Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Cholula Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Cholula

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Monterrey vs $1,143 in Cholula, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,638 per month in Monterrey vs $1,838 in Cholula, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,583 per month in Monterrey vs $2,532 in Cholula, rent included.

Monterrey costs about 48% more than Cholula, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Monterrey sits 24% above the global median, while Cholula is 16% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.54 MX$250

$11.53 MX$198

26.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.7 MX$904

$51.0 MX$875

3.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.44 MX$196

$9.56 MX$164

19.67%

Cappuccino

$4.29 MX$73.7

$3.44 MX$59.1

24.71%

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

$1.72 MX$29.48

$1.67 MX$28.64

2.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.00

$1.20 MX$20.53

-7.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$50.7

$3.00 MX$51.6

-1.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.78 MX$82.1

$4.95 MX$84.9

-3.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 MX$35.10

$1.91 MX$32.82

6.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.09 MX$53.0

$3.27 MX$56.1

-5.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.72

$2.02 MX$34.72

-2.97%

Eggs

$2.65 MX$45.42

$2.90 MX$49.80

-8.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.69 MX$218

$6.82 MX$117

86.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.80 MX$168

$5.94 MX$102

64.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 MX$232

$11.80 MX$203

14.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.45 MX$59.3

$2.79 MX$47.94

23.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.14

$1.82 MX$31.16

-9.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.35

$2.06 MX$35.33

8.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 MX$43.87

$2.09 MX$35.82

22.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.40 MX$41.19

$2.05 MX$35.16

17.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 MX$49.38

$1.91 MX$32.87

50.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 MX$27.37

$1.55 MX$26.69

2.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 MX$22.96

$1.31 MX$22.45

2.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 MX$88.9

$4.99 MX$85.7

3.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.68 MX$252

$14.41 MX$247

1.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 MX$34.91

$1.57 MX$26.88

29.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 MX$54.4

$2.74 MX$47.05

15.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 MX$15.80

$0.52 MX$8.92

76.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.50 MX$575

$20.43 MX$351

63.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 MX$33.04

$3.58 MX$61.4

-46.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 MX$20.38

$2.69 MX$46.15

-55.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.75 MX$202

$16.80 MX$288

-30.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 MX$27.05

$1.59 MX$27.36

-0.63%

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

$22.2K MX$381.5K

$22.5K MX$386.1K

-1.19%

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

$26.2K MX$449.6K

$25.8K MX$442.3K

1.65%

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

$124 MX$2,120

$64.4 MX$1,105

91.93%

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

$28.25 MX$485

$20.67 MX$355

36.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.93 MX$479

$25.76 MX$442

8.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.96 MX$566

$78.5 MX$1,347

-58.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.09 MX$396

$21.43 MX$368

7.75%

Cinema Ticket

$5.52 MX$94.8

$5.85 MX$100

-5.64%

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

$730 MX$12.5K

$284 MX$4,872

157.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K MX$202.8K

$4,989 MX$85.6K

136.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.3 MX$1,379

$55.4 MX$950

45.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.45 MX$780

$47.56 MX$816

-4.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 MX$2,051

$107 MX$1,831

11.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 MX$2,237

$106 MX$1,822

22.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,047 MX$18.0K

$458 MX$7,867

128.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$728 MX$12.5K

$309 MX$5,299

135.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 MX$33.9K

$636 MX$10.9K

210.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,385 MX$23.8K

$514 MX$8,815

169.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,432 MX$76.1K

$1,926 MX$33.1K

130.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 MX$45.0K

$1,230 MX$21.1K

113.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,168 MX$20.1K

$859 MX$14.7K

36.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.56

10.96

5.47%

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

Last update for Monterrey: September 12, 2026

Last update for Cholula: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,047 in Monterrey versus $458 in Cholula. 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 36% 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 $53.0 in Monterrey versus $51.0 in Cholula. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $328 vs $275 – making Cholula the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Cholula: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey costs about 48% more than Cholula, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,539 per month in Monterrey and $1,715 in Cholula. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $53.0 in Monterrey and $51.0 in Cholula. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,692 in Monterrey and $1,143 in Cholula. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Cholula, where all-in costs run around $1,143, than in Monterrey at $1,692. In Cholula it covers expenses comfortably, while in Monterrey it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cholula costs $1,143 versus $1,692 in Monterrey. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Cholula. 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.