Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Cuajimalpa Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Cuajimalpa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,615 in Monterrey versus $1,086 in Cuajimalpa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,601 in Monterrey versus $1,742 in Cuajimalpa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,587 in Monterrey versus $2,398 in Cuajimalpa.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 49% more expensive than in Cuajimalpa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 21% above, Cuajimalpa is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.05 MX$228

$10.48 MX$184

24.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.1 MX$912

$38.95 MX$682

33.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.14 MX$178

$7.81 MX$137

29.83%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$62.6

$3.20 MX$56.1

11.56%

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

$1.40 MX$24.53

$1.27 MX$22.30

10.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 MX$18.11

$0.92 MX$16.03

11.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.69 MX$47.12

$2.35 MX$41.19

14.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.12 MX$72.1

$3.92 MX$68.6

5.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 MX$28.03

$1.50 MX$26.30

6.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 MX$45.25

$2.55 MX$44.71

1.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.67

$1.58 MX$27.65

18.35%

Eggs

$2.70 MX$47.32

$2.37 MX$41.43

13.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.40 MX$182

$8.07 MX$141

28.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.78 MX$154

$7.85 MX$137

11.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.45 MX$236

$10.38 MX$182

29.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.22 MX$56.4

$2.65 MX$46.43

21.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 MX$24.58

$1.45 MX$25.39

-3.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$35.22

$1.76 MX$30.90

14.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.62

$1.61 MX$28.12

33.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.35 MX$41.23

$1.93 MX$33.83

21.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.45 MX$42.90

$2.01 MX$35.14

21.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 MX$26.28

$1.26 MX$22.04

19.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.79

$0.98 MX$17.19

9.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$73.3

$4.20 MX$73.6

-0.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.43 MX$253

$10.79 MX$189

33.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 MX$31.07

$1.60 MX$28.00

10.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$2.85 MX$49.92

11.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 MX$13.15

$0.66 MX$11.49

13.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.81 MX$715

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.67 MX$29.30

$2.62 MX$45.86

-36.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 MX$16.44

$1.54 MX$26.93

-38.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.65 MX$186

$8.44 MX$148

26.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.97

$1.32 MX$23.12

-0.76%

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

$26.1K MX$458.0K

$21.4K MX$374.0K

22.44%

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

$26.3K MX$460.4K

$22.3K MX$391.3K

17.65%

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

$123 MX$2,147

$57.0 MX$998

115.09%

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

$27.94 MX$489

$21.90 MX$384

27.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$520

$27.71 MX$485

7.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.16 MX$651

$36.41 MX$638

2.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.68 MX$380

$15.91 MX$279

36.27%

Cinema Ticket

$5.88 MX$103

$4.56 MX$79.8

28.95%

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

$339 MX$5,942

$210 MX$3,677

61.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,746 MX$153.2K

$3,556 MX$62.3K

145.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.4 MX$1,040

$53.7 MX$940

10.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.83 MX$750

$39.35 MX$689

8.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 MX$1,877

$91.3 MX$1,598

17.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 MX$2,194

$79.8 MX$1,398

56.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$894 MX$15.7K

$502 MX$8,791

78.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$652 MX$11.4K

$396 MX$6,931

64.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,613 MX$28.3K

$945 MX$16.5K

70.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,380 MX$24.2K

$760 MX$13.3K

81.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,271 MX$74.8K

$2,048 MX$35.9K

108.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,825 MX$49.5K

$1,308 MX$22.9K

115.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,112 MX$19.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

11.48

0.61%

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

Last update for Monterrey: July 19, 2026

Last update for Cuajimalpa: July 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $894 in Monterrey and $502 in Cuajimalpa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Monterrey vs $39.00 in Cuajimalpa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $294 vs $250 per month, with Cuajimalpa 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 Cuajimalpa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cuajimalpa is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 49% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,423 in Monterrey and $1,628 in Cuajimalpa to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $894 in Monterrey versus $502 in Cuajimalpa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $339 in Monterrey versus $210 in Cuajimalpa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cuajimalpa – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $52.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,086 in Cuajimalpa versus $1,615 in Monterrey, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cuajimalpa but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes Cuajimalpa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cuajimalpa is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Monterrey, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Monterrey and Cuajimalpa 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 Cuajimalpa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.