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: $1,601 in Monterrey versus $1,089 in Cuajimalpa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Monterrey versus $1,734 in Cuajimalpa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,568 in Monterrey versus $2,379 in Cuajimalpa.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 47% more expensive than Cuajimalpa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 20% above, Cuajimalpa is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.01 MX$227

$10.47 MX$183

24.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$939

$38.89 MX$679

38.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.21 MX$178

$8.10 MX$142

26.05%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$64.3

$3.32 MX$58.1

10.84%

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

$1.46 MX$25.54

$1.29 MX$22.61

13.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 MX$17.45

$0.93 MX$16.23

7.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 MX$47.07

$2.37 MX$41.36

13.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 MX$74.6

$3.96 MX$69.1

7.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 MX$29.09

$1.47 MX$25.71

13.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 MX$46.80

$2.61 MX$45.50

2.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.67

$1.62 MX$28.32

19.14%

Eggs

$2.63 MX$45.93

$2.41 MX$42.03

9.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.34 MX$181

$8.23 MX$144

25.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.22 MX$161

$7.85 MX$137

17.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.84 MX$242

$10.43 MX$182

32.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 MX$55.0

$2.67 MX$46.56

17.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 MX$24.24

$1.44 MX$25.18

-3.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.92

$1.80 MX$31.43

11.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$37.39

$1.57 MX$27.49

36.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.57

$1.83 MX$31.92

24.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 MX$44.43

$2.00 MX$34.99

27.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 MX$27.35

$1.20 MX$21.01

30.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.67

$1.01 MX$17.72

5.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 MX$74.2

$4.10 MX$71.6

3.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.36 MX$251

$10.87 MX$190

32.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 MX$31.11

$1.63 MX$28.39

9.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 MX$54.9

$2.87 MX$50.2

9.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 MX$14.00

$0.65 MX$11.41

23.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.54 MX$708

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 MX$29.34

$2.65 MX$46.20

-36.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 MX$16.44

$1.54 MX$26.98

-38.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.76 MX$188

$8.11 MX$142

32.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 MX$23.91

$1.32 MX$22.99

3.79%

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

$26.7K MX$467.1K

$20.9K MX$365.3K

27.85%

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

$25.6K MX$446.8K

$22.2K MX$387.6K

15.28%

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

$122 MX$2,125

$57.2 MX$998

112.84%

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

$27.19 MX$475

$22.44 MX$392

21.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.82 MX$521

$28.34 MX$495

5.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.49 MX$672

$36.51 MX$638

5.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.46 MX$375

$15.67 MX$274

36.95%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 MX$103

$4.62 MX$80.7

28.14%

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

$346 MX$6,037

$206 MX$3,593

68.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,997 MX$157.1K

$3,570 MX$62.4K

152.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.4 MX$1,020

$51.9 MX$906

12.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.55 MX$743

$39.62 MX$692

7.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$1,910

$90.2 MX$1,575

21.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 MX$2,253

$79.8 MX$1,393

61.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$913 MX$15.9K

$510 MX$8,908

79.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$647 MX$11.3K

$394 MX$6,882

64.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,565 MX$27.3K

$938 MX$16.4K

66.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,401 MX$24.5K

$761 MX$13.3K

84.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,371 MX$76.3K

$2,108 MX$36.8K

107.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,839 MX$49.6K

$1,377 MX$24.0K

106.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,104 MX$19.3K

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Cuajimalpa: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $913 in Monterrey and $510 in Cuajimalpa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Monterrey vs $39.00 in Cuajimalpa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $251 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, Sport & Entertainment. The 47% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,402 in Monterrey and $1,633 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: $913 in Monterrey versus $510 in Cuajimalpa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $346 in Monterrey versus $206 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 $54.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,089 in Cuajimalpa versus $1,601 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 47% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.