Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Ciudad del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Ciudad del Carmen: $1,207 a month against $1,647 in Monterrey, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 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
58

Cost of Living Index in Ciudad del Carmen
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Ciudad del Carmen Living Index

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Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,647

/mo nomad

Ciudad del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in Ciudad del Carmen

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 Ciudad del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,647 in Monterrey versus $1,207 in Ciudad del Carmen.

Monterrey $1,647
Ciudad del Carmen $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,591 in Monterrey versus $1,923 in Ciudad del Carmen.

Monterrey $2,591
Ciudad del Carmen $1,923

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,536 in Monterrey versus $2,640 in Ciudad del Carmen.

Monterrey $3,536
Ciudad del Carmen $2,640

Living in Monterrey is roughly 36% more expensive than in Ciudad del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 21% above, Ciudad del Carmen is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.45 MX$251

$10.90 MX$203

23.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.43 MX$903

$46.79 MX$872

3.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$203

$8.65 MX$161

26.01%

Cappuccino

$3.82 MX$71.2

$3.59 MX$66.8

6.41%

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

$1.67 MX$31.06

$1.40 MX$26.11

19.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 MX$18.32

$0.91 MX$16.94

7.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 MX$43.81

$2.39 MX$44.61

-1.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$82.2

$4.02 MX$74.9

9.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 MX$33.58

$1.51 MX$28.21

19.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 MX$52.1

$2.32 MX$43.17

20.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 MX$34.02

$1.46 MX$27.22

24.66%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$46.84

$2.24 MX$41.71

12.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.09 MX$225

$6.95 MX$130

73.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 MX$175

$8.87 MX$165

6.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.71 MX$237

$10.55 MX$197

20.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.21 MX$59.8

$2.79 MX$52.1

15.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$27.92

$1.50 MX$27.90

Oranges (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.97

$1.92 MX$35.87

11.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.32 MX$43.28

$1.72 MX$32.15

34.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.20 MX$41.04

$2.09 MX$39.03

5.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.60 MX$48.43

$2.02 MX$37.73

28.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MX$26.85

$1.22 MX$22.73

18.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 MX$21.88

$1.02 MX$18.94

14.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.79 MX$89.3

$4.18 MX$77.9

14.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.22 MX$247

$9.67 MX$180

36.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 MX$36.21

$1.77 MX$33.02

9.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 MX$53.8

$3.24 MX$60.5

-10.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 MX$16.26

$0.74 MX$13.83

17.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.14 MX$581

$26.46 MX$493

17.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.66 MX$30.88

$2.56 MX$47.81

-35.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 MX$20.39

$1.92 MX$35.84

-43.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.67 MX$199

$11.31 MX$211

-5.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.47

$1.46 MX$27.26

0.68%

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

$24.2K MX$451.9K

$21.7K MX$404.4K

11.75%

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

$23.6K MX$439.1K

$20.8K MX$387.8K

13.22%

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

$118 MX$2,197

$63.3 MX$1,180

86.21%

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

$25.55 MX$476

$21.47 MX$400

19.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.43 MX$493

$29.58 MX$551

-10.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.77 MX$574

$28.06 MX$523

9.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.07 MX$393

$22.18 MX$413

-5.00%

Cinema Ticket

$5.09 MX$94.9

$4.45 MX$82.9

14.38%

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

$694 MX$12.9K

$246 MX$4,589

181.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K MX$211.0K

$5,136 MX$95.7K

120.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.5 MX$1,351

$50.8 MX$947

42.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.51 MX$774

$41.36 MX$771

0.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 MX$2,046

$101 MX$1,876

9.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 MX$2,143

$97.8 MX$1,822

17.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,056 MX$19.7K

$621 MX$11.6K

70.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$13.4K

$447 MX$8,330

61.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,999 MX$37.3K

$895 MX$16.7K

123.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,435 MX$26.7K

$846 MX$15.8K

69.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,219 MX$78.7K

$1,896 MX$35.3K

122.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,731 MX$50.9K

$1,016 MX$18.9K

168.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,149 MX$21.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.79

11.31

4.24%

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

Last update for Monterrey: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ciudad del Carmen: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Monterrey

$721 43.8%

Ciudad del Carmen

$447 37% 38% $274

Groceries & Markets

Monterrey

$303 18.4%

Ciudad del Carmen

$251 20.8% 17.2% $52

Eating Out

Monterrey

$217 13.2%

Ciudad del Carmen

$185 15.4% 14.7% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monterrey

$170 10.3%

Ciudad del Carmen

$114 9.5% 32.7% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Monterrey

$152 9.3%

Ciudad del Carmen

$131 10.8% 14.2% $22

Getting Around

Monterrey

$42 2.5%

Ciudad del Carmen

$42 3.5% 0.4% $0.1

Sport & Entertainment

Monterrey

$41 2.5%

Ciudad del Carmen

$37 3.1% 9.8% $4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,056 in Monterrey and $621 in Ciudad del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48 in Monterrey vs $47 in Ciudad del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $251 per month, with Ciudad del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🇲🇽 Ciudad del Carmen

🕒 Local time

17:13 5:13 PM

Same time as Monterrey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,142,994

191,238

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Monterrey Ciudad del Carmen 1,170 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Monterrey
Ciudad del Carmen

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 Ciudad del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,647 in Monterrey and $1,207 in Ciudad del Carmen, so Ciudad del Carmen is about 27% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $2,470 in Monterrey and $1,811 in Ciudad del Carmen 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: $1,056 in Monterrey versus $621 in Ciudad del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Monterrey. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,647 per month in Monterrey versus $1,207 in Ciudad del Carmen – Ciudad del Carmen is about 27% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Ciudad del Carmen gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.