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: $1,618 in Monterrey versus $912 in Colima.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Monterrey versus $1,467 in Colima.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,552 in Monterrey versus $2,022 in Colima.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 78% more expensive than in Colima, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 21% above, Colima is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.41 MX$235

$6.38 MX$112

110.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.7 MX$924

$31.42 MX$551

67.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.11 MX$177

$7.83 MX$137

29.12%

Cappuccino

$3.73 MX$65.4

$2.09 MX$36.65

78.47%

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

$1.44 MX$25.31

$0.77 MX$13.55

87.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 MX$17.60

$0.51 MX$8.93

96.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.67 MX$46.81

$1.75 MX$30.63

52.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.20 MX$73.6

$2.72 MX$47.69

54.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 MX$29.19

$1.34 MX$23.47

23.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.63

$2.60 MX$45.58

4.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 MX$34.18

$1.38 MX$24.18

41.30%

Eggs

$2.66 MX$46.71

$2.25 MX$39.40

18.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.21 MX$179

$5.93 MX$104

72.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.91 MX$156

$7.72 MX$135

15.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.78 MX$242

$9.59 MX$168

43.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 MX$53.3

$2.75 MX$48.24

10.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 MX$24.60

$1.29 MX$22.62

8.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 MX$35.34

$1.51 MX$26.56

33.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 MX$36.37

$2.18 MX$38.32

-5.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 MX$40.66

$1.79 MX$31.31

29.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.55 MX$44.78

$2.31 MX$40.50

10.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 MX$26.48

$1.33 MX$23.39

13.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.93

$1.08 MX$19.01

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 MX$74.5

$3.61 MX$63.3

17.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.28 MX$250

$6.73 MX$118

112.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 MX$31.32

$1.56 MX$27.45

14.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$1.88 MX$32.89

69.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 MX$13.54

$0.60 MX$10.55

28.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.89 MX$717

$19.07 MX$335

114.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.76 MX$30.81

$2.32 MX$40.74

-24.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 MX$17.39

$1.53 MX$26.88

-35.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.39 MX$182

$8.51 MX$149

22.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.55

$1.28 MX$22.53

4.69%

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

$26.6K MX$467.3K

$21.9K MX$383.6K

21.81%

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

$25.6K MX$448.3K

$21.3K MX$373.2K

20.13%

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

$121 MX$2,128

$62.5 MX$1,096

94.11%

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

$27.40 MX$481

$19.09 MX$335

43.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.75 MX$522

$30.93 MX$543

-3.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.46 MX$657

$34.04 MX$597

10.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.78 MX$382

$20.89 MX$366

4.26%

Cinema Ticket

$5.75 MX$101

$4.48 MX$78.5

28.35%

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

$348 MX$6,098

$141 MX$2,468

147.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,983 MX$157.6K

$2,406 MX$42.2K

273.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 MX$1,037

$46.85 MX$822

26.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.88 MX$735

$27.87 MX$489

50.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 MX$1,880

$86.9 MX$1,525

23.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 MX$2,249

$98.1 MX$1,720

30.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$889 MX$15.6K

$511 MX$8,957

74.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$646 MX$11.3K

$255 MX$4,473

153.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,577 MX$27.7K

$326 MX$5,717

383.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,378 MX$24.2K

$551 MX$9,656

150.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,238 MX$74.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,757 MX$48.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,133 MX$19.9K

$298 MX$5,234

279.58%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Colima: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $889 in Monterrey and $511 in Colima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 280% 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 $31.00 in Colima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $296 vs $231 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 78% in total monthly costs ($1,618 vs $912 including rent). Colima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 280% 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: $889 in Monterrey versus $511 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 114% less than in Monterrey. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $348 in Monterrey versus $141 in Colima. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $912 in Colima versus $1,618 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 78% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.