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: $1,692 in Monterrey versus $1,218 in Cozumel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,638 in Monterrey versus $1,982 in Cozumel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,583 in Monterrey versus $2,745 in Cozumel.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 39% more expensive than in Cozumel, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 24% above, Cozumel is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.54 MX$251

$9.15 MX$158

58.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.7 MX$908

$46.88 MX$808

12.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.44 MX$197

$8.96 MX$155

27.68%

Cappuccino

$4.29 MX$74.0

$3.04 MX$52.4

41.12%

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

$1.72 MX$29.61

$1.20 MX$20.74

43.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.09

$1.02 MX$17.67

8.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$50.9

$1.70 MX$29.28

73.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.78 MX$82.4

$3.42 MX$59.0

39.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 MX$35.26

$1.52 MX$26.16

34.21%

White Bread (500g)

$3.09 MX$53.2

$1.80 MX$31.03

71.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.88

$1.92 MX$33.16

2.08%

Eggs

$2.65 MX$45.62

$2.04 MX$35.19

29.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.69 MX$219

$11.10 MX$191

14.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.80 MX$169

$8.36 MX$144

17.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 MX$233

$13.13 MX$226

3.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.45 MX$59.6

$2.61 MX$45.08

32.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.27

$1.54 MX$26.56

6.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.52

$2.26 MX$38.95

-1.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 MX$44.07

$1.67 MX$28.81

53.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.40 MX$41.37

$2.45 MX$42.32

-2.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 MX$49.60

$1.89 MX$32.67

52.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 MX$27.49

$1.50 MX$25.93

6.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 MX$23.06

$1.19 MX$20.59

12.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 MX$89.3

$4.76 MX$82.1

8.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.68 MX$253

$11.45 MX$197

28.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 MX$35.06

$1.61 MX$27.68

26.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 MX$54.6

$2.67 MX$46.02

18.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 MX$15.88

$0.61 MX$10.45

50.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.50 MX$578

$69.3 MX$1,195

-51.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 MX$33.19

$2.96 MX$51.0

-35.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 MX$20.47

$3.29 MX$56.7

-63.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.75 MX$203

$9.57 MX$165

22.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 MX$27.17

$1.46 MX$25.20

8.22%

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

$22.2K MX$383.3K

$21.8K MX$375.3K

2.12%

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

$26.2K MX$451.6K

$24.9K MX$430.0K

5.03%

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

$124 MX$2,130

$61.4 MX$1,059

101.12%

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

$28.25 MX$487

$22.07 MX$381

28.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.93 MX$481

$23.61 MX$407

18.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.96 MX$568

$40.05 MX$691

-17.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.09 MX$398

$21.08 MX$363

9.54%

Cinema Ticket

$5.52 MX$95.2

$6.26 MX$108

-11.82%

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

$730 MX$12.6K

$268 MX$4,616

172.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K MX$203.7K

$3,839 MX$66.2K

207.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.3 MX$1,385

$57.3 MX$988

40.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.45 MX$784

$55.6 MX$958

-18.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 MX$2,060

$108 MX$1,854

11.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 MX$2,247

$88.8 MX$1,532

46.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,047 MX$18.1K

$646 MX$11.1K

62.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$728 MX$12.6K

$417 MX$7,191

74.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 MX$34.1K

$1,712 MX$29.5K

15.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,385 MX$23.9K

$827 MX$14.3K

67.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,432 MX$76.4K

$1,981 MX$34.2K

123.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 MX$45.2K

$1,218 MX$21.0K

115.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,168 MX$20.1K

$701 MX$12.1K

66.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.56

11.64

-0.69%

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

Last update for Monterrey: September 12, 2026

Last update for Cozumel: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,047 in Monterrey and $646 in Cozumel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 67% 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 $47.00 in Cozumel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $271 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 39% in total monthly costs ($1,692 vs $1,218 including rent). Cozumel is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 67% 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 $646 in Cozumel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Monterrey. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Cozumel – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $53.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,218 in Cozumel versus $1,692 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 39% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.