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: $1,601 in Monterrey versus $1,172 in Cuautla.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Monterrey versus $1,862 in Cuautla.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,568 in Monterrey versus $2,552 in Cuautla.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 37% more expensive than Cuautla, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 20% above, Cuautla is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.01 MX$225

$9.58 MX$166

35.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$930

$46.16 MX$798

16.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.21 MX$177

$8.11 MX$140

25.89%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$63.7

$3.71 MX$64.2

-0.81%

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

$1.46 MX$25.30

$1.27 MX$21.91

14.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 MX$17.28

$0.96 MX$16.68

4.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 MX$46.62

$2.43 MX$42.01

11.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$4.16 MX$71.9

2.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 MX$28.81

$1.59 MX$27.48

5.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 MX$46.35

$2.57 MX$44.40

4.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.35

$1.99 MX$34.45

-3.02%

Eggs

$2.63 MX$45.49

$2.29 MX$39.58

14.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.34 MX$179

$8.49 MX$147

21.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.22 MX$159

$9.69 MX$168

-4.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.84 MX$239

$13.22 MX$229

4.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 MX$54.5

$3.55 MX$61.4

-11.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 MX$24.01

$1.51 MX$26.06

-7.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.59

$1.85 MX$32.08

8.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$37.03

$1.79 MX$31.03

19.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.19

$1.74 MX$30.09

30.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 MX$44.00

$1.88 MX$32.59

35.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 MX$27.09

$1.30 MX$22.55

20.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.49

$1.10 MX$19.05

-2.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 MX$73.5

$4.34 MX$75.1

-2.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.36 MX$248

$17.53 MX$303

-18.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 MX$30.81

$1.99 MX$34.49

-10.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 MX$54.4

$3.32 MX$57.4

-5.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 MX$13.87

$0.65 MX$11.25

23.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.54 MX$701

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 MX$29.06

$3.15 MX$54.6

-46.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 MX$16.28

$1.19 MX$20.65

-21.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.76 MX$186

$9.40 MX$163

14.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 MX$23.68

$1.22 MX$21.06

12.30%

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

$26.7K MX$462.6K

$19.7K MX$341.3K

35.54%

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

$25.6K MX$442.5K

$20.5K MX$354.9K

24.68%

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

$122 MX$2,104

$63.8 MX$1,103

90.75%

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

$27.19 MX$470

$23.66 MX$409

14.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.82 MX$516

$27.67 MX$479

7.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.49 MX$666

$36.20 MX$626

6.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.46 MX$371

$15.98 MX$276

34.29%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 MX$102

$6.06 MX$105

-2.31%

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

$346 MX$5,979

$321 MX$5,551

7.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,997 MX$155.6K

$4,797 MX$83.0K

87.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.4 MX$1,010

$49.81 MX$862

17.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.55 MX$736

$42.84 MX$741

-0.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$1,892

$100.0 MX$1,729

9.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 MX$2,231

$96.2 MX$1,664

34.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$913 MX$15.8K

$513 MX$8,879

77.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$647 MX$11.2K

$390 MX$6,748

65.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,565 MX$27.1K

$941 MX$16.3K

66.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,401 MX$24.2K

$755 MX$13.1K

85.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,371 MX$75.6K

$2,013 MX$34.8K

117.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,839 MX$49.1K

$1,253 MX$21.7K

126.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,104 MX$19.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

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

Last update for Monterrey: June 1, 2026

Last update for Cuautla: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $913 in Monterrey and $513 in Cuautla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Monterrey vs $46.00 in Cuautla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $295 per month, with Cuautla 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 Cuautla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cuautla is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 37% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,402 in Monterrey and $1,758 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: $913 in Monterrey versus $513 in Cuautla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $346 in Monterrey versus $321 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 $46.00 versus $54.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,172 in Cuautla versus $1,601 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 37% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.