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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,618 per month in Monterrey vs $687 in Durango, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,585 per month in Monterrey vs $1,116 in Durango, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,552 per month in Monterrey vs $1,545 in Durango, rent included.

Monterrey costs about 135% more than Durango, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Monterrey sits 21% above the global median, while Durango is 49% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.41 MX$235

$7.35 MX$129

82.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.7 MX$924

$29.64 MX$520

77.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.11 MX$177

$10.01 MX$176

1.00%

Cappuccino

$3.73 MX$65.4

$1.81 MX$31.69

106.08%

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

$1.44 MX$25.31

$1.12 MX$19.64

28.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 MX$17.60

$0.75 MX$13.16

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.67 MX$46.81

$1.30 MX$22.73

105.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.20 MX$73.6

$2.68 MX$46.99

56.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 MX$29.19

$1.17 MX$20.49

41.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.63

$2.33 MX$40.80

16.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 MX$34.18

$1.17 MX$20.58

66.67%

Eggs

$2.66 MX$46.71

$2.24 MX$39.24

18.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.21 MX$179

$7.70 MX$135

32.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.91 MX$156

$6.68 MX$117

33.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.78 MX$242

$8.61 MX$151

60.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 MX$53.3

$2.47 MX$43.41

23.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 MX$24.60

$1.44 MX$25.24

-2.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 MX$35.34

$1.74 MX$30.46

16.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 MX$36.37

$1.01 MX$17.64

104.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 MX$40.66

$1.29 MX$22.55

79.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.55 MX$44.78

$1.14 MX$19.98

123.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 MX$26.48

$0.81 MX$14.27

86.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.93

$1.11 MX$19.38

-2.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 MX$74.5

$3.49 MX$61.2

21.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.28 MX$250

$14.13 MX$248

1.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 MX$31.32

$1.44 MX$25.25

24.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$2.67 MX$46.80

19.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 MX$13.54

$0.60 MX$10.50

28.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.89 MX$717

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.76 MX$30.81

$1.10 MX$19.23

60.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 MX$17.39

$1.53 MX$26.82

-35.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.39 MX$182

$7.98 MX$140

30.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.55

$1.32 MX$23.13

1.52%

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

$26.6K MX$467.3K

$17.1K MX$300.6K

55.46%

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

$25.6K MX$448.3K

$22.5K MX$395.4K

13.37%

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

$121 MX$2,128

$32.36 MX$568

274.97%

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

$27.40 MX$481

$21.04 MX$369

30.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.75 MX$522

$26.06 MX$457

14.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.46 MX$657

$18.57 MX$326

101.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.78 MX$382

$9.16 MX$161

137.77%

Cinema Ticket

$5.75 MX$101

$2.60 MX$45.58

121.15%

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

$348 MX$6,098

$172 MX$3,018

102.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,983 MX$157.6K

$2,304 MX$40.4K

289.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 MX$1,037

$46.80 MX$821

26.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.88 MX$735

$26.60 MX$467

57.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 MX$1,880

$63.7 MX$1,117

68.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 MX$2,249

$79.6 MX$1,397

61.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$889 MX$15.6K

$294 MX$5,157

202.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$646 MX$11.3K

$133 MX$2,332

385.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,577 MX$27.7K

$502 MX$8,800

214.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,378 MX$24.2K

$263 MX$4,617

423.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,238 MX$74.3K

$1,863 MX$32.7K

127.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,757 MX$48.4K

$1,221 MX$21.4K

125.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,133 MX$19.9K

$562 MX$9,866

101.37%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Durango: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $889 in Monterrey versus $294 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 101% 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 $53.0 in Monterrey versus $30.00 in Durango. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $296 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: $1,618 in Monterrey, $687 in Durango – roughly 135% apart. Monterrey costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,428 per month in Monterrey and $1,031 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 $53.0 in Monterrey and $30.00 in Durango. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 30% 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 $687, than in Monterrey at $1,618. 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 $687 in Durango to $1,618 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.