Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Coronado

For one person, living is cheaper in Coronado: $1,362 a month against $1,607 in Monterrey, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. The total is higher in Monterrey despite lower rent and utilities.

79

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Coronado
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Coronado Living Index

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Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,607

/mo nomad

Coronado

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,362

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in Coronado

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,607 in Monterrey versus $1,362 in Coronado.

Monterrey $1,607
Coronado $1,362

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,512 in Monterrey versus $2,195 in Coronado.

Monterrey $2,512
Coronado $2,195

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,417 in Monterrey versus $3,029 in Coronado.

Monterrey $3,417
Coronado $3,029

Living in Monterrey is roughly 18% more expensive than in Coronado, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Monterrey 20% above, Coronado 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.75 MX$252

$12.17 PAB 12.17

12.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.2 MX$921

$56.0 PAB 56.0

-10.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.13 MX$204

$8.50 PAB 8.50

30.94%

Cappuccino

$4.04 MX$74.2

$3.75 PAB 3.75

7.73%

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

$1.70 MX$31.29

$1.20 PAB 1.20

41.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 MX$18.17

$0.90 PAB 0.90

10.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 MX$44.21

$0.98 PAB 0.98

145.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 MX$82.3

$2.55 PAB 2.55

75.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 MX$35.31

$1.93 PAB 1.93

-0.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 MX$53.1

$1.59 PAB 1.59

81.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$35.67

Eggs

$2.50 MX$45.90

$2.36 PAB 2.36

5.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.30 MX$226

$11.68 PAB 11.68

5.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.33 MX$171

$6.58 PAB 6.58

41.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.07 MX$240

$9.18 PAB 9.18

42.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 MX$62.1

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$29.02

$0.96 PAB 0.96

64.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$40.45

$3.07 PAB 3.07

-28.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$44.89

$2.87 PAB 2.87

-14.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$41.47

$1.84 PAB 1.84

22.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.74 MX$50.4

$1.93 PAB 1.93

41.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 MX$28.09

$2.46 PAB 2.46

-37.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 MX$23.16

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.84 MX$88.9

Wine (Bottle)

$13.59 MX$249

$8.60 PAB 8.60

58.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 MX$35.01

$0.70 PAB 0.70

172.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 MX$56.3

$0.71 PAB 0.71

330.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 MX$14.60

$0.68 PAB 0.68

17.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.77 MX$583

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 MX$29.78

$1.46 PAB 1.46

10.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 MX$20.17

$1.54 PAB 1.54

-28.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.97 MX$201

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$27.93

$0.98 PAB 0.98

55.10%

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

$21.4K MX$392.4K

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

$25.5K MX$467.6K

$34.6K PAB 34.6K

-26.34%

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

$120 MX$2,198

$169 PAB 169

-29.36%

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

$27.08 MX$497

$21.63 PAB 21.63

25.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.70 MX$490

$59.1 PAB 59.1

-54.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.15 MX$572

$59.4 PAB 59.4

-47.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.95 MX$403

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$94.4

$3.42 PAB 3.42

50.29%

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

$688 MX$12.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$209.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.9 MX$1,321

$45.22 PAB 45.22

59.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.30 MX$795

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$2,059

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,236

$64.0 PAB 64.0

90.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$957 MX$17.6K

$750 PAB 750

27.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$670 MX$12.3K

$559 PAB 559

19.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 MX$34.7K

$1,253 PAB 1,253

50.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,305 MX$24.0K

$1,262 PAB 1,262

3.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,159 MX$76.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,437 MX$44.7K

$2,019 PAB 2,019

20.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,133 MX$20.8K

$455 PAB 455

149.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.79

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

Last update for Monterrey: October 4, 2026

Last update for Coronado: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Monterrey

$670 41.4%

Coronado

$559 41.8% 16.6% $111

Groceries & Markets

Monterrey

$312 19.3%

Coronado

$214 * 16% 31.6% $99

Eating Out

Monterrey

$224 13.8%

Coronado

$186 13.9% 16.7% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monterrey

$174 10.7%

Coronado

$250 18.7% 44.2% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Monterrey

$157 9.7%

Coronado

$49 * 3.7% 68.7% $108

Getting Around

Monterrey

$42 2.6%

Coronado

$12 * 0.9% 71.7% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Monterrey

$41 2.6%

Coronado

$66 5% 59.9% $25

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $957 in Monterrey and $750 in Coronado. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 149% 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: $50.0 in Monterrey vs $56.0 in Coronado. Groceries flip the comparison at $312 vs $214, with Coronado cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🇵🇦 Coronado

🕒 Local time

08:23 8:23 AM

09:23 9:23 AM

1 h ahead of Monterrey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,142,994

1,444

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PAB, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.57 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.892 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Monterrey Coronado 2,880 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Monterrey
Coronado

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 Coronado: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Coronado wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Monterrey. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Coronado the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 149% 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: $957 in Monterrey versus $750 in Coronado. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,607 per month in Monterrey versus $1,362 in Coronado – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Monterrey. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,362 in Coronado versus $1,607 in Monterrey, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Coronado but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes Coronado the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Coronado delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,362 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Coronado hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Monterrey and Coronado 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 Coronado gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.