Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Ciudad Obregon Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Ciudad Obregon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,604 in Monterrey versus $1,050 in Ciudad Obregon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,594 in Monterrey versus $1,644 in Ciudad Obregon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,584 in Monterrey versus $2,237 in Ciudad Obregon.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 53% more expensive than in Ciudad Obregon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 20% above, Ciudad Obregon is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.25 MX$230

$10.61 MX$184

24.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 MX$902

$34.16 MX$593

52.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.16 MX$176

$6.95 MX$121

46.19%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.2

$2.29 MX$39.82

61.57%

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

$1.44 MX$25.01

$0.74 MX$12.87

94.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.05 MX$18.15

$0.54 MX$9.44

94.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 MX$44.48

$1.35 MX$23.46

89.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.26 MX$74.0

$1.88 MX$32.60

126.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.87

$1.71 MX$29.69

-5.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.95

$2.04 MX$35.47

32.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.40

$1.43 MX$24.87

30.77%

Eggs

$2.63 MX$45.56

$2.18 MX$37.79

20.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.14 MX$176

$4.90 MX$85.0

106.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.03 MX$157

$5.43 MX$94.2

66.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.37 MX$232

$9.37 MX$163

42.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 MX$55.3

$1.72 MX$29.79

85.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 MX$24.20

$1.75 MX$30.43

-20.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.77

$1.69 MX$29.41

18.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.27

$1.55 MX$26.91

34.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 MX$38.81

$1.73 MX$30.02

29.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.51 MX$43.59

$1.74 MX$30.12

44.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 MX$26.30

$1.04 MX$18.00

46.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.65

$1.45 MX$25.15

-26.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.32 MX$75.1

$3.91 MX$67.8

10.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.78 MX$257

$12.36 MX$214

19.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 MX$30.75

$1.90 MX$32.95

-6.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 MX$53.0

$2.71 MX$47.10

12.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 MX$13.99

$0.60 MX$10.42

35.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.93 MX$693

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.73 MX$30.07

$1.61 MX$27.99

7.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 MX$17.33

$1.60 MX$27.77

-37.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.40 MX$180

$8.08 MX$140

28.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.26

$1.31 MX$22.74

2.29%

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

$26.9K MX$467.3K

$16.9K MX$293.2K

59.35%

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

$25.6K MX$445.1K

$23.0K MX$399.1K

11.54%

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

$120 MX$2,089

$100 MX$1,739

20.11%

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

$26.90 MX$467

$22.31 MX$387

20.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.12 MX$523

$26.20 MX$455

14.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 MX$657

$35.32 MX$613

7.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.69 MX$377

$15.75 MX$273

37.71%

Cinema Ticket

$5.94 MX$103

$3.47 MX$60.3

71.18%

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

$338 MX$5,873

$296 MX$5,136

14.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,935 MX$155.1K

$4,754 MX$82.5K

87.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.8 MX$1,020

$42.01 MX$729

39.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.17 MX$749

$32.35 MX$561

33.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 MX$1,902

$64.2 MX$1,114

70.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 MX$2,248

$62.6 MX$1,087

106.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$898 MX$15.6K

$518 MX$8,987

73.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$643 MX$11.2K

$398 MX$6,909

61.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 MX$28.0K

$935 MX$16.2K

72.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,405 MX$24.4K

$769 MX$13.3K

82.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,411 MX$76.6K

$1,998 MX$34.7K

120.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,937 MX$51.0K

$1,252 MX$21.7K

134.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,108 MX$19.2K

$1,234 MX$21.4K

-10.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

11.5

0.43%

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

Last update for Monterrey: June 13, 2026

Last update for Ciudad Obregon: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $898 in Monterrey and $518 in Ciudad Obregon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ciudad Obregon pays 11% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $52.0 in Monterrey vs $34.00 in Ciudad Obregon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $225 per month, with Ciudad Obregon cheaper across the board.

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 Obregon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ciudad Obregon wins on cost – living expenses run 53% lower than in Monterrey. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ciudad Obregon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 11% lower in Ciudad Obregon. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $898 in Monterrey versus $518 in Ciudad Obregon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $338 in Monterrey versus $296 in Ciudad Obregon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ciudad Obregon – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $52.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,050 in Ciudad Obregon versus $1,604 in Monterrey, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ciudad Obregon but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes Ciudad Obregon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ciudad Obregon delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,050 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ciudad Obregon hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Monterrey and Ciudad Obregon are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Ciudad Obregon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.