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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,581 per month in Monterrey vs $1,012 in Cholula, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,534 per month in Monterrey vs $1,583 in Cholula, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,488 per month in Monterrey vs $2,155 in Cholula, rent included.

Monterrey costs about 56% more than Cholula, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Monterrey sits 19% above the global median, while Cholula is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.12 MX$229

$12.30 MX$215

6.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 MX$906

$46.30 MX$807

12.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.46 MX$182

$8.16 MX$142

28.19%

Cappuccino

$3.73 MX$65.1

$3.54 MX$61.7

5.37%

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

$1.40 MX$24.42

$1.23 MX$21.53

13.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.05 MX$18.32

$0.85 MX$14.90

23.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.69 MX$46.87

$2.40 MX$41.93

12.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 MX$75.5

$4.15 MX$72.3

4.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 MX$29.00

$1.50 MX$26.13

10.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$46.11

$2.68 MX$46.68

-1.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.22

$1.59 MX$27.81

23.27%

Eggs

$2.62 MX$45.78

$2.39 MX$41.63

9.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.49 MX$183

$6.85 MX$119

53.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.88 MX$155

$6.33 MX$110

40.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 MX$237

$11.18 MX$195

21.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$53.2

$2.57 MX$44.78

18.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 MX$25.56

$1.37 MX$23.81

7.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.51

$1.71 MX$29.86

19.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 MX$36.02

$1.80 MX$31.38

15.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 MX$40.80

$1.77 MX$30.79

32.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.52 MX$43.87

$1.92 MX$33.41

31.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 MX$27.39

$1.28 MX$22.28

22.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.46

$1.16 MX$20.27

-3.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.5

$4.37 MX$76.2

-2.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.06 MX$245

$14.23 MX$248

-1.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 MX$31.25

$1.37 MX$23.88

30.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$2.75 MX$47.92

12.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 MX$14.30

$0.60 MX$10.44

36.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.01 MX$698

$15.82 MX$276

152.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.75 MX$30.52

$3.11 MX$54.2

-43.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 MX$16.91

$1.19 MX$20.83

-18.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.63 MX$185

$10.42 MX$182

2.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 MX$23.84

$1.27 MX$22.09

7.87%

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

$26.3K MX$458.8K

$19.9K MX$346.6K

32.37%

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

$25.5K MX$444.9K

$20.2K MX$352.2K

26.31%

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

$123 MX$2,142

$63.0 MX$1,098

95.01%

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

$27.58 MX$481

$22.13 MX$386

24.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.78 MX$519

$25.37 MX$442

17.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.38 MX$669

$36.45 MX$636

5.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.94 MX$383

$16.01 MX$279

37.04%

Cinema Ticket

$5.86 MX$102

$5.15 MX$89.9

13.79%

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

$347 MX$6,052

$319 MX$5,560

8.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,938 MX$155.9K

$3,647 MX$63.6K

145.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.2 MX$1,014

$50.1 MX$874

16.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.19 MX$753

$42.38 MX$739

1.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$1,899

$111 MX$1,939

-2.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 MX$2,204

$99.8 MX$1,741

26.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 MX$15.7K

$366 MX$6,379

146.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$661 MX$11.5K

$254 MX$4,424

160.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 MX$27.8K

$512 MX$8,935

211.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,398 MX$24.4K

$376 MX$6,558

271.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,267 MX$74.4K

$1,925 MX$33.6K

121.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,840 MX$49.5K

$1,239 MX$21.6K

129.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,135 MX$19.8K

$869 MX$15.2K

30.57%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Cholula: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $903 in Monterrey versus $366 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 31% 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 $52.0 in Monterrey versus $46.00 in Cholula. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $296 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 56% 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 $2,371 per month in Monterrey and $1,518 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 $52.0 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 $1,581 in Monterrey and $1,012 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 $1,012, than in Monterrey at $1,581. 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 $1,012 versus $1,581 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.