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: $1,581 in Monterrey versus $1,046 in Cuautitlan Izcalli.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,534 in Monterrey versus $1,628 in Cuautitlan Izcalli.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,488 in Monterrey versus $2,211 in Cuautitlan Izcalli.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 51% more expensive than in Cuautitlan Izcalli, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.12 MX$229

$10.74 MX$187

22.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 MX$906

$25.74 MX$449

101.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.46 MX$182

$7.80 MX$136

34.10%

Cappuccino

$3.73 MX$65.1

$3.20 MX$55.8

16.56%

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

$1.40 MX$24.42

$1.60 MX$27.99

-12.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.05 MX$18.32

$1.15 MX$20.07

-8.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.69 MX$46.87

$2.35 MX$41.07

14.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 MX$75.5

$4.82 MX$84.1

-10.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 MX$29.00

$1.56 MX$27.12

6.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$46.11

$2.68 MX$46.81

-1.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.22

$1.34 MX$23.34

46.27%

Eggs

$2.62 MX$45.78

$2.56 MX$44.57

2.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.49 MX$183

$2.61 MX$45.43

301.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.88 MX$155

$5.10 MX$88.9

74.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 MX$237

$6.80 MX$119

99.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$53.2

$2.36 MX$41.11

29.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 MX$25.56

$1.54 MX$26.89

-4.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.51

$1.28 MX$22.37

59.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 MX$36.02

$1.96 MX$34.19

5.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 MX$40.80

$2.16 MX$37.63

8.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.52 MX$43.87

$2.22 MX$38.72

13.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 MX$27.39

$1.44 MX$25.13

9.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.46

$1.04 MX$18.10

7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.5

$4.23 MX$73.8

0.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.06 MX$245

$10.25 MX$179

37.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 MX$31.25

$1.52 MX$26.49

17.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$3.55 MX$62.0

-12.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 MX$14.30

$0.77 MX$13.35

6.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.01 MX$698

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.75 MX$30.52

$0.75 MX$13.11

133.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 MX$16.91

$0.30 MX$5.30

223.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.63 MX$185

$5.26 MX$91.7

102.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 MX$23.84

$1.23 MX$21.43

11.38%

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

$26.3K MX$458.8K

$19.3K MX$336.5K

36.35%

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

$25.5K MX$444.9K

$23.0K MX$401.4K

10.82%

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

$123 MX$2,142

$40.56 MX$707

202.76%

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

$27.58 MX$481

$27.00 MX$471

2.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.78 MX$519

$18.48 MX$322

61.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.38 MX$669

$35.39 MX$617

8.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.94 MX$383

$15.56 MX$271

41.00%

Cinema Ticket

$5.86 MX$102

$4.12 MX$71.8

42.23%

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

$347 MX$6,052

$440 MX$7,682

-21.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,938 MX$155.9K

$3,627 MX$63.3K

146.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.2 MX$1,014

$53.0 MX$924

9.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.19 MX$753

$26.27 MX$458

64.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$1,899

$101 MX$1,768

7.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 MX$2,204

$52.3 MX$912

141.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 MX$15.7K

$508 MX$8,860

77.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$661 MX$11.5K

$396 MX$6,898

67.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 MX$27.8K

$933 MX$16.3K

70.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,398 MX$24.4K

$754 MX$13.2K

85.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,267 MX$74.4K

$1,899 MX$33.1K

124.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,840 MX$49.5K

$1,065 MX$18.6K

166.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,135 MX$19.8K

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Cuautitlan Izcalli: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $903 in Monterrey and $508 in Cuautitlan Izcalli. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Monterrey vs $26.00 in Cuautitlan Izcalli for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $296 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 51% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,371 in Monterrey and $1,568 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: $903 in Monterrey versus $508 in Cuautitlan Izcalli. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $347 in Monterrey versus $440 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 $26.00 versus $52.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,046 in Cuautitlan Izcalli versus $1,581 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 51% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.