Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Caldwell, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,647 a month against $2,449 in Caldwell, TX, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Caldwell, TX
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Caldwell, TX Living Index

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Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,647

/mo nomad

Caldwell, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,449

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,647 in Monterrey versus $2,449 in Caldwell, TX.

Monterrey $1,647
Caldwell, TX $2,449

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,591 in Monterrey versus $3,548 in Caldwell, TX.

Monterrey $2,591
Caldwell, TX $3,548

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,536 in Monterrey versus $4,647 in Caldwell, TX.

Monterrey $3,536
Caldwell, TX $4,647

Living in Monterrey costs roughly 33% less than in Caldwell, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Monterrey 21% above, Caldwell, TX 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.45 MX$251

$14.88 $14.88

-9.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.43 MX$903

$60.4 $60.4

-19.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$203

$9.88 $9.88

10.32%

Cappuccino

$3.82 MX$71.2

$3.97 $3.97

-3.78%

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

$1.67 MX$31.06

$1.47 $1.47

13.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 MX$18.32

$1.73 $1.73

-43.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 MX$43.81

$5.13 $5.13

-54.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$82.2

$6.05 $6.05

-27.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 MX$33.58

$0.77 $0.77

133.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 MX$52.1

$2.71 $2.71

2.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 MX$34.02

$3.96 $3.96

-54.04%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$46.84

$2.92 $2.92

-14.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.09 MX$225

$10.95 $10.95

10.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 MX$175

$15.64 $15.64

-39.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.71 MX$237

$24.53 $24.53

-48.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.21 MX$59.8

$4.39 $4.39

-26.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$27.92

$1.77 $1.77

-15.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.97

$4.44 $4.44

-51.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.32 MX$43.28

$2.66 $2.66

-12.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.20 MX$41.04

$2.16 $2.16

1.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.60 MX$48.43

$1.73 $1.73

50.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MX$26.85

$2.05 $2.05

-29.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 MX$21.88

$1.98 $1.98

-40.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.79 MX$89.3

$9.61 $9.61

-50.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.22 MX$247

$10.68 $10.68

23.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 MX$36.21

$1.68 $1.68

15.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 MX$53.8

$3.56 $3.56

-18.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 MX$16.26

$1.96 $1.96

-55.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.14 MX$581

$51.0 $51.0

-38.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.66 MX$30.88

$3.33 $3.33

-50.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 MX$20.39

$1.65 $1.65

-33.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.67 MX$199

$26.34 $26.34

-59.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.47

$0.94 $0.94

56.38%

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

$24.2K MX$451.9K

$26.5K $26.5K

-8.46%

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

$23.6K MX$439.1K

$25.4K $25.4K

-7.37%

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

$118 MX$2,197

$173 $173

-31.95%

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

$25.55 MX$476

$25.30 $25.30

0.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.43 MX$493

$68.5 $68.5

-61.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.77 MX$574

$40.60 $40.60

-24.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.07 MX$393

$9.85 $9.85

113.91%

Cinema Ticket

$5.09 MX$94.9

$14.96 $14.96

-65.98%

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

$694 MX$12.9K

$1,521 $1,521

-54.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K MX$211.0K

$24.7K $24.7K

-54.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.5 MX$1,351

$22.35 $22.35

224.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.51 MX$774

$56.1 $56.1

-25.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 MX$2,046

$64.9 $64.9

69.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 MX$2,143

$96.4 $96.4

19.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,056 MX$19.7K

$1,565 $1,565

-32.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$13.4K

$1,297 $1,297

-44.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,999 MX$37.3K

$2,531 $2,531

-21.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,435 MX$26.7K

$2,115 $2,115

-32.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,219 MX$78.7K

$2,784 $2,784

51.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,731 MX$50.9K

$2,330 $2,330

17.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,149 MX$21.4K

$1,333 $1,333

-13.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.79

6.62

78.10%

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

Last update for Monterrey: October 25, 2026

Last update for Caldwell, TX: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Monterrey

$721 43.8%

Caldwell, TX

$1.3K 53% 79.8% $575

Groceries & Markets

Monterrey

$303 18.4%

Caldwell, TX

$389 15.9% 28.3% $86

Eating Out

Monterrey

$217 13.2%

Caldwell, TX

$247 10.1% 13.6% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monterrey

$170 10.3%

Caldwell, TX

$267 10.9% 57.2% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Monterrey

$152 9.3%

Caldwell, TX

$108 4.4% 29.2% $45

Getting Around

Monterrey

$42 2.5%

Caldwell, TX

$70 2.9% 68.7% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Monterrey

$41 2.5%

Caldwell, TX

$71 2.9% 72.2% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,056 in Monterrey and $1,565 in Caldwell, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Caldwell, TX pays 16% 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 in Monterrey vs $60 in Caldwell, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $389 per month, with Monterrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🇺🇸 Caldwell, TX

🕒 Local time

13:19 1:19 PM

14:19 2:19 PM

1 h ahead of Monterrey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,142,994

59,996

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

1 USD = 0.898 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Monterrey Caldwell, TX 650 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Monterrey
Caldwell, 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 Caldwell, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey wins on cost – living expenses run 33% lower than in Caldwell, 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 14% lower in Monterrey. 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: $1,056 in Monterrey versus $1,565 in Caldwell, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Monterrey – a meal for two runs $48 versus $60 in Caldwell, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,647 per month in Monterrey versus $2,449 in Caldwell, TX – a 49% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Monterrey gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Monterrey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Caldwell, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.