Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Denton, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,608 a month against $2,350 in Denton, TX, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Monterrey
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,608
/mo nomad
Denton, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,350
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in Denton, TX

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Monterrey and in Denton, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Monterrey versus $2,350 in Denton, TX.

  • Monterrey $1,608
  • Denton, TX $2,350

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,521 in Monterrey versus $3,547 in Denton, TX.

  • Monterrey $2,521
  • Denton, TX $3,547

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,433 in Monterrey versus $4,745 in Denton, TX.

  • Monterrey $3,433
  • Denton, TX $4,745

Living in Monterrey costs roughly 32% less than in Denton, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Monterrey 19% above, Denton, TX 74% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Monterrey
Denton, TX
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.85 MX$256
$17.78 $17.78
-22.10%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$49.70 MX$918
$75.2 $75.2
-33.87%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.05 MX$204
$11.21 $11.21
-1.43%
Cappuccino
$4.09 MX$75.6
$5.03 $5.03
-18.69%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68 MX$30.97
$2.60 $2.60
-35.38%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.03 MX$18.98
$1.60 $1.60
-35.63%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.40 MX$44.28
$5.90 $5.90
-59.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.35 MX$80.3
$6.94 $6.94
-37.32%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Monterrey
Denton, TX
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.92 MX$35.55
$0.78 $0.78
146.15%
White Bread (500g)
$2.94 MX$54.2
$2.89 $2.89
1.73%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.88 MX$34.66
$2.96 $2.96
-36.49%
Eggs
$2.55 MX$47.06
$2.73 $2.73
-6.59%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.84 MX$219
$10.07 $10.07
17.58%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.36 MX$173
$10.07 $10.07
-7.05%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.10 MX$242
$16.51 $16.51
-20.65%
Apples (1kg)
$3.38 MX$62.5
$4.59 $4.59
-26.36%
Banana (1kg)
$1.52 MX$28.13
$1.53 $1.53
-0.65%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.19 MX$40.51
$3.34 $3.34
-34.43%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.36 MX$43.63
$4.21 $4.21
-43.94%
Potato (1kg)
$2.26 MX$41.76
$1.87 $1.87
20.86%
Onion (1kg)
$2.73 MX$50.5
$2.93 $2.93
-6.83%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.52 MX$28.17
$1.54 $1.54
-1.30%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 MX$22.90
$2.67 $2.67
-53.56%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.75 MX$87.8
$10.19 $10.19
-53.39%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.66 MX$252
$11.69 $11.69
16.85%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.89 MX$34.95
$2.34 $2.34
-19.23%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.99 MX$55.2
$3.84 $3.84
-22.14%
🚌 Getting Around
Monterrey
Denton, TX
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.85 MX$15.78
$1.53 $1.53
-44.44%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$30.95 MX$572
$48.29 $48.29
-35.91%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.68 MX$30.98
$3.28 $3.28
-48.78%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.13 MX$20.87
$1.54 $1.54
-26.62%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.15 MX$206
$29.91 $29.91
-62.72%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.56 MX$28.91
$0.98 $0.98
59.18%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.4K MX$395.8K
$27.4K $27.4K
-21.72%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.1K MX$463.2K
$27.2K $27.2K
-7.82%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Monterrey
Denton, TX
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$119 MX$2,206
$223 $223
-46.52%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.21 MX$484
$67.4 $67.4
-61.12%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$26.78 MX$495
$75.2 $75.2
-64.39%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Monterrey
Denton, TX
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$31.03 MX$573
$32.67 $32.67
-5.02%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.43 MX$396
$32.26 $32.26
-33.57%
Cinema Ticket
$5.29 MX$97.7
$16.00 $16.00
-66.94%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Monterrey
Denton, TX
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$691 MX$12.8K
$1,796 $1,796
-61.51%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.5K MX$212.1K
$20.0K $20.0K
-42.66%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Monterrey
Denton, TX
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$72.3 MX$1,335
$50.8 $50.8
42.14%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.72 MX$789
$50.2 $50.2
-14.93%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$110 MX$2,024
$99.6 $99.6
9.94%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$117 MX$2,158
$129 $129
-9.51%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Monterrey
Denton, TX
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$970 MX$17.9K
$1,267 $1,267
-23.45%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$664 MX$12.3K
$1,061 $1,061
-37.44%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,857 MX$34.3K
$2,322 $2,322
-20.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,287 MX$23.8K
$1,918 $1,918
-32.89%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,162 MX$76.9K
$2,712 $2,712
53.45%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,349 MX$43.4K
$2,175 $2,175
8.00%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Monterrey
Denton, TX
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,146 MX$21.2K
$3,782 $3,782
-69.69%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.79
6.78
73.89%

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

Last update for Monterrey: October 10, 2026

Last update for Denton, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Monterrey
$664
Denton, TX
$1.1K 59.8% $397
Groceries & Markets
Monterrey
$310
Denton, TX
$348 12.2% $38
Eating Out
Monterrey
$225
Denton, TX
$296 32% $72
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Monterrey
$172
Denton, TX
$366 112% $193
Clothing & Footwear
Monterrey
$154
Denton, TX
$148 3.4% $5.2
Getting Around
Monterrey
$42
Denton, TX
$65 56.9% $24
Sport & Entertainment
Monterrey
$42
Denton, TX
$65 55.4% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $970 in Monterrey and $1,267 in Denton, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Denton, TX pays 230% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $50.0 in Monterrey vs $75.0 in Denton, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $310 vs $348 per month, with Monterrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Monterrey
🇺🇸 Denton, TX
🕒 Local time
01:21 1:21 AM
02:21 2:21 AM
1 h ahead of Monterrey
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,142,994
109,561
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Monterrey Denton, TX 890 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Monterrey
  • Denton, TX

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Denton, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Monterrey or Denton, TX?
Monterrey wins on cost – living expenses run 46% lower than in Denton, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Monterrey the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Monterrey or in Denton, TX?
On paper, salaries run 230% lower in Denton, TX. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Monterrey compared to Denton, TX?
Rent for a central apartment: $970 in Monterrey versus $1,267 in Denton, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Monterrey or in Denton, TX?
Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Denton, TX. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How do dining costs compare in Monterrey and in Denton, TX?
Dining out is cheaper in Monterrey – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $75.0 in Denton, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $3,000/month in Monterrey or in Denton, TX?
At $1,608 in Monterrey versus $2,350 in Denton, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Monterrey but tight or insufficient in Denton, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Monterrey the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Monterrey or Denton, TX?
Both work as nomad bases, but Monterrey delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,608 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Monterrey hard to pass up.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Monterrey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Denton, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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