Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Cancun Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Cancun

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,601 per month in Monterrey vs $1,365 in Cancun, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,585 per month in Monterrey vs $2,243 in Cancun, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,568 per month in Monterrey vs $3,121 in Cancun, rent included.

Monterrey costs about 17% more than Cancun, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Monterrey and Cancun sit above the global median – Monterrey by 20%, Cancun by 2%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.01 MX$226

$13.37 MX$232

-2.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$932

$53.7 MX$930

0.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.21 MX$177

$10.13 MX$176

0.79%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$63.8

$3.44 MX$59.6

6.98%

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

$1.46 MX$25.34

$1.58 MX$27.42

-7.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 MX$17.31

$0.90 MX$15.60

11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 MX$46.70

$3.04 MX$52.7

-11.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$4.48 MX$77.6

-4.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 MX$28.86

$1.43 MX$24.82

16.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 MX$46.43

$2.54 MX$44.02

5.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.41

$1.93 MX$33.46

Eggs

$2.63 MX$45.57

$2.63 MX$45.50

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.34 MX$179

$11.32 MX$196

-8.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.22 MX$160

$8.69 MX$151

6.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.84 MX$240

$10.72 MX$186

29.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 MX$54.6

$3.25 MX$56.3

-3.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 MX$24.06

$1.57 MX$27.18

-11.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.65

$3.14 MX$54.4

-36.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$37.10

$2.20 MX$38.11

-2.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.26

$2.14 MX$37.08

6.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 MX$44.08

$2.31 MX$40.04

9.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 MX$27.14

$1.08 MX$18.64

45.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.53

$1.28 MX$22.18

-16.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 MX$73.6

$4.20 MX$72.7

1.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.36 MX$249

$10.25 MX$178

40.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 MX$30.87

$1.68 MX$29.05

5.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 MX$54.5

$2.62 MX$45.32

19.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 MX$13.89

$0.60 MX$10.44

33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.54 MX$703

$60.6 MX$1,050

-33.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 MX$29.11

$4.21 MX$72.9

-60.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 MX$16.31

$2.48 MX$42.91

-62.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.76 MX$186

$9.97 MX$173

7.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 MX$23.72

$1.33 MX$23.06

3.01%

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

$26.7K MX$463.4K

$30.5K MX$529.1K

-12.41%

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

$25.6K MX$443.3K

$24.1K MX$417.4K

6.21%

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

$122 MX$2,108

$116 MX$2,003

5.24%

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

$27.19 MX$471

$23.15 MX$401

17.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.82 MX$517

$36.11 MX$626

-17.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.49 MX$667

$25.40 MX$440

51.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.46 MX$372

$24.07 MX$417

-10.84%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 MX$103

$6.06 MX$105

-2.31%

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

$346 MX$5,990

$197 MX$3,419

75.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,997 MX$155.9K

$5,199 MX$90.1K

73.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.4 MX$1,012

$53.9 MX$934

8.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.55 MX$737

$39.89 MX$691

6.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$1,896

$82.7 MX$1,432

32.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 MX$2,235

$112 MX$1,933

15.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$913 MX$15.8K

$616 MX$10.7K

48.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$647 MX$11.2K

$459 MX$7,946

41.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,565 MX$27.1K

$1,267 MX$22.0K

23.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,401 MX$24.3K

$1,012 MX$17.5K

38.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,371 MX$75.7K

$2,189 MX$37.9K

99.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,839 MX$49.2K

$2,287 MX$39.6K

24.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,104 MX$19.1K

$803 MX$13.9K

37.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

11.42

1.14%

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

Last update for Monterrey: June 1, 2026

Last update for Cancun: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $913 in Monterrey versus $616 in Cancun. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 37% higher in Monterrey, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54.0 in Monterrey versus $54.0 in Cancun. Groceries tell a different story – $298 in Monterrey vs $282 in Cancun – so Cancun wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Cancun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,601 in Monterrey, $1,365 in Cancun – roughly 17% apart. Monterrey costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,402 per month in Monterrey and $2,048 in Cancun. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cancun, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $346 per month in Monterrey and $197 in Cancun. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Monterrey, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Cancun, where all-in costs run around $1,365, than in Monterrey at $1,601. In Cancun it covers expenses comfortably, while in Monterrey it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Cancun has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,365 in Cancun to $1,601 in Monterrey. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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