Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Des Moines, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,599 a month against $2,171 in Des Moines, IA, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index
105

Cost of Living Index in Des Moines, IA
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Des Moines, IA Living Index

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Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,599

/mo nomad

Des Moines, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,171

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in Des Moines, IA

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 Des Moines, IA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,599 in Monterrey versus $2,171 in Des Moines, IA.

Monterrey $1,599
Des Moines, IA $2,171

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,493 in Monterrey versus $3,236 in Des Moines, IA.

Monterrey $2,493
Des Moines, IA $3,236

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,387 in Monterrey versus $4,301 in Des Moines, IA.

Monterrey $3,387
Des Moines, IA $4,301

Living in Monterrey costs roughly 26% less than in Des Moines, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Monterrey 18% above, Des Moines, IA 60% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.80 MX$255

$19.69 $19.69

-29.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.99 MX$887

$80.8 $80.8

-40.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$197

$12.22 $12.22

-12.85%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$73.7

$6.16 $6.16

-35.23%

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

$1.66 MX$30.76

$2.93 $2.93

-43.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 MX$18.21

$2.56 $2.56

-61.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 MX$43.64

$4.99 $4.99

-52.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 MX$81.8

$5.89 $5.89

-24.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 MX$33.58

$0.91 $0.91

100.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.83 MX$52.4

$3.03 $3.03

-6.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.44

$3.38 $3.38

-43.20%

Eggs

$2.48 MX$45.78

$4.00 $4.00

-38.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.74 MX$217

$9.69 $9.69

21.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.10 MX$168

$9.91 $9.91

-8.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.53 MX$232

$13.68 $13.68

-8.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.34 MX$61.6

$4.33 $4.33

-22.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$29.10

$1.51 $1.51

3.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.16 MX$39.86

$4.54 $4.54

-52.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 MX$45.65

$3.68 $3.68

-32.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$42.64

$3.07 $3.07

-24.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.68 MX$49.47

$2.14 $2.14

25.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$26.90

$2.38 $2.38

-38.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$22.07

$2.19 $2.19

-45.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.75 MX$87.8

$7.85 $7.85

-39.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.58 MX$251

$14.79 $14.79

-8.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 MX$35.52

$1.70 $1.70

12.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$53.2

$3.09 $3.09

-6.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 MX$14.66

$1.73 $1.73

-54.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.36 MX$579

$58.1 $58.1

-46.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.59 MX$29.44

$1.97 $1.97

-19.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 MX$19.58

$1.23 $1.23

-13.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.80 MX$200

$19.70 $19.70

-45.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$28.59

$0.93 $0.93

66.67%

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

$24.2K MX$446.4K

$27.2K $27.2K

-11.11%

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

$24.3K MX$449.4K

$25.1K $25.1K

-3.30%

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

$117 MX$2,159

$185 $185

-36.72%

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

$26.38 MX$488

$53.6 $53.6

-50.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.04 MX$481

$70.2 $70.2

-62.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.26 MX$559

$63.8 $63.8

-52.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.25 MX$393

$20.14 $20.14

5.51%

Cinema Ticket

$5.23 MX$96.6

$9.99 $9.99

-47.65%

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

$673 MX$12.4K

$1,187 $1,187

-43.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K MX$205.2K

$12.0K $12.0K

-7.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.1 MX$1,332

$59.5 $59.5

21.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.38 MX$783

$42.98 $42.98

-1.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$2,066

$101 $101

10.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 MX$2,200

$145 $145

-17.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$949 MX$17.5K

$1,177 $1,177

-19.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$666 MX$12.3K

$872 $872

-23.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,821 MX$33.7K

$1,738 $1,738

4.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 MX$23.5K

$1,394 $1,394

-8.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,050 MX$74.8K

$2,320 $2,320

74.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,348 MX$43.4K

$2,325 $2,325

0.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,155 MX$21.3K

$3,647 $3,647

-68.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.79

6.56

79.73%

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

Last update for Monterrey: October 18, 2026

Last update for Des Moines, IA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Monterrey

$666 41.7%

Des Moines, IA

$872 40.2% 30.9% $206

Groceries & Markets

Monterrey

$304 19%

Des Moines, IA

$349 16.1% 14.8% $45

Eating Out

Monterrey

$221 13.9%

Des Moines, IA

$327 15.1% 47.6% $105

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monterrey

$169 10.6%

Des Moines, IA

$308 14.2% 82.2% $139

Clothing & Footwear

Monterrey

$155 9.7%

Des Moines, IA

$157 7.2% 0.9% $1.4

Getting Around

Monterrey

$41 2.6%

Des Moines, IA

$73 3.4% 76.6% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Monterrey

$41 2.6%

Des Moines, IA

$84 3.9% 106% $43

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $949 in Monterrey and $1,177 in Des Moines, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Des Moines, IA pays 216% 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: $48.00 in Monterrey vs $81.0 in Des Moines, IA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $304 vs $349 per month, with Monterrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🇺🇸 Des Moines, IA

🕒 Local time

08:44 8:44 AM

09:44 9:44 AM

1 h ahead of Monterrey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,142,994

214,133

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Monterrey Des Moines, IA 1,860 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Monterrey
Des Moines, IA

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 Des Moines, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey wins on cost – living expenses run 36% lower than in Des Moines, IA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Monterrey the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 216% lower in Des Moines, IA. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $949 in Monterrey versus $1,177 in Des Moines, IA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Monterrey – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $81.0 in Des Moines, IA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,599 per month in Monterrey versus $2,171 in Des Moines, IA – a 36% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,599 in Monterrey versus $2,171 in Des Moines, IA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Monterrey but tight or insufficient in Des Moines, IA. The gap between the two cities makes Monterrey the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Monterrey delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,599 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Monterrey hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Monterrey and Des Moines, IA 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 Monterrey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Des Moines, IA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.