Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Chattanooga, TN

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,641 a month against $2,499 in Chattanooga, TN, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 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
119

Cost of Living Index in Chattanooga, TN
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Chattanooga, TN Living Index

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Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,641

/mo nomad

Chattanooga, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,499

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in Chattanooga, TN

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 Chattanooga, TN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Monterrey vs $2,499 in Chattanooga, TN, rent included.

Monterrey $1,641
Chattanooga, TN $2,499

A couple spends around $2,573 per month in Monterrey vs $3,768 in Chattanooga, TN, rent included.

Monterrey $2,573
Chattanooga, TN $3,768

A family of three spends $3,504 per month in Monterrey vs $5,037 in Chattanooga, TN, rent included.

Monterrey $3,504
Chattanooga, TN $5,037

Monterrey is about 34% cheaper than Chattanooga, TN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Monterrey and Chattanooga, TN sit above the global median – Monterrey by 21%, Chattanooga, TN by 85%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.37 MX$251

$19.70 $19.70

-32.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.95 MX$900

$100 $100

-52.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.79 MX$203

$10.95 $10.95

-1.46%

Cappuccino

$3.77 MX$70.7

$5.32 $5.32

-29.14%

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

$1.51 MX$28.37

$2.42 $2.42

-37.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 MX$19.33

$2.05 $2.05

-49.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 MX$46.60

$6.04 $6.04

-58.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 MX$81.8

$7.66 $7.66

-43.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 MX$35.58

$1.13 $1.13

67.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.85 MX$53.5

$3.75 $3.75

-24.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 MX$34.86

$3.89 $3.89

-52.19%

Eggs

$2.47 MX$46.31

$4.21 $4.21

-41.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.81 MX$222

$13.88 $13.88

-14.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.97 MX$168

$14.49 $14.49

-38.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$236

$13.19 $13.19

-4.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.20 MX$60.0

$6.62 $6.62

-51.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$28.23

$1.66 $1.66

-9.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.90

$4.28 $4.28

-50.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 MX$43.82

$4.29 $4.29

-45.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 MX$41.75

$3.00 $3.00

-26.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.58 MX$48.54

$3.74 $3.74

-31.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MX$27.15

$2.68 $2.68

-45.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MX$22.94

$2.39 $2.39

-48.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.80 MX$90.1

$9.29 $9.29

-48.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.30 MX$250

$17.66 $17.66

-24.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 MX$36.28

$2.00 $2.00

-3.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 MX$53.6

$3.26 $3.26

-12.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 MX$15.00

$1.52 $1.52

-47.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.94 MX$581

$50.9 $50.9

-39.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.83 MX$34.42

$5.08 $5.08

-63.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 MX$19.86

$1.58 $1.58

-32.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.82 MX$203

$29.61 $29.61

-63.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.65

$0.91 $0.91

61.54%

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

$24.1K MX$452.3K

$28.2K $28.2K

-14.62%

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

$23.5K MX$442.0K

$26.9K $26.9K

-12.37%

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

$115 MX$2,152

$157 $157

-27.02%

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

$26.37 MX$495

$83.8 $83.8

-68.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.70 MX$483

$75.7 $75.7

-66.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.53 MX$573

$36.30 $36.30

-15.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.27 MX$400

$4.04 $4.04

426.49%

Cinema Ticket

$4.96 MX$93.1

$15.04 $15.04

-67.02%

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

$679 MX$12.7K

$1,072 $1,072

-36.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.2K MX$266.4K

$17.7K $17.7K

-19.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.2 MX$1,356

$41.15 $41.15

75.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.94 MX$788

$38.38 $38.38

9.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 MX$2,019

$99.5 $99.5

8.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 MX$2,228

$120 $120

-0.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,018 MX$19.1K

$1,508 $1,508

-32.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$722 MX$13.6K

$1,170 $1,170

-38.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 MX$36.9K

$2,710 $2,710

-27.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,416 MX$26.6K

$1,947 $1,947

-27.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,203 MX$78.9K

$2,950 $2,950

42.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,782 MX$52.2K

$2,180 $2,180

27.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,096 MX$20.6K

$4,053 $4,053

-72.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.79

6.63

77.83%

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

Last update for Monterrey: November 2, 2026

Last update for Chattanooga, TN: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Monterrey

$722 44%

Chattanooga, TN

$1.2K 46.8% 62.2% $449

Groceries & Markets

Monterrey

$302 18.4%

Chattanooga, TN

$424 17% 40.4% $122

Eating Out

Monterrey

$216 13.2%

Chattanooga, TN

$318 12.7% 47.2% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monterrey

$167 10.2%

Chattanooga, TN

$316 12.7% 89.9% $150

Clothing & Footwear

Monterrey

$153 9.3%

Chattanooga, TN

$134 5.4% 12.2% $19

Getting Around

Monterrey

$41 2.5%

Chattanooga, TN

$70 2.8% 69.6% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Monterrey

$40 2.5%

Chattanooga, TN

$66 2.7% 64.1% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,018 in Monterrey versus $1,508 in Chattanooga, TN. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Chattanooga, TN are about 3.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Monterrey versus $100 in Chattanooga, TN. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $302 vs $424 – making Monterrey the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🇺🇸 Chattanooga, TN

🕒 Local time

03:19 3:19 AM

04:19 4:19 AM

1 h ahead of Monterrey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,142,994

176,588

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.74 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 November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.78 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 21.09 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

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Between locations

Monterrey Chattanooga, TN 1,770 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Monterrey
Chattanooga, TN

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 Chattanooga, TN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chattanooga, TN costs about 52% more than Monterrey, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,461 per month in Monterrey and $3,749 in Chattanooga, TN. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Monterrey, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,018 there versus $1,508 in Chattanooga, TN.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,641 in Monterrey and $2,499 in Chattanooga, TN. That makes Monterrey about 34% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 39% less in Monterrey. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,641 in Monterrey and $2,499 in Chattanooga, TN, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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.

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