Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Cozumel Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Cozumel

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,581 in Monterrey versus $1,173 in Cozumel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,534 in Monterrey versus $1,795 in Cozumel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,488 in Monterrey versus $2,416 in Cozumel.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 35% more expensive than in Cozumel, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 19% above, Cozumel is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.12 MX$227

$8.48 MX$147

54.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 MX$899

$43.08 MX$745

20.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.46 MX$181

$7.86 MX$136

33.08%

Cappuccino

$3.73 MX$64.5

$3.16 MX$54.7

18.04%

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

$1.40 MX$24.23

$1.22 MX$21.08

14.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.05 MX$18.17

$1.12 MX$19.42

-6.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.69 MX$46.49

$1.87 MX$32.36

43.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 MX$74.9

$3.61 MX$62.5

19.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 MX$28.77

$1.39 MX$23.99

19.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.74

$1.55 MX$26.81

70.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.94

$1.50 MX$25.94

30.67%

Eggs

$2.62 MX$45.41

$2.00 MX$34.68

31.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.49 MX$181

$10.35 MX$179

1.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.88 MX$154

$6.89 MX$119

28.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 MX$235

$11.41 MX$197

18.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$52.8

$2.43 MX$41.96

25.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 MX$25.36

$1.40 MX$24.15

5.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.22

$2.17 MX$37.58

-5.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.73

$1.50 MX$25.92

38.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 MX$40.47

$2.16 MX$37.35

8.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.52 MX$43.52

$1.96 MX$33.93

28.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 MX$27.17

$1.03 MX$17.90

52.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$0.95 MX$16.37

17.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$4.25 MX$73.6

0.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.06 MX$243

$11.52 MX$199

22.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 MX$31.00

$1.33 MX$22.99

34.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 MX$53.5

$2.83 MX$48.91

9.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 MX$14.19

$0.65 MX$11.33

26.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.01 MX$692

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.75 MX$30.28

$2.36 MX$40.85

-25.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 MX$16.78

$2.38 MX$41.14

-59.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.63 MX$184

$6.65 MX$115

59.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 MX$23.65

$1.30 MX$22.53

5.38%

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

$26.3K MX$455.2K

$15.7K MX$271.0K

67.97%

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

$25.5K MX$441.3K

$21.2K MX$365.9K

20.59%

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

$123 MX$2,125

$50.2 MX$868

144.82%

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

$27.58 MX$477

$22.04 MX$381

25.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.78 MX$515

$21.71 MX$376

37.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.38 MX$664

$36.64 MX$634

4.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.94 MX$380

$15.90 MX$275

37.99%

Cinema Ticket

$5.86 MX$101

$4.59 MX$79.4

27.67%

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

$347 MX$6,004

$205 MX$3,546

69.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,938 MX$154.6K

$3,481 MX$60.2K

156.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.2 MX$1,006

$56.7 MX$980

2.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.19 MX$747

$49.00 MX$848

-11.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$1,884

$89.5 MX$1,549

21.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 MX$2,187

$83.8 MX$1,450

50.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 MX$15.6K

$697 MX$12.1K

29.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$661 MX$11.4K

$493 MX$8,534

34.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 MX$27.6K

$1,532 MX$26.5K

4.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,398 MX$24.2K

$765 MX$13.2K

82.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,267 MX$73.8K

$1,930 MX$33.4K

121.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,840 MX$49.1K

$1,235 MX$21.4K

130.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,135 MX$19.6K

$676 MX$11.7K

67.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

11.68

-1.11%

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

Last update for Monterrey: July 27, 2026

Last update for Cozumel: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $903 in Monterrey and $697 in Cozumel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 68% 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: $52.0 in Monterrey vs $43.00 in Cozumel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $296 vs $241 per month, with Cozumel 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 Cozumel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey and Cozumel differ by about 35% in total monthly costs ($1,581 vs $1,173 including rent). Cozumel is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 68% 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: $903 in Monterrey versus $697 in Cozumel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Monterrey. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,581 per month in Monterrey versus $1,173 in Cozumel – a 35% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,173 in Cozumel versus $1,581 in Monterrey, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Cozumel but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes Cozumel 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 Cozumel 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 Cozumel gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.