Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Chone

For one person, living is cheaper in Chone: $732 a month against $1,608 in Monterrey, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Chone
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Chone Living Index

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Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Chone

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$732

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in Chone

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Monterrey versus $732 in Chone.

Monterrey $1,608
Chone $732

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,521 in Monterrey versus $1,240 in Chone.

Monterrey $2,521
Chone $1,240

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,433 in Monterrey versus $1,748 in Chone.

Monterrey $3,433
Chone $1,748

Living in Monterrey is roughly 120% more expensive than in Chone, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 19% above, Chone is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.85 MX$256

$3.77 $3.77

267.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.70 MX$918

$31.29 $31.29

58.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.05 MX$204

$5.91 $5.91

86.97%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$75.6

$2.48 $2.48

64.92%

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

$1.68 MX$30.97

$0.86 $0.86

95.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 MX$18.98

$0.69 $0.69

49.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 MX$44.28

$2.07 $2.07

15.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 MX$80.3

$4.08 $4.08

6.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 MX$35.55

$1.12 $1.12

71.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 MX$54.2

$1.52 $1.52

93.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$34.66

$1.57 $1.57

19.75%

Eggs

$2.55 MX$47.06

$2.00 $2.00

27.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.84 MX$219

$6.64 $6.64

78.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 MX$173

$4.55 $4.55

105.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 MX$242

$6.32 $6.32

107.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 MX$62.5

$1.55 $1.55

118.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 MX$28.13

$0.97 $0.97

56.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.51

$1.04 $1.04

110.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$43.63

$1.03 $1.03

129.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$41.76

$1.13 $1.13

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.73 MX$50.5

$1.03 $1.03

165.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 MX$28.17

$0.71 $0.71

114.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$22.90

$1.08 $1.08

14.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.75 MX$87.8

$5.01 $5.01

-5.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.66 MX$252

$8.56 $8.56

59.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 MX$34.95

$1.63 $1.63

15.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 MX$55.2

$2.76 $2.76

8.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 MX$15.78

$0.31 $0.31

174.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.95 MX$572

$17.28 $17.28

79.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 MX$30.98

$1.32 $1.32

27.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 MX$20.87

$1.23 $1.23

-8.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.15 MX$206

$8.58 $8.58

29.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 MX$28.91

$0.86 $0.86

81.40%

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

$21.4K MX$395.8K

$21.7K $21.7K

-1.14%

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

$25.1K MX$463.2K

$33.0K $33.0K

-24.04%

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

$119 MX$2,206

$41.43 $41.43

188.17%

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

$26.21 MX$484

$13.59 $13.59

92.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.78 MX$495

$25.32 $25.32

5.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.03 MX$573

$33.32 $33.32

-6.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.43 MX$396

$15.43 $15.43

38.89%

Cinema Ticket

$5.29 MX$97.7

$6.33 $6.33

-16.43%

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

$691 MX$12.8K

$207 $207

234.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K MX$212.1K

$5,025 $5,025

128.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.3 MX$1,335

$55.5 $55.5

30.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.72 MX$789

$47.21 $47.21

-9.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 MX$2,024

$109 $109

0.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,158

$79.7 $79.7

46.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$970 MX$17.9K

$319 $319

204.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$664 MX$12.3K

$169 $169

293.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,857 MX$34.3K

$788 $788

135.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 MX$23.8K

$451 $451

185.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,162 MX$76.9K

$1,272 $1,272

227.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,349 MX$43.4K

$807 $807

191.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,146 MX$21.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.79

10.05

17.31%

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

Last update for Monterrey: October 10, 2026

Last update for Chone: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Monterrey

$664 41.3%

Chone

$169 23.1% 74.6% $495

Groceries & Markets

Monterrey

$310 19.3%

Chone

$177 24.2% 42.9% $133

Eating Out

Monterrey

$225 14%

Chone

$102 14% 54.4% $122

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monterrey

$172 10.7%

Chone

$80 11% 53.4% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Monterrey

$154 9.6%

Chone

$131 17.9% 14.6% $22

Getting Around

Monterrey

$42 2.6%

Chone

$26 3.6% 37.6% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Monterrey

$42 2.6%

Chone

$46 6.3% 10.5% $4.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $970 in Monterrey and $319 in Chone. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $50.0 in Monterrey vs $31.00 in Chone for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $310 vs $177 per month, with Chone cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🇪🇨 Chone

🕒 Local time

19:06 7:06 PM

20:06 8:06 PM

1 h ahead of Monterrey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,142,994

44,751

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 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 October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Monterrey Chone 3,650 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Monterrey
Chone

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 Chone: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chone wins on cost – living expenses run 120% lower than in Monterrey. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chone the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,412 in Monterrey and $1,097 in Chone to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $970 in Monterrey versus $319 in Chone. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,608 per month in Monterrey versus $732 in Chone – a 120% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chone runs roughly 79% less than in Monterrey. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $732 in Chone versus $1,608 in Monterrey, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chone but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes Chone the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chone delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $732 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chone hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Chone gentler on the wallet – expenses run 120% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.