Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Durango Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Durango

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,601 per month in Monterrey vs $701 in Durango, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,585 per month in Monterrey vs $1,142 in Durango, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,568 per month in Monterrey vs $1,583 in Durango, rent included.

Monterrey costs about 128% more than Durango, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Monterrey sits 20% above the global median, while Durango is 48% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.01 MX$225

$6.96 MX$120

86.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$930

$28.88 MX$499

86.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.21 MX$177

$10.22 MX$177

-0.10%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$63.7

$1.88 MX$32.59

95.74%

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

$1.46 MX$25.30

$1.16 MX$20.12

25.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 MX$17.28

$0.75 MX$12.90

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 MX$46.62

$1.34 MX$23.19

101.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$2.70 MX$46.67

58.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 MX$28.81

$1.17 MX$20.24

42.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 MX$46.35

$2.33 MX$40.23

15.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.35

$1.18 MX$20.36

63.56%

Eggs

$2.63 MX$45.49

$2.23 MX$38.54

17.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.34 MX$179

$7.71 MX$133

34.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.22 MX$159

$6.46 MX$112

42.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.84 MX$239

$8.69 MX$150

59.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 MX$54.5

$2.47 MX$42.72

27.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 MX$24.01

$1.42 MX$24.56

-2.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.59

$1.72 MX$29.84

16.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$37.03

$1.00 MX$17.31

114.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.19

$1.31 MX$22.58

73.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 MX$44.00

$1.18 MX$20.39

115.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 MX$27.09

$0.77 MX$13.40

103.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.49

$1.11 MX$19.12

-3.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 MX$73.5

$3.67 MX$63.6

15.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.36 MX$248

$14.37 MX$248

-0.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 MX$30.81

$1.48 MX$25.64

20.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 MX$54.4

$2.61 MX$45.20

20.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 MX$13.87

$0.61 MX$10.51

31.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.54 MX$701

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 MX$29.06

$1.12 MX$19.38

50.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 MX$16.28

$1.59 MX$27.50

-40.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.76 MX$186

$7.77 MX$134

38.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 MX$23.68

$1.31 MX$22.59

4.58%

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

$26.7K MX$462.6K

$17.5K MX$303.3K

52.52%

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

$25.6K MX$442.5K

$22.6K MX$391.3K

13.09%

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

$122 MX$2,104

$32.34 MX$559

276.19%

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

$27.19 MX$470

$20.62 MX$357

31.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.82 MX$516

$26.43 MX$457

12.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.49 MX$666

$18.70 MX$323

105.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.46 MX$371

$9.45 MX$163

127.09%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 MX$102

$2.60 MX$44.93

127.69%

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

$346 MX$5,979

$174 MX$3,010

98.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,997 MX$155.6K

$2,297 MX$39.7K

291.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.4 MX$1,010

$48.47 MX$838

20.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.55 MX$736

$25.95 MX$449

63.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$1,892

$63.7 MX$1,101

71.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 MX$2,231

$79.1 MX$1,368

63.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$913 MX$15.8K

$287 MX$4,965

218.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$647 MX$11.2K

$135 MX$2,327

381.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,565 MX$27.1K

$499 MX$8,629

213.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,401 MX$24.2K

$267 MX$4,625

424.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,371 MX$75.6K

$1,959 MX$33.9K

123.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,839 MX$49.1K

$1,085 MX$18.8K

161.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,104 MX$19.1K

$557 MX$9,642

98.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

-3.75%

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

Last update for Monterrey: June 1, 2026

Last update for Durango: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $913 in Monterrey versus $287 in Durango. 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 98% 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 $54.0 in Monterrey versus $29.00 in Durango. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 vs $227 – making Durango 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 Durango: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,601 in Monterrey, $701 in Durango – roughly 128% apart. Monterrey costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,402 per month in Monterrey and $1,052 in Durango. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Durango, 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 $54.0 in Monterrey and $29.00 in Durango. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 31% more in Monterrey, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Durango, where all-in costs run around $701, than in Monterrey at $1,601. In Durango 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 $701 in Durango to $1,601 in Monterrey. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Durango. 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.