Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Cincinnati, OH

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,641 a month against $2,280 in Cincinnati, OH, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Monterrey, Mexico
Cincinnati, OH, United States
Monterrey
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,641
/mo nomad
Cincinnati, OH
🇺🇸 United States
$2,280
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in Cincinnati, OH

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

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Monterrey vs $2,280 in Cincinnati, OH, rent included.

  • Monterrey $1,641
  • Cincinnati, OH $2,280

A couple spends around $2,573 per month in Monterrey vs $3,396 in Cincinnati, OH, rent included.

  • Monterrey $2,573
  • Cincinnati, OH $3,396

A family of three spends $3,504 per month in Monterrey vs $4,512 in Cincinnati, OH, rent included.

  • Monterrey $3,504
  • Cincinnati, OH $4,512

Monterrey is about 28% cheaper than Cincinnati, OH, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Monterrey and Cincinnati, OH sit above the global median – Monterrey by 21%, Cincinnati, OH by 69%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Monterrey
Cincinnati, OH
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.37 MX$249
$15.21 $15.21
-12.10%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.95 MX$892
$55.2 $55.2
-13.12%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.79 MX$201
$8.99 $8.99
20.02%
Cappuccino
$3.77 MX$70.0
$4.93 $4.93
-23.53%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.51 MX$28.09
$2.29 $2.29
-34.06%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.03 MX$19.14
$1.72 $1.72
-40.12%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.48 MX$46.14
$5.11 $5.11
-51.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.36 MX$81.0
$7.71 $7.71
-43.45%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Monterrey
Cincinnati, OH
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.89 MX$35.23
$0.91 $0.91
107.69%
White Bread (500g)
$2.85 MX$53.0
$3.25 $3.25
-12.31%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.86 MX$34.52
$4.02 $4.02
-53.73%
Eggs
$2.47 MX$45.86
$4.17 $4.17
-40.77%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.81 MX$220
$12.77 $12.77
-7.52%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.97 MX$167
$11.09 $11.09
-19.12%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.57 MX$234
$16.02 $16.02
-21.54%
Apples (1kg)
$3.20 MX$59.4
$5.53 $5.53
-42.13%
Banana (1kg)
$1.50 MX$27.96
$1.59 $1.59
-5.66%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.12 MX$39.52
$4.46 $4.46
-52.47%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.33 MX$43.39
$4.75 $4.75
-50.95%
Potato (1kg)
$2.22 MX$41.34
$2.51 $2.51
-11.55%
Onion (1kg)
$2.58 MX$48.07
$3.19 $3.19
-19.12%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.45 MX$26.88
$2.05 $2.05
-29.27%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.22 MX$22.72
$1.93 $1.93
-36.79%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.80 MX$89.2
$10.00 $10.00
-52.00%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.30 MX$247
$15.21 $15.21
-12.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.93 MX$35.93
$2.05 $2.05
-5.85%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.86 MX$53.1
$2.98 $2.98
-4.03%
🚌 Getting Around
Monterrey
Cincinnati, OH
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.80 MX$14.85
$2.72 $2.72
-70.59%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$30.94 MX$575
$107 $107
-71.21%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.83 MX$34.08
$3.71 $3.71
-50.67%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.06 MX$19.66
$1.26 $1.26
-15.87%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.82 MX$201
$24.82 $24.82
-56.41%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 MX$27.39
$1.09 $1.09
34.86%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.1K MX$447.9K
$36.5K $36.5K
-33.96%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K MX$437.7K
$26.5K $26.5K
-11.29%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Monterrey
Cincinnati, OH
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$115 MX$2,132
$152 $152
-24.40%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.37 MX$490
$79.2 $79.2
-66.72%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$25.70 MX$478
$71.6 $71.6
-64.10%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Monterrey
Cincinnati, OH
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$30.53 MX$568
$32.53 $32.53
-6.15%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.27 MX$396
$13.65 $13.65
55.82%
Cinema Ticket
$4.96 MX$92.2
$15.07 $15.07
-67.09%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Monterrey
Cincinnati, OH
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$679 MX$12.6K
$1,327 $1,327
-48.86%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.2K MX$263.8K
$25.3K $25.3K
-43.87%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Monterrey
Cincinnati, OH
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$72.2 MX$1,343
$44.91 $44.91
60.77%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.94 MX$780
$44.15 $44.15
-5.01%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$107 MX$1,999
$85.8 $85.8
25.32%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 MX$2,207
$107 $107
10.81%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Monterrey
Cincinnati, OH
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,018 MX$18.9K
$1,497 $1,497
-32.05%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$722 MX$13.4K
$1,008 $1,008
-28.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,966 MX$36.6K
$3,044 $3,044
-35.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,416 MX$26.3K
$1,750 $1,750
-19.13%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,203 MX$78.2K
$3,529 $3,529
19.08%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,782 MX$51.7K
$1,993 $1,993
39.57%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Monterrey
Cincinnati, OH
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,096 MX$20.4K
$4,191 $4,191
-73.85%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.79
6.84
72.37%

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

Last update for Monterrey: November 2, 2026

Last update for Cincinnati, OH: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Monterrey
$722
Cincinnati, OH
$1K 39.7% $286
Groceries & Markets
Monterrey
$302
Cincinnati, OH
$387 28% $85
Eating Out
Monterrey
$216
Cincinnati, OH
$265 22.7% $49
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Monterrey
$167
Cincinnati, OH
$302 81.4% $136
Clothing & Footwear
Monterrey
$153
Cincinnati, OH
$127 17.2% $26
Getting Around
Monterrey
$41
Cincinnati, OH
$128 211% $87
Sport & Entertainment
Monterrey
$40
Cincinnati, OH
$63 54.9% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,018 in Monterrey versus $1,497 in Cincinnati, OH. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Cincinnati, OH are about 3.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Monterrey versus $55 in Cincinnati, OH. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $302 vs $387 – making Monterrey the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Monterrey
🇺🇸 Cincinnati, OH
🕒 Local time
20:58 8:58 PM
21:58 9:58 PM
1 h ahead of Monterrey
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,142,994
298,800
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 18.6 MXN (100 MXN = 5.38 USD). 1 EUR = 20.78 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Monterrey Cincinnati, OH 2,100 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Monterrey
  • Cincinnati, OH

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 Cincinnati, OH: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Monterrey and in Cincinnati, OH compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,641 in Monterrey, $2,280 in Cincinnati, OH – Monterrey comes out roughly 28% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.
What salary covers living expenses in Monterrey compared to Cincinnati, OH?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,461 per month in Monterrey and $3,420 in Cincinnati, OH. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Monterrey and Cincinnati, OH?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Monterrey, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,018 there versus $1,497 in Cincinnati, OH.
Which city is more expensive overall: Monterrey or Cincinnati, OH?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,641 in Monterrey and $2,280 in Cincinnati, OH. That makes Monterrey about 28% cheaper.
How do commuting costs compare in Monterrey and in Cincinnati, OH?
Public transport costs about 71% less in Monterrey. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
How far does $3,000 go in Monterrey compared to Cincinnati, OH?
$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,641 in Monterrey and $2,280 in Cincinnati, OH, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Where should families live: Monterrey or Cincinnati, OH?
Families tend to lean toward Monterrey – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How do I decide between Monterrey and Cincinnati, OH?
If budget matters most, go with Monterrey. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cincinnati, OH makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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