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: $1,595 in Monterrey versus $1,153 in Cozumel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,536 in Monterrey versus $2,377 in Cozumel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,477 in Monterrey versus $3,601 in Cozumel.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 38% more expensive than Cozumel, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 19% above, Cozumel is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.02 MX$227

$8.49 MX$148

53.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.6 MX$932

$42.28 MX$736

26.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.17 MX$177

$7.77 MX$135

30.89%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.2

$3.12 MX$54.2

20.19%

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

$1.44 MX$25.09

$1.21 MX$21.04

19.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.06

$1.10 MX$19.22

-5.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 MX$44.86

$1.87 MX$32.48

37.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 MX$71.5

$3.68 MX$64.0

11.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 MX$29.14

$1.44 MX$25.04

15.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.63 MX$45.81

$1.61 MX$28.09

63.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.62

$1.52 MX$26.41

26.97%

Eggs

$2.60 MX$45.25

$1.99 MX$34.68

30.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.47 MX$182

$10.37 MX$180

0.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.07 MX$158

$7.14 MX$124

27.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.42 MX$234

$11.32 MX$197

18.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 MX$54.9

$2.42 MX$42.15

30.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 MX$24.44

$1.35 MX$23.54

3.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.39

$2.13 MX$37.12

-1.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.35

$1.44 MX$25.06

45.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 MX$40.40

$2.15 MX$37.44

7.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.53 MX$44.09

$1.87 MX$32.49

35.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$27.00

$1.08 MX$18.72

43.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.39

$0.93 MX$16.17

19.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 MX$74.0

$4.20 MX$73.0

1.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.83 MX$206

$11.60 MX$202

1.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 MX$31.28

$1.36 MX$23.70

32.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 MX$54.2

$2.74 MX$47.75

13.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 MX$13.09

$0.66 MX$11.44

13.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.49 MX$687

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.76 MX$30.61

$2.34 MX$40.66

-24.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 MX$17.25

$2.40 MX$41.80

-58.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.60 MX$185

$6.77 MX$118

56.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.75

$1.30 MX$22.64

0.77%

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

$26.6K MX$463.1K

$15.8K MX$274.2K

68.88%

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

$25.7K MX$447.7K

$21.1K MX$366.4K

22.19%

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

$124 MX$2,151

$50.8 MX$883

143.58%

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

$27.80 MX$484

$22.36 MX$389

24.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.57 MX$514

$22.36 MX$389

32.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.39 MX$668

$37.54 MX$653

2.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.87 MX$380

$21.44 MX$373

2.01%

Cinema Ticket

$5.95 MX$103

$4.59 MX$79.9

29.63%

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

$337 MX$5,863

$388 MX$6,753

-13.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,908 MX$155.0K

$3,447 MX$60.0K

158.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,014

$55.7 MX$969

4.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.99 MX$731

$48.39 MX$842

-13.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$1,886

$90.0 MX$1,565

20.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 MX$2,195

$83.0 MX$1,445

51.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$911 MX$15.8K

$708 MX$12.3K

28.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$660 MX$11.5K

$481 MX$8,367

37.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,570 MX$27.3K

$1,535 MX$26.7K

2.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,426 MX$24.8K

$2,028 MX$35.3K

-29.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,178 MX$72.7K

$1,426 MX$24.8K

192.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,845 MX$49.5K

$1,856 MX$32.3K

53.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,113 MX$19.4K

$699 MX$12.2K

59.06%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Cozumel: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $911 in Monterrey and $708 in Cozumel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 59% 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 $42.00 in Cozumel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $242 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 ($1,595 vs $1,153 including rent). Cozumel is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Monterrey pays 59% 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: $911 in Monterrey versus $708 in Cozumel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Monterrey. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,595 per month in Monterrey versus $1,153 in Cozumel – a 38% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,153 in Cozumel versus $1,595 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.