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: $1,596 in Monterrey versus $1,101 in Cuajimalpa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,550 in Monterrey versus $1,769 in Cuajimalpa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,504 in Monterrey versus $2,438 in Cuajimalpa.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 45% more expensive than Cuajimalpa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 19% above, Cuajimalpa is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.45 MX$233

$10.61 MX$184

26.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.8 MX$915

$39.25 MX$680

34.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.25 MX$178

$8.00 MX$139

28.13%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$64.8

$3.21 MX$55.6

16.51%

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

$1.40 MX$24.28

$1.27 MX$22.04

10.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$17.98

$0.97 MX$16.72

7.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.66 MX$46.07

$2.39 MX$41.50

11.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 MX$75.1

$3.97 MX$68.7

9.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 MX$27.59

$1.50 MX$26.03

6.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.62 MX$45.41

$2.52 MX$43.65

3.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$33.66

$1.63 MX$28.26

19.02%

Eggs

$2.68 MX$46.39

$2.32 MX$40.16

15.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.37 MX$180

$7.93 MX$138

30.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.24 MX$160

$7.85 MX$136

17.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 MX$234

$10.38 MX$180

29.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 MX$55.3

$2.61 MX$45.25

22.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 MX$25.06

$1.45 MX$25.18

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.92

$1.80 MX$31.22

15.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.88

$1.60 MX$27.76

29.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.37

$1.93 MX$33.53

17.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.57 MX$44.60

$2.02 MX$34.96

27.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 MX$26.00

$1.25 MX$21.72

20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.68

$1.02 MX$17.59

5.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$74.3

$4.06 MX$70.3

5.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.95 MX$207

$10.82 MX$188

10.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.85

$1.57 MX$27.15

9.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 MX$54.4

$2.77 MX$47.98

13.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 MX$14.27

$0.65 MX$11.33

26.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.89 MX$709

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 MX$29.18

$2.65 MX$46.00

-36.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 MX$17.45

$1.60 MX$27.72

-36.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.41 MX$180

$8.50 MX$147

22.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.31

$1.27 MX$21.98

6.30%

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

$25.9K MX$449.3K

$21.0K MX$364.0K

23.44%

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

$26.2K MX$454.0K

$22.3K MX$386.0K

17.62%

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

$121 MX$2,095

$56.2 MX$974

115.18%

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

$27.83 MX$482

$22.32 MX$387

24.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.04 MX$521

$28.00 MX$485

7.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.56 MX$651

$35.86 MX$621

4.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.96 MX$381

$16.14 MX$280

36.06%

Cinema Ticket

$5.75 MX$99.7

$4.70 MX$81.5

22.34%

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

$336 MX$5,820

$208 MX$3,600

61.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,005 MX$156.0K

$3,536 MX$61.3K

154.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 MX$1,034

$53.9 MX$934

10.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 MX$741

$39.27 MX$680

8.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$1,875

$91.3 MX$1,583

18.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 MX$2,199

$78.7 MX$1,363

61.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 MX$15.7K

$501 MX$8,688

81.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 MX$11.5K

$389 MX$6,741

70.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,572 MX$27.2K

$931 MX$16.1K

68.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,424 MX$24.7K

$761 MX$13.2K

87.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,254 MX$73.7K

$1,851 MX$32.1K

129.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,862 MX$49.6K

$1,343 MX$23.3K

113.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,129 MX$19.6K

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: April 21, 2026

Last update for Cuajimalpa: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $908 in Monterrey and $501 in Cuajimalpa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $53 in Monterrey vs $39 in Cuajimalpa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $249 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 45% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,393 in Monterrey and $1,651 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: $908 in Monterrey versus $501 in Cuajimalpa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $336 in Monterrey versus $208 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 $53.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,101 in Cuajimalpa versus $1,596 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 45% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.