Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Cuautla Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Cuautla

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,715 in Monterrey versus $1,288 in Cuautla.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,683 in Monterrey versus $2,109 in Cuautla.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,652 in Monterrey versus $2,930 in Cuautla.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 33% more expensive than in Cuautla, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 25% above, Cuautla is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.60 MX$248

$11.83 MX$201

23.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$909

$64.2 MX$1,091

-16.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.95 MX$203

$9.35 MX$159

27.81%

Cappuccino

$4.29 MX$72.8

$3.75 MX$63.8

14.40%

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

$1.73 MX$29.33

$1.85 MX$31.46

-6.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 MX$18.07

$1.10 MX$18.74

-3.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$50.2

$3.71 MX$63.0

-20.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.73 MX$80.3

$5.92 MX$101

-20.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 MX$33.91

$1.98 MX$33.59

1.01%

White Bread (500g)

$3.15 MX$53.5

$2.95 MX$50.1

6.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.08

$2.08 MX$35.27

-0.48%

Eggs

$2.78 MX$47.28

$2.87 MX$48.78

-3.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.18 MX$224

$9.42 MX$160

39.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$9.65 MX$164

4.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 MX$237

$14.65 MX$249

-4.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.49 MX$59.3

$3.77 MX$64.0

-7.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 MX$27.82

$1.79 MX$30.35

-8.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 MX$38.65

$2.43 MX$41.23

-6.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.60 MX$44.13

$2.03 MX$34.53

28.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 MX$43.01

$2.00 MX$34.02

26.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 MX$48.33

$1.96 MX$33.29

45.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 MX$26.46

$1.65 MX$27.95

-5.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 MX$21.88

$1.32 MX$22.43

-2.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.21 MX$88.4

$4.94 MX$83.9

5.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.84 MX$252

$19.21 MX$326

-22.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 MX$34.17

$2.43 MX$41.35

-17.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 MX$53.2

$4.58 MX$77.8

-31.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 MX$15.22

$0.73 MX$12.38

23.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.72 MX$573

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 MX$31.47

$3.63 MX$61.6

-49.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 MX$20.27

$2.82 MX$47.85

-57.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.82 MX$201

$11.68 MX$198

1.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.67 MX$28.44

$1.37 MX$23.24

21.90%

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

$22.6K MX$383.4K

$22.7K MX$385.0K

-0.41%

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

$27.1K MX$460.4K

$25.0K MX$425.0K

8.34%

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

$128 MX$2,175

$65.9 MX$1,120

94.21%

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

$28.03 MX$476

$28.95 MX$492

-3.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.47 MX$484

$26.86 MX$456

5.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.66 MX$555

$35.65 MX$605

-8.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.24 MX$395

$20.28 MX$344

14.60%

Cinema Ticket

$5.58 MX$94.8

$8.03 MX$136

-30.51%

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

$734 MX$12.5K

$282 MX$4,793

159.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K MX$205.8K

$5,389 MX$91.5K

124.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.5 MX$1,350

$57.7 MX$981

37.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.39 MX$788

$48.35 MX$821

-4.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 MX$2,037

$106 MX$1,804

12.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 MX$2,266

$104 MX$1,759

28.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 MX$17.9K

$748 MX$12.7K

40.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$739 MX$12.5K

$476 MX$8,085

55.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 MX$34.3K

$1,014 MX$17.2K

99.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,358 MX$23.1K

$794 MX$13.5K

70.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,486 MX$76.2K

$2,096 MX$35.6K

113.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,663 MX$45.2K

$1,077 MX$18.3K

147.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,153 MX$19.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.56

11.99

-3.59%

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

Last update for Monterrey: August 31, 2026

Last update for Cuautla: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,052 in Monterrey and $748 in Cuautla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Monterrey vs $64.0 in Cuautla. Groceries flip the comparison at $333 vs $331, with Cuautla cheaper for home cooking.

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 Cuautla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cuautla is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 33% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,572 in Monterrey and $1,932 in Cuautla 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: $1,052 in Monterrey versus $748 in Cuautla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $734 in Monterrey versus $282 in Cuautla. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cuautla – a meal for two runs $64.0 versus $54.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,288 in Cuautla versus $1,715 in Monterrey, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cuautla but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes Cuautla the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cuautla 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.

Expats usually find Cuautla gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.