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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,595 per month in Monterrey vs $998 in Cholula, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,536 per month in Monterrey vs $1,578 in Cholula, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,477 per month in Monterrey vs $2,158 in Cholula, rent included.

Monterrey costs about 60% more than Cholula, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Monterrey sits 19% above the global median, while Cholula is 25% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.02 MX$228

$12.39 MX$217

5.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.6 MX$938

$46.84 MX$820

14.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.17 MX$178

$7.78 MX$136

30.72%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$3.67 MX$64.2

2.18%

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

$1.44 MX$25.24

$1.19 MX$20.89

21.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.16

$0.92 MX$16.08

13.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 MX$45.11

$2.34 MX$40.92

10.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 MX$71.9

$4.31 MX$75.4

-4.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 MX$29.31

$1.50 MX$26.26

11.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.63 MX$46.07

$2.68 MX$46.88

-1.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.81

$1.57 MX$27.50

22.93%

Eggs

$2.60 MX$45.51

$2.41 MX$42.16

7.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.47 MX$183

$6.98 MX$122

50.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.07 MX$159

$6.34 MX$111

43.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.42 MX$235

$11.13 MX$195

20.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 MX$55.2

$2.48 MX$43.42

27.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 MX$24.58

$1.41 MX$24.67

-0.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.60

$1.72 MX$30.07

21.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.56

$1.78 MX$31.22

17.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 MX$40.64

$1.74 MX$30.37

33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.53 MX$44.35

$1.89 MX$33.10

33.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$27.16

$1.28 MX$22.32

21.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.50

$1.10 MX$19.21

0.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 MX$74.4

$4.31 MX$75.3

-1.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.83 MX$207

$14.60 MX$256

-18.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 MX$31.46

$1.31 MX$22.89

37.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 MX$54.5

$2.81 MX$49.21

11.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 MX$13.16

$0.64 MX$11.27

17.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.49 MX$691

$15.99 MX$280

146.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.76 MX$30.78

$3.08 MX$54.0

-42.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 MX$17.35

$1.23 MX$21.55

-19.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.60 MX$186

$10.54 MX$185

0.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.88

$1.31 MX$22.95

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

$26.6K MX$465.7K

$19.7K MX$344.8K

35.06%

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

$25.7K MX$450.3K

$20.3K MX$355.3K

26.73%

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

$124 MX$2,164

$63.3 MX$1,108

95.23%

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

$27.80 MX$486

$22.29 MX$390

24.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.57 MX$517

$25.16 MX$440

17.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.39 MX$672

$36.58 MX$640

4.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.87 MX$383

$15.78 MX$276

38.59%

Cinema Ticket

$5.95 MX$104

$5.37 MX$93.9

10.80%

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

$337 MX$5,896

$315 MX$5,508

7.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,908 MX$155.9K

$3,565 MX$62.4K

149.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,020

$50.0 MX$876

16.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.99 MX$735

$42.68 MX$747

-1.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$1,897

$108 MX$1,895

0.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 MX$2,207

$99.8 MX$1,746

26.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$911 MX$15.9K

$378 MX$6,609

141.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$660 MX$11.5K

$255 MX$4,466

158.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,570 MX$27.5K

$520 MX$9,097

202.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,426 MX$25.0K

$391 MX$6,840

264.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,178 MX$73.1K

$1,972 MX$34.5K

111.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,845 MX$49.8K

$1,263 MX$22.1K

125.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,113 MX$19.5K

$865 MX$15.1K

28.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

11.25

2.67%

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

Last update for Monterrey: April 27, 2026

Last update for Cholula: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $911 in Monterrey versus $378 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 29% 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 $47.00 in Cholula. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 vs $249 – 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 60% 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 $2,392 per month in Monterrey and $1,497 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 $54.0 in Monterrey and $47.00 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 $1,595 in Monterrey and $998 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 $998, than in Monterrey at $1,595. 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 $998 versus $1,595 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.