MX$43.64

$3.41 $3.41

-30.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 MX$81.8

$4.58 $4.58

-3.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 MX$33.58

$0.81 $0.81

124.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.83 MX$52.4

$2.82 $2.82

0.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.44

$4.34 $4.34

-55.76%

Eggs

$2.48 MX$45.78

$2.92 $2.92

-15.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.74 MX$217

$11.37 $11.37

3.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.10 MX$168

$11.93 $11.93

-23.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.53 MX$232

$14.20 $14.20

-11.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.34 MX$61.6

$4.02 $4.02

-16.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$29.10

$1.98 $1.98

-20.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.16 MX$39.86

$4.61 $4.61

-53.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 MX$45.65

$4.65 $4.65

-46.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$42.64

$2.74 $2.74

-15.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.68 MX$49.47

$2.60 $2.60

3.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$26.90

$1.54 $1.54

-5.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$22.07

$2.06 $2.06

-42.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.75 MX$87.8

$8.16 $8.16

-41.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.58 MX$251

$16.29 $16.29

-16.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 MX$35.52

$1.89 $1.89

1.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$53.2

$2.27 $2.27

26.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 MX$14.66

$1.94 $1.94

-59.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.36 MX$579

$15.76 $15.76

98.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.59 MX$29.44

$4.67 $4.67

-65.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 MX$19.58

$1.02 $1.02

3.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.80 MX$200

$22.19 $22.19

-51.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$28.59

$0.94 $0.94

64.89%

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

$24.2K MX$446.4K

$22.7K $22.7K

6.28%

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

$24.3K MX$449.4K

$25.0K $25.0K

-2.65%

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

$117 MX$2,159

$184 $184

-36.55%

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

$26.38 MX$488

$47.16 $47.16

-44.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.04 MX$481

$59.2 $59.2

-55.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.26 MX$559

$42.42 $42.42

-28.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.25 MX$393

Cinema Ticket

$5.23 MX$96.6

$11.92 $11.92

-56.12%

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

$673 MX$12.4K

$1,210 $1,210

-44.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K MX$205.2K

$13.3K $13.3K

-16.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.1 MX$1,332

$44.72 $44.72

61.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.38 MX$783

$30.53 $30.53

38.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$2,066

$87.0 $87.0

28.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 MX$2,200

$37.90 $37.90

214.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$949 MX$17.5K

$754 $754

25.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$666 MX$12.3K

$707 $707

-5.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,821 MX$33.7K

$1,172 $1,172

55.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 MX$23.5K

$1,280 $1,280

-0.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,050 MX$74.8K

$1,026 $1,026

294.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,348 MX$43.4K

$1,033 $1,033

127.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,155 MX$21.3K

$4,446 $4,446

-74.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.79

6.54

80.28%

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

Last update for Monterrey: October 18, 2026

Last update for Burlington, IA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Monterrey

$666 41.7%

Burlington, IA

$707 40% 6.1% $41

Groceries & Markets

Monterrey

$304 19%

Burlington, IA

$366 20.7% 20.2% $62

Eating Out

Monterrey

$221 13.9%

Burlington, IA

$216 12.2% 2.3% $5.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monterrey

$169 10.6%

Burlington, IA

$290 16.4% 71.6% $121

Clothing & Footwear

Monterrey

$155 9.7%

Burlington, IA

$90 5.1% 42% $65

Getting Around

Monterrey

$41 2.6%

Burlington, IA

$33 1.9% 19.6% $8.1

Sport & Entertainment

Monterrey

$41 2.6%

Burlington, IA

$66 3.7% 62.8% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $949 in Monterrey and $754 in Burlington, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burlington, IA pays 285% 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 $59.0 in Burlington, IA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $304 vs $366 per month, with Monterrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🇺🇸 Burlington, IA

🕒 Local time

19:11 7:11 PM

20:11 8:11 PM

1 h ahead of Monterrey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,142,994

44,743

💱 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 21, 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 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Monterrey Burlington, IA 1,880 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Monterrey
Burlington, IA

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 Burlington, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey wins on cost – living expenses run 11% lower than in Burlington, IA. 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 285% lower in Burlington, IA. 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 $754 in Burlington, IA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $673 in Monterrey versus $1,210 in Burlington, IA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Burlington, IA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,599 in Monterrey versus $1,769 in Burlington, IA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Monterrey but tight or insufficient in Burlington, IA. 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.

Safety-wise, Monterrey and Burlington, IA are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Monterrey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Burlington, IA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.