Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Coatzacoalcos

For one person, living is cheaper in Coatzacoalcos: $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.

Monterrey, Mexico
Coatzacoalcos, Mexico
Monterrey
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,647
/mo nomad
Coatzacoalcos
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,207
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in Coatzacoalcos

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

A single person spends $1,647 per month in Monterrey vs $1,207 in Coatzacoalcos, rent included.

  • Monterrey $1,647
  • Coatzacoalcos $1,207

A couple spends around $2,591 per month in Monterrey vs $1,904 in Coatzacoalcos, rent included.

  • Monterrey $2,591
  • Coatzacoalcos $1,904

A family of three spends $3,536 per month in Monterrey vs $2,600 in Coatzacoalcos, rent included.

  • Monterrey $3,536
  • Coatzacoalcos $2,600

Monterrey costs about 36% more than Coatzacoalcos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Monterrey sits 21% above the global median, while Coatzacoalcos is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Monterrey
Coatzacoalcos
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.45 MX$252
$11.14 MX$209
20.74%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$48.43 MX$908
$46.72 MX$875
3.66%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.90 MX$204
$8.38 MX$157
30.07%
Cappuccino
$3.82 MX$71.5
$3.32 MX$62.2
15.06%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.67 MX$31.22
$1.32 MX$24.77
26.52%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.98 MX$18.42
$1.11 MX$20.72
-11.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.35 MX$44.04
$2.44 MX$45.75
-3.69%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.41 MX$82.7
$3.52 MX$65.9
25.28%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Monterrey
Coatzacoalcos
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.80 MX$33.76
$1.39 MX$26.06
29.50%
White Bread (500g)
$2.79 MX$52.3
$2.18 MX$40.79
27.98%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.82 MX$34.20
$1.60 MX$29.95
13.75%
Eggs
$2.51 MX$47.09
$2.35 MX$44.11
6.81%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.09 MX$227
$7.35 MX$138
64.49%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.41 MX$176
$7.28 MX$136
29.26%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.71 MX$238
$12.61 MX$236
0.79%
Apples (1kg)
$3.21 MX$60.1
$2.84 MX$53.2
13.03%
Banana (1kg)
$1.50 MX$28.07
$1.30 MX$24.30
15.38%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.14 MX$40.19
$1.75 MX$32.79
22.29%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.32 MX$43.50
$1.60 MX$29.91
45.00%
Potato (1kg)
$2.20 MX$41.26
$2.15 MX$40.32
2.33%
Onion (1kg)
$2.60 MX$48.69
$1.69 MX$31.64
53.85%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.44 MX$26.99
$1.31 MX$24.55
9.92%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.17 MX$21.99
$1.22 MX$22.78
-4.10%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.79 MX$89.7
$4.92 MX$92.2
-2.64%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.22 MX$248
$10.32 MX$193
28.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.94 MX$36.40
$1.99 MX$37.34
-2.51%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.89 MX$54.1
$2.72 MX$50.9
6.25%
🚌 Getting Around
Monterrey
Coatzacoalcos
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.87 MX$16.34
$0.66 MX$12.34
31.82%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$31.14 MX$584
$29.85 MX$559
4.32%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.66 MX$31.04
$2.29 MX$42.96
-27.51%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.09 MX$20.49
$1.82 MX$34.14
-40.11%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.67 MX$200
$12.18 MX$228
-12.40%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 MX$27.61
$1.51 MX$28.25
-2.65%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.2K MX$454.3K
$24.4K MX$457.3K
-0.66%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.6K MX$441.4K
$24.7K MX$463.7K
-4.82%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Monterrey
Coatzacoalcos
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$118 MX$2,209
$63.2 MX$1,184
86.53%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.55 MX$479
$23.49 MX$440
8.77%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$26.43 MX$495
$26.32 MX$493
0.42%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Monterrey
Coatzacoalcos
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$30.77 MX$577
$34.44 MX$645
-10.66%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.07 MX$395
$20.78 MX$389
1.40%
Cinema Ticket
$5.09 MX$95.4
$5.15 MX$96.4
-1.17%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Monterrey
Coatzacoalcos
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$694 MX$13.0K
$235 MX$4,397
195.78%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K MX$212.1K
$3,974 MX$74.5K
184.87%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Monterrey
Coatzacoalcos
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$72.5 MX$1,358
$47.70 MX$894
51.91%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.51 MX$778
$45.11 MX$845
-7.98%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$110 MX$2,056
$108 MX$2,028
1.40%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$115 MX$2,154
$101 MX$1,895
13.69%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Monterrey
Coatzacoalcos
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,056 MX$19.8K
$578 MX$10.8K
82.60%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$721 MX$13.5K
$436 MX$8,174
65.35%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,999 MX$37.5K
$1,059 MX$19.8K
88.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,435 MX$26.9K
$785 MX$14.7K
82.71%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,219 MX$79.1K
$1,818 MX$34.1K
132.11%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,731 MX$51.2K
$1,109 MX$20.8K
146.37%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Monterrey
Coatzacoalcos
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,149 MX$21.5K
-
-
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 Coatzacoalcos: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Monterrey
$721
Coatzacoalcos
$436 39.5% $285
Groceries & Markets
Monterrey
$303
Coatzacoalcos
$250 17.5% $53
Eating Out
Monterrey
$217
Coatzacoalcos
$183 15.8% $34
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Monterrey
$170
Coatzacoalcos
$113 33.5% $57
Clothing & Footwear
Monterrey
$152
Coatzacoalcos
$136 10.8% $16
Getting Around
Monterrey
$42
Coatzacoalcos
$44 5.1% $2.1
Sport & Entertainment
Monterrey
$41
Coatzacoalcos
$45 9.3% $3.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,056 in Monterrey versus $578 in Coatzacoalcos. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Monterrey versus $47 in Coatzacoalcos. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $303 vs $250 – making Coatzacoalcos the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Monterrey
🇲🇽 Coatzacoalcos
🕒 Local time
16:38 4:38 PM
16:38 4:38 PM
Same time as Monterrey
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,142,994
212,540
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 21 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Monterrey Coatzacoalcos 1,030 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Monterrey
  • Coatzacoalcos

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 Coatzacoalcos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Coatzacoalcos cheaper than Monterrey?
Yes – Monterrey is pricier by about 36%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,470 per month in Monterrey and $1,811 in Coatzacoalcos. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Coatzacoalcos, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $578 there versus $1,056 in Monterrey.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 4% less in Coatzacoalcos. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
How do food prices compare in Monterrey and in Coatzacoalcos?
Groceries cost about 21% more in Monterrey, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Monterrey or in Coatzacoalcos?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Coatzacoalcos, where all-in costs run around $1,207, than in Monterrey at $1,647. In Coatzacoalcos it covers expenses comfortably, while in Monterrey it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Monterrey or Coatzacoalcos more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Coatzacoalcos – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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