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: $1,574 in Monterrey versus $1,145 in Cozumel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,529 in Monterrey versus $2,350 in Cozumel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,484 in Monterrey versus $3,556 in Cozumel.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 38% more expensive than Cozumel, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 17% above, Cozumel is 15% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.42 MX$230

$8.61 MX$148

55.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$924

$42.87 MX$736

25.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 MX$177

$7.76 MX$133

32.99%

Cappuccino

$3.58 MX$61.4

$3.06 MX$52.5

16.99%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$1.21 MX$20.76

18.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 MX$17.00

$1.07 MX$18.37

-7.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 MX$44.41

$1.80 MX$30.90

43.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 MX$73.4

$3.80 MX$65.2

12.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 MX$28.69

$1.36 MX$23.36

22.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.30

$1.55 MX$26.58

70.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.15

$1.50 MX$25.82

24.67%

Eggs

$2.67 MX$45.90

$1.93 MX$33.21

38.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.49 MX$180

$10.31 MX$177

1.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.13 MX$157

$6.82 MX$117

33.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.85 MX$238

$11.19 MX$192

23.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 MX$52.3

$2.35 MX$40.29

29.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 MX$24.09

$1.42 MX$24.32

-1.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.41

$2.13 MX$36.57

-0.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.33

$1.50 MX$25.70

37.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.25

$2.10 MX$36.06

6.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 MX$43.99

$1.92 MX$32.96

33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 MX$26.22

$1.07 MX$18.43

42.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.45

$0.94 MX$16.09

13.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.13 MX$70.8

$4.24 MX$72.7

-2.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.34 MX$246

$11.35 MX$195

26.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 MX$30.68

$1.32 MX$22.59

35.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 MX$54.5

$2.88 MX$49.50

10.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 MX$13.16

$0.61 MX$10.53

26.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.85 MX$701

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.73 MX$29.77

$2.37 MX$40.67

-27.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 MX$16.44

$2.49 MX$42.76

-61.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.72 MX$184

$6.56 MX$113

63.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.36

$1.26 MX$21.64

7.94%

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

$26.5K MX$454.9K

$15.8K MX$271.2K

67.74%

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

$25.9K MX$443.8K

$21.1K MX$361.5K

22.75%

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

$123 MX$2,113

$50.5 MX$867

143.69%

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

$27.98 MX$480

$21.65 MX$372

29.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.71 MX$510

$21.87 MX$375

35.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.13 MX$637

$36.31 MX$623

2.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.88 MX$376

$21.25 MX$365

2.96%

Cinema Ticket

$5.71 MX$97.9

$4.54 MX$78.0

25.77%

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

$348 MX$5,972

$394 MX$6,762

-11.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,997 MX$154.4K

$3,540 MX$60.8K

154.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 MX$1,028

$55.7 MX$956

7.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.22 MX$742

$47.87 MX$822

-9.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$1,878

$91.0 MX$1,562

20.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 MX$2,228

$85.5 MX$1,467

51.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$894 MX$15.3K

$705 MX$12.1K

26.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$656 MX$11.3K

$478 MX$8,200

37.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 MX$27.1K

$1,552 MX$26.6K

1.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,422 MX$24.4K

$2,013 MX$34.6K

-29.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,316 MX$74.1K

$1,460 MX$25.1K

195.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,873 MX$49.3K

$1,864 MX$32.0K

54.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,101 MX$18.9K

$688 MX$11.8K

60.11%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Cozumel: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $894 in Monterrey and $705 in Cozumel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 60% 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: $54.0 in Monterrey vs $43.00 in Cozumel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $238 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 38% in total monthly costs ($1,574 vs $1,145 including rent). Cozumel is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Monterrey pays 60% more on average, 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: $894 in Monterrey versus $705 in Cozumel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Monterrey. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,574 per month in Monterrey versus $1,145 in Cozumel – a 38% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,145 in Cozumel versus $1,574 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 38% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.