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: $1,595 in Monterrey versus $1,034 in Cuautitlan Izcalli.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,536 in Monterrey versus $1,619 in Cuautitlan Izcalli.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,477 in Monterrey versus $2,204 in Cuautitlan Izcalli.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 54% more expensive than Cuautitlan Izcalli, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 19% above, Cuautitlan Izcalli is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.02 MX$227

$10.61 MX$185

22.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.6 MX$932

$25.33 MX$441

111.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.17 MX$177

$8.04 MX$140

26.49%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.2

$3.13 MX$54.6

19.81%

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

$1.44 MX$25.09

$1.58 MX$27.48

-8.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.06

$1.16 MX$20.22

-10.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 MX$44.86

$2.33 MX$40.47

10.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 MX$71.5

$4.90 MX$85.2

-16.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 MX$29.14

$1.58 MX$27.45

5.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.63 MX$45.81

$2.59 MX$45.06

1.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.62

$1.28 MX$22.36

50.78%

Eggs

$2.60 MX$45.25

$2.50 MX$43.44

4.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.47 MX$182

$2.70 MX$46.98

287.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.07 MX$158

$5.17 MX$89.9

75.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.42 MX$234

$6.72 MX$117

99.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 MX$54.9

$2.44 MX$42.50

29.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 MX$24.44

$1.56 MX$27.23

-10.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.39

$1.30 MX$22.56

60.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.35

$1.96 MX$34.15

6.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 MX$40.40

$2.15 MX$37.49

7.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.53 MX$44.09

$2.25 MX$39.09

12.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$27.00

$1.39 MX$24.27

11.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.39

$1.04 MX$18.08

6.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 MX$74.0

$4.14 MX$72.1

2.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.83 MX$206

$10.44 MX$182

13.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 MX$31.28

$1.49 MX$25.90

20.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 MX$54.2

$3.68 MX$64.0

-15.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 MX$13.09

$0.81 MX$14.07

-7.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.49 MX$687

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.76 MX$30.61

$0.80 MX$13.96

120.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 MX$17.25

$0.28 MX$4.82

253.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.60 MX$185

$5.44 MX$94.6

94.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.75

$1.25 MX$21.68

4.80%

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

$26.6K MX$463.1K

$19.3K MX$335.5K

38.03%

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

$25.7K MX$447.7K

$23.2K MX$403.0K

11.08%

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

$124 MX$2,151

$40.29 MX$701

206.88%

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

$27.80 MX$484

$26.86 MX$467

3.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.57 MX$514

$18.35 MX$319

61.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.39 MX$668

$36.54 MX$636

5.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.87 MX$380

$16.12 MX$280

35.67%

Cinema Ticket

$5.95 MX$103

$4.34 MX$75.6

37.10%

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

$337 MX$5,863

$426 MX$7,407

-20.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,908 MX$155.0K

$3,583 MX$62.4K

148.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,014

$52.7 MX$916

10.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.99 MX$731

$25.87 MX$450

62.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$1,886

$105 MX$1,828

3.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 MX$2,195

$52.2 MX$908

141.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$911 MX$15.8K

$507 MX$8,814

79.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$660 MX$11.5K

$390 MX$6,789

69.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,570 MX$27.3K

$951 MX$16.5K

65.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,426 MX$24.8K

$770 MX$13.4K

85.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,178 MX$72.7K

$1,953 MX$34.0K

113.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,845 MX$49.5K

$1,436 MX$25.0K

98.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,113 MX$19.4K

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Cuautitlan Izcalli: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $911 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 $292 vs $212 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, Sport & Entertainment. The 54% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,392 in Monterrey and $1,552 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: $911 in Monterrey versus $507 in Cuautitlan Izcalli. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $337 in Monterrey versus $426 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 $1,034 in Cuautitlan Izcalli versus $1,595 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 54% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.