Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Colima Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Colima

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,601 in Monterrey versus $914 in Colima.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Monterrey versus $1,488 in Colima.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,568 in Monterrey versus $2,062 in Colima.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 75% more expensive than Colima, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 20% above, Colima is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.01 MX$225

$6.24 MX$108

108.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$930

$31.19 MX$540

72.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.21 MX$177

$8.01 MX$139

27.47%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$63.7

$2.14 MX$36.95

71.96%

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

$1.46 MX$25.30

$0.81 MX$14.04

80.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 MX$17.28

$0.54 MX$9.39

85.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 MX$46.62

$1.70 MX$29.47

58.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$2.84 MX$49.18

50.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 MX$28.81

$1.32 MX$22.90

26.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 MX$46.35

$2.52 MX$43.58

6.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.35

$1.32 MX$22.87

46.21%

Eggs

$2.63 MX$45.49

$2.29 MX$39.57

14.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.34 MX$179

$5.91 MX$102

74.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.22 MX$159

$7.87 MX$136

17.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.84 MX$239

$9.72 MX$168

42.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 MX$54.5

$2.86 MX$49.39

10.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 MX$24.01

$1.35 MX$23.35

2.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.59

$1.49 MX$25.72

34.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$37.03

$2.22 MX$38.41

-3.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.19

$1.76 MX$30.52

28.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 MX$44.00

$2.32 MX$40.13

9.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 MX$27.09

$1.33 MX$23.01

18.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.49

$1.09 MX$18.83

-1.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 MX$73.5

$3.51 MX$60.8

21.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.36 MX$248

$6.78 MX$117

111.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 MX$30.81

$1.63 MX$28.13

9.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 MX$54.4

$1.94 MX$33.52

61.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 MX$13.87

$0.65 MX$11.32

23.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.54 MX$701

$19.15 MX$331

111.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 MX$29.06

$2.36 MX$40.90

-28.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 MX$16.28

$1.53 MX$26.55

-38.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.76 MX$186

$8.43 MX$146

27.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 MX$23.68

$1.33 MX$22.98

3.01%

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

$26.7K MX$462.6K

$22.4K MX$387.3K

19.45%

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

$25.6K MX$442.5K

$21.6K MX$372.9K

18.67%

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

$122 MX$2,104

$62.6 MX$1,082

94.47%

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

$27.19 MX$470

$19.75 MX$342

37.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.82 MX$516

$30.68 MX$531

-2.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.49 MX$666

$34.00 MX$588

13.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.46 MX$371

$20.99 MX$363

2.24%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 MX$102

$4.58 MX$79.3

29.26%

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

$346 MX$5,979

$142 MX$2,449

144.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,997 MX$155.6K

$2,404 MX$41.6K

274.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.4 MX$1,010

$46.41 MX$803

25.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.55 MX$736

$28.23 MX$488

50.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$1,892

$84.6 MX$1,464

29.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 MX$2,231

$99.2 MX$1,715

30.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$913 MX$15.8K

$509 MX$8,798

79.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$647 MX$11.2K

$247 MX$4,274

162.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,565 MX$27.1K

$333 MX$5,759

370.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,401 MX$24.2K

$536 MX$9,265

161.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,371 MX$75.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,839 MX$49.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,104 MX$19.1K

$300 MX$5,186

268.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

11.07

4.34%

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

Last update for Monterrey: June 1, 2026

Last update for Colima: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $913 in Monterrey and $509 in Colima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 268% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $54.0 in Monterrey vs $31.00 in Colima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $232 per month, with Colima 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 Colima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey and Colima differ by about 75% in total monthly costs ($1,601 vs $914 including rent). Colima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Monterrey pays 268% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $913 in Monterrey versus $509 in Colima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Colima runs roughly 112% less than in Monterrey. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $346 in Monterrey versus $142 in Colima. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $914 in Colima versus $1,601 in Monterrey, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Colima but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes Colima the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Monterrey and Colima 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 Colima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 75% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.