Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Culiacan Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Culiacan

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,790 per month in Monterrey vs $1,070 in Culiacan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,785 per month in Monterrey vs $1,788 in Culiacan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,780 per month in Monterrey vs $2,505 in Culiacan, rent included.

Monterrey costs about 67% more than Culiacan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Monterrey sits 31% above the global median, while Culiacan is 22% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.74 MX$250

$13.05 MX$221

12.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$884

$41.87 MX$710

24.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.81 MX$200

$8.68 MX$147

36.06%

Cappuccino

$4.27 MX$72.4

$4.44 MX$75.2

-3.83%

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

$1.58 MX$26.80

$1.47 MX$24.87

7.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$18.90

$1.06 MX$17.90

5.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.02 MX$51.1

$2.57 MX$43.63

17.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.70 MX$79.7

$4.07 MX$69.0

15.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 MX$34.87

$1.92 MX$32.53

7.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.7

$2.94 MX$49.81

7.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 MX$34.71

$1.32 MX$22.45

55.30%

Eggs

$2.78 MX$47.17

$2.50 MX$42.32

11.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.93 MX$219

$8.29 MX$141

55.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.08 MX$171

$9.78 MX$166

3.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.37 MX$243

$11.93 MX$202

20.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.70 MX$62.8

$2.85 MX$48.23

29.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 MX$28.16

$1.52 MX$25.77

9.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 MX$40.19

$1.58 MX$26.73

50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 MX$43.13

$1.43 MX$24.19

78.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 MX$41.99

$1.81 MX$30.64

37.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 MX$44.75

$2.36 MX$40.03

11.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 MX$27.78

$2.08 MX$35.31

-21.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.55

$1.46 MX$24.70

-8.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 MX$83.9

$4.97 MX$84.3

-0.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.66 MX$248

$14.57 MX$247

0.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 MX$34.50

$1.49 MX$25.30

36.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 MX$53.3

$2.95 MX$50.0

6.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 MX$15.32

$0.78 MX$13.20

15.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.40 MX$566

$14.96 MX$253

123.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 MX$31.64

$3.59 MX$60.9

-47.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.16 MX$19.61

$1.98 MX$33.56

-41.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.62 MX$197

$11.59 MX$196

0.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 MX$27.19

$1.55 MX$26.20

3.23%

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

$22.4K MX$379.0K

$22.9K MX$388.7K

-2.50%

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

$27.3K MX$462.8K

$26.0K MX$440.3K

5.11%

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

$132 MX$2,241

$59.2 MX$1,004

123.26%

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

$29.16 MX$494

$21.10 MX$358

38.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.32 MX$497

$33.25 MX$563

-11.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.76 MX$606

$32.25 MX$546

10.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.05 MX$391

$23.60 MX$400

-2.33%

Cinema Ticket

$5.50 MX$93.2

$4.70 MX$79.7

17.02%

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

$730 MX$12.4K

$120 MX$2,025

510.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K MX$207.8K

$3,559 MX$60.3K

244.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.8 MX$1,319

$68.1 MX$1,155

14.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.40 MX$820

$34.80 MX$590

39.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 MX$2,069

$103 MX$1,746

18.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$151 MX$2,563

$106 MX$1,791

43.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 MX$17.3K

$408 MX$6,911

150.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 MX$12.1K

$258 MX$4,369

177.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,954 MX$33.1K

$855 MX$14.5K

128.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,359 MX$23.0K

$560 MX$9,491

142.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,350 MX$73.7K

$2,371 MX$40.2K

83.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,868 MX$48.6K

$1,188 MX$20.1K

141.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,147 MX$19.4K

$769 MX$13.0K

49.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.47

11.4

0.61%

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

Last update for Monterrey: August 17, 2026

Last update for Culiacan: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,021 in Monterrey versus $408 in Culiacan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 49% higher in Monterrey, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52.0 in Monterrey versus $42.00 in Culiacan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $336 vs $289 – making Culiacan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Culiacan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,790 in Monterrey, $1,070 in Culiacan – roughly 67% apart. Monterrey costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,685 per month in Monterrey and $1,605 in Culiacan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Culiacan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52.0 in Monterrey and $42.00 in Culiacan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,790 in Monterrey and $1,070 in Culiacan. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Culiacan, where all-in costs run around $1,070, than in Monterrey at $1,790. In Culiacan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Monterrey it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Monterrey has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,070 in Culiacan to $1,790 in Monterrey. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Culiacan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Monterrey makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.