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: $1,692 in Monterrey versus $1,047 in Colima.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,638 in Monterrey versus $1,702 in Colima.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,583 in Monterrey versus $2,357 in Colima.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 62% more expensive than in Colima, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 24% above, Colima is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.54 MX$251

$7.79 MX$134

86.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.7 MX$908

$35.34 MX$609

49.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.44 MX$197

$7.52 MX$130

52.13%

Cappuccino

$4.29 MX$74.0

$2.29 MX$39.48

87.34%

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

$1.72 MX$29.61

$1.11 MX$19.14

54.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.09

$0.87 MX$14.92

27.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$50.9

$2.39 MX$41.20

23.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.78 MX$82.4

$2.66 MX$45.90

79.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 MX$35.26

$1.50 MX$25.83

36.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.09 MX$53.2

$2.79 MX$48.06

10.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.88

$1.45 MX$24.96

35.17%

Eggs

$2.65 MX$45.62

$2.66 MX$45.93

-0.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.69 MX$219

$9.43 MX$163

34.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.80 MX$169

$8.98 MX$155

9.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 MX$233

$10.67 MX$184

26.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.45 MX$59.6

$3.04 MX$52.4

13.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.27

$1.64 MX$28.31

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.52

$2.59 MX$44.74

-13.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 MX$44.07

$2.64 MX$45.58

-3.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.40 MX$41.37

$2.45 MX$42.23

-2.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 MX$49.60

$2.55 MX$44.00

12.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 MX$27.49

$1.53 MX$26.40

3.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 MX$23.06

$1.21 MX$20.92

10.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 MX$89.3

$3.86 MX$66.5

34.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.68 MX$253

$8.90 MX$154

64.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 MX$35.06

$1.62 MX$27.91

25.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 MX$54.6

$1.96 MX$33.82

61.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 MX$15.88

$0.71 MX$12.27

29.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.50 MX$578

$21.07 MX$363

58.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 MX$33.19

$2.68 MX$46.26

-28.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 MX$20.47

$2.99 MX$51.6

-60.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.75 MX$203

$17.36 MX$299

-32.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 MX$27.17

$1.48 MX$25.47

6.76%

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

$22.2K MX$383.3K

$22.8K MX$392.7K

-2.42%

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

$26.2K MX$451.6K

$23.8K MX$409.8K

10.22%

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

$124 MX$2,130

$69.0 MX$1,190

79.00%

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

$28.25 MX$487

$21.91 MX$378

28.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.93 MX$481

$31.61 MX$545

-11.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.96 MX$568

$37.78 MX$651

-12.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.09 MX$398

$23.40 MX$403

-1.32%

Cinema Ticket

$5.52 MX$95.2

$4.90 MX$84.5

12.65%

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

$730 MX$12.6K

$156 MX$2,691

368.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K MX$203.7K

$2,644 MX$45.6K

346.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.3 MX$1,385

$47.30 MX$816

69.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.45 MX$784

$31.77 MX$548

43.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 MX$2,060

$83.4 MX$1,438

43.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 MX$2,247

$110 MX$1,893

18.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,047 MX$18.1K

$280 MX$4,821

274.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$728 MX$12.6K

$284 MX$4,901

156.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 MX$34.1K

$394 MX$6,799

400.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,385 MX$23.9K

$628 MX$10.8K

120.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,432 MX$76.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 MX$45.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,168 MX$20.1K

$300 MX$5,180

288.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.56

11.3

2.30%

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

Last update for Monterrey: September 12, 2026

Last update for Colima: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,047 in Monterrey and $280 in Colima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 289% 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: $53.0 in Monterrey vs $35.00 in Colima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $276 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 62% in total monthly costs ($1,692 vs $1,047 including rent). Colima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 289% higher in Monterrey, 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: $1,047 in Monterrey versus $280 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 59% less than in Monterrey. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $730 in Monterrey versus $156 in Colima. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,047 in Colima versus $1,692 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 62% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.