Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Cayo Coco

For one person, living is cheaper in Cayo Coco: $1,223 a month against $1,641 in Monterrey, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 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
59

Cost of Living Index in Cayo Coco
Learn more

Cayo Coco Living Index

Jump to prices

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,641

/mo nomad

Cayo Coco

🇨🇺 Cuba

$1,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in Cayo Coco

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 Cayo Coco actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Monterrey versus $1,223 in Cayo Coco.

Monterrey $1,641
Cayo Coco $1,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,573 in Monterrey versus $1,683 in Cayo Coco.

Monterrey $2,573
Cayo Coco $1,683

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,504 in Monterrey versus $2,143 in Cayo Coco.

Monterrey $3,504
Cayo Coco $2,143

Living in Monterrey is roughly 34% more expensive than in Cayo Coco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 21% above, Cayo Coco is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.37 MX$251

$4.96 CUP 119

169.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.95 MX$900

$15.04 CUP 361

218.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.79 MX$203

$6.81 CUP 163

58.44%

Cappuccino

$3.77 MX$70.7

$1.03 CUP 24.62

266.02%

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

$1.51 MX$28.37

$2.01 CUP 48.36

-24.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 MX$19.33

$1.02 CUP 24.45

0.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 MX$46.60

$1.98 CUP 47.60

25.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 MX$81.8

$3.01 CUP 72.3

44.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 MX$35.58

$2.98 CUP 71.6

-36.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.85 MX$53.5

$0.97 CUP 23.30

193.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 MX$34.86

$2.01 CUP 48.25

-7.46%

Eggs

$2.47 MX$46.31

$3.51 CUP 84.2

-29.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.81 MX$222

$6.13 CUP 147

92.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.97 MX$168

$5.07 CUP 122

76.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$236

$10.17 CUP 244

23.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.20 MX$60.0

$4.88 CUP 117

-34.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$28.23

$0.98 CUP 23.51

53.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.90

$0.99 CUP 23.71

114.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 MX$43.82

$1.02 CUP 24.57

128.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 MX$41.75

$1.01 CUP 24.28

119.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.58 MX$48.54

$2.98 CUP 71.6

-13.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MX$27.15

$0.97 CUP 23.34

49.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MX$22.94

$1.01 CUP 24.29

20.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.80 MX$90.1

$2.97 CUP 71.4

61.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.30 MX$250

$10.17 CUP 244

30.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 MX$36.28

$1.98 CUP 47.45

-2.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 MX$53.6

$2.02 CUP 48.47

41.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 MX$15.00

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.94 MX$581

$20.30 CUP 487

52.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.83 MX$34.42

$1.03 CUP 24.70

77.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 MX$19.86

$0.99 CUP 23.73

7.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.82 MX$203

$19.80 CUP 475

-45.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.65

$0.98 CUP 23.60

50.00%

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

$24.1K MX$452.3K

$69.9K CUP 1.7M

-65.55%

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

$23.5K MX$442.0K

$79.4K CUP 1.9M

-70.34%

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

$115 MX$2,152

$40.32 CUP 968

184.25%

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

$26.37 MX$495

$40.02 CUP 960

-34.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.70 MX$483

$217 CUP 5,205

-88.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.53 MX$573

$39.89 CUP 957

-23.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.27 MX$400

$9.93 CUP 238

114.20%

Cinema Ticket

$4.96 MX$93.1

$1.01 CUP 24.34

391.09%

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

$679 MX$12.7K

$91.3 CUP 2,192

642.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.2K MX$266.4K

$14.7K CUP 354.0K

-3.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.2 MX$1,356

$40.24 CUP 966

79.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.94 MX$788

$29.70 CUP 713

41.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 MX$2,019

$73.8 CUP 1,770

45.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 MX$2,228

$78.7 CUP 1,888

50.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,018 MX$19.1K

$404 CUP 9,704

151.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$722 MX$13.6K

$423 CUP 10.2K

70.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 MX$36.9K

$1,060 CUP 25.4K

85.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,416 MX$26.6K

$622 CUP 14.9K

127.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,203 MX$78.9K

$298 CUP 7,147

1311.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,782 MX$52.2K

$346 CUP 8,295

704.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,096 MX$20.6K

$20.39 CUP 489

5273.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.79

17.90%

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

Last update for Monterrey: November 2, 2026

Last update for Cayo Coco: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Monterrey

$722 44%

Cayo Coco

$423 34.6% 41.4% $299

Groceries & Markets

Monterrey

$302 18.4%

Cayo Coco

$234 19.2% 22.4% $68

Eating Out

Monterrey

$216 13.2%

Cayo Coco

$101 8.2% 53.4% $115

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monterrey

$167 10.2%

Cayo Coco

$297 24.3% 78.3% $131

Clothing & Footwear

Monterrey

$153 9.3%

Cayo Coco

$100 8.2% 34.7% $53

Getting Around

Monterrey

$41 2.5%

Cayo Coco

$26 * 2.2% 36.3% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Monterrey

$40 2.5%

Cayo Coco

$42 3.4% 3.6% $1.5

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,018 in Monterrey and $404 in Cayo Coco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays about 54 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $48 in Monterrey vs $15 in Cayo Coco for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 vs $234 per month, with Cayo Coco cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🇨🇺 Cayo Coco

🕒 Local time

22:59 10:59 PM

23:59 11:59 PM

1 h ahead of Monterrey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,142,994

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Cuban Peso CUP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.74 EUR

100 CUP = 4.17 USD

100 CUP = 3.71 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CUP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.78 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 21.08 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

Cuban Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 24 CUP (100 CUP = 4.17 USD). 1 EUR = 26.94 CUP (100 CUP = 3.71 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Monterrey Cayo Coco 2,250 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Monterrey
Cayo Coco

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 Cayo Coco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cayo Coco wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Monterrey. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Cayo Coco the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Monterrey is about 54 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,018 in Monterrey versus $404 in Cayo Coco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cayo Coco runs roughly 34% less than in Monterrey. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $679 in Monterrey versus $91 in Cayo Coco. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Cayo Coco is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Cayo Coco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.