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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,574 per month in Monterrey vs $1,021 in Cholula, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,529 per month in Monterrey vs $1,575 in Cholula, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,484 per month in Monterrey vs $2,129 in Cholula, rent included.

Monterrey costs about 54% more than Cholula, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Monterrey sits 17% above the global median, while Cholula is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.42 MX$230

$11.99 MX$206

11.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$924

$45.85 MX$787

17.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 MX$177

$8.16 MX$140

26.47%

Cappuccino

$3.58 MX$61.4

$3.64 MX$62.5

-1.65%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$1.18 MX$20.21

21.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 MX$17.00

$0.92 MX$15.71

7.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 MX$44.41

$2.40 MX$41.15

7.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 MX$73.4

$4.17 MX$71.5

2.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 MX$28.69

$1.42 MX$24.32

17.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.30

$2.55 MX$43.76

3.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.15

$1.54 MX$26.49

21.43%

Eggs

$2.67 MX$45.90

$2.42 MX$41.48

10.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.49 MX$180

$7.11 MX$122

47.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.13 MX$157

$6.50 MX$111

40.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.85 MX$238

$10.86 MX$186

27.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 MX$52.3

$2.52 MX$43.21

20.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 MX$24.09

$1.37 MX$23.58

2.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.41

$1.64 MX$28.14

29.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.33

$1.77 MX$30.37

16.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.25

$1.70 MX$29.15

31.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 MX$43.99

$1.83 MX$31.43

39.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 MX$26.22

$1.26 MX$21.64

21.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.45

$1.10 MX$18.96

-2.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.13 MX$70.8

$4.30 MX$73.8

-3.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.34 MX$246

$14.18 MX$243

1.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 MX$30.68

$1.30 MX$22.29

37.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 MX$54.5

$2.85 MX$48.88

11.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 MX$13.16

$0.61 MX$10.54

26.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.85 MX$701

$16.36 MX$281

149.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.73 MX$29.77

$3.25 MX$55.8

-46.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 MX$16.44

$1.24 MX$21.35

-22.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.72 MX$184

$10.45 MX$179

2.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.36

$1.26 MX$21.56

7.94%

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

$26.5K MX$454.9K

$20.2K MX$346.4K

31.30%

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

$25.9K MX$443.8K

$20.6K MX$354.3K

25.27%

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

$123 MX$2,113

$62.9 MX$1,080

95.72%

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

$27.98 MX$480

$22.37 MX$384

25.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.71 MX$510

$25.48 MX$437

16.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.13 MX$637

$35.39 MX$607

4.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.88 MX$376

$15.73 MX$270

39.10%

Cinema Ticket

$5.71 MX$97.9

$5.27 MX$90.5

8.35%

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

$348 MX$5,972

$319 MX$5,478

9.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,997 MX$154.4K

$3,546 MX$60.9K

153.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 MX$1,028

$51.1 MX$877

17.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.22 MX$742

$42.73 MX$733

1.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$1,878

$112 MX$1,915

-1.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 MX$2,228

$99.7 MX$1,712

30.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$894 MX$15.3K

$365 MX$6,270

144.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$656 MX$11.3K

$254 MX$4,359

158.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 MX$27.1K

$511 MX$8,774

208.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,422 MX$24.4K

$377 MX$6,473

276.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,316 MX$74.1K

$1,940 MX$33.3K

122.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,873 MX$49.3K

$1,240 MX$21.3K

131.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,101 MX$18.9K

$853 MX$14.6K

29.02%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Cholula: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $894 in Monterrey versus $365 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 $46.00 in Cholula. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $246 – 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 54% 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 $2,361 per month in Monterrey and $1,531 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 $46.00 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 $1,574 in Monterrey and $1,021 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 $1,021, than in Monterrey at $1,574. 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 $1,021 versus $1,574 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.