Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Cuautitlan Izcalli Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Cuautitlan Izcalli

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,574 in Monterrey versus $1,030 in Cuautitlan Izcalli.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,529 in Monterrey versus $1,631 in Cuautitlan Izcalli.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,484 in Monterrey versus $2,232 in Cuautitlan Izcalli.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 53% more expensive than Cuautitlan Izcalli, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 17% above, Cuautitlan Izcalli is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.42 MX$230

$10.74 MX$184

24.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$924

$24.94 MX$428

115.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 MX$177

$8.07 MX$138

27.88%

Cappuccino

$3.58 MX$61.4

$3.21 MX$55.2

11.53%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$1.55 MX$26.57

-7.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 MX$17.00

$1.11 MX$19.02

-10.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 MX$44.41

$2.36 MX$40.59

9.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 MX$73.4

$4.67 MX$80.1

-8.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 MX$28.69

$1.64 MX$28.09

1.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.30

$2.67 MX$45.91

-1.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.15

$1.30 MX$22.32

43.85%

Eggs

$2.67 MX$45.90

$2.63 MX$45.21

1.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.49 MX$180

$2.59 MX$44.41

305.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.13 MX$157

$4.99 MX$85.6

82.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.85 MX$238

$7.04 MX$121

96.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 MX$52.3

$2.31 MX$39.73

31.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 MX$24.09

$1.56 MX$26.80

-10.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.41

$1.29 MX$22.18

64.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.33

$2.03 MX$34.90

1.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.25

$2.15 MX$36.84

3.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 MX$43.99

$2.24 MX$38.53

14.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 MX$26.22

$1.45 MX$24.96

5.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.45

$1.05 MX$17.95

1.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.13 MX$70.8

$4.24 MX$72.8

-2.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.34 MX$246

$10.22 MX$175

40.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 MX$30.68

$1.56 MX$26.78

14.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 MX$54.5

$3.58 MX$61.4

-11.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 MX$13.16

$0.82 MX$14.00

-6.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.85 MX$701

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.73 MX$29.77

$0.76 MX$13.07

127.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 MX$16.44

$0.28 MX$4.78

242.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.72 MX$184

$5.32 MX$91.2

101.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.36

$1.28 MX$21.99

6.25%

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

$26.5K MX$454.9K

$19.3K MX$331.4K

37.26%

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

$25.9K MX$443.8K

$23.4K MX$402.2K

10.34%

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

$123 MX$2,113

$40.79 MX$700

201.81%

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

$27.98 MX$480

$27.73 MX$476

0.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.71 MX$510

$18.88 MX$324

57.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.13 MX$637

$36.47 MX$626

1.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.88 MX$376

$15.60 MX$268

40.26%

Cinema Ticket

$5.71 MX$97.9

$4.14 MX$71.1

37.92%

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

$348 MX$5,972

$438 MX$7,512

-20.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,997 MX$154.4K

$3,538 MX$60.7K

154.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 MX$1,028

$53.9 MX$925

11.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.22 MX$742

$25.56 MX$439

69.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$1,878

$105 MX$1,805

4.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 MX$2,228

$53.1 MX$912

144.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$894 MX$15.3K

$507 MX$8,702

76.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$656 MX$11.3K

$403 MX$6,913

62.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 MX$27.1K

$945 MX$16.2K

66.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,422 MX$24.4K

$752 MX$12.9K

89.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,316 MX$74.1K

$1,724 MX$29.6K

150.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,873 MX$49.3K

$1,349 MX$23.2K

112.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,101 MX$18.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

11.34

1.85%

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

Last update for Monterrey: June 8, 2026

Last update for Cuautitlan Izcalli: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $894 in Monterrey and $507 in Cuautitlan Izcalli. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Monterrey vs $25.00 in Cuautitlan Izcalli for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $214 per month, with Cuautitlan Izcalli 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 Cuautitlan Izcalli: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cuautitlan Izcalli is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 53% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,361 in Monterrey and $1,545 in Cuautitlan Izcalli 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 $507 in Cuautitlan Izcalli. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $348 in Monterrey versus $438 in Cuautitlan Izcalli. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cuautitlan Izcalli – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $54.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,030 in Cuautitlan Izcalli versus $1,574 in Monterrey, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cuautitlan Izcalli but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes Cuautitlan Izcalli the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cuautitlan Izcalli 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 Cuautitlan Izcalli 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 Cuautitlan Izcalli gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.