Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Ecatepec Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Ecatepec

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,601 per month in Monterrey vs $1,170 in Ecatepec, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,585 per month in Monterrey vs $1,892 in Ecatepec, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,568 per month in Monterrey vs $2,614 in Ecatepec, rent included.

Monterrey costs about 37% more than Ecatepec, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Monterrey sits 20% above the global median, while Ecatepec is 13% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.01 MX$225

$13.14 MX$227

-0.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$930

$46.84 MX$810

14.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.21 MX$177

$9.15 MX$158

11.58%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$63.7

$3.57 MX$61.8

3.08%

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

$1.46 MX$25.30

$1.32 MX$22.87

10.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 MX$17.28

$1.04 MX$17.92

-3.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 MX$46.62

$2.92 MX$50.6

-7.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$4.72 MX$81.6

-9.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 MX$28.81

$1.37 MX$23.68

21.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 MX$46.35

$2.76 MX$47.75

-2.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.35

$1.84 MX$31.89

4.89%

Eggs

$2.63 MX$45.49

$2.52 MX$43.66

4.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.34 MX$179

$8.13 MX$141

27.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.22 MX$159

$8.45 MX$146

9.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.84 MX$239

$11.78 MX$204

17.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 MX$54.5

$2.98 MX$51.6

5.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 MX$24.01

$1.66 MX$28.76

-16.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.59

$1.98 MX$34.19

1.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$37.03

$1.97 MX$34.01

8.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.19

$1.86 MX$32.12

22.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 MX$44.00

$2.25 MX$38.97

12.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 MX$27.09

$1.38 MX$23.94

13.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.49

$1.09 MX$18.83

-1.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 MX$73.5

$4.14 MX$71.7

2.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.36 MX$248

$15.85 MX$274

-9.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 MX$30.81

$1.76 MX$30.36

1.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 MX$54.4

$3.63 MX$62.9

-13.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 MX$13.87

$0.65 MX$11.27

23.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.54 MX$701

$29.24 MX$506

38.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 MX$29.06

$1.61 MX$27.90

4.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 MX$16.28

$0.30 MX$5.23

213.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.76 MX$186

$5.45 MX$94.2

97.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 MX$23.68

$1.26 MX$21.72

8.73%

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

$26.7K MX$462.6K

$18.1K MX$313.0K

47.78%

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

$25.6K MX$442.5K

$21.8K MX$376.8K

17.42%

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

$122 MX$2,104

$40.82 MX$706

198.04%

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

$27.19 MX$470

$21.53 MX$372

26.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.82 MX$516

$29.74 MX$514

0.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.49 MX$666

$25.17 MX$435

52.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.46 MX$371

$10.48 MX$181

104.77%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 MX$102

$6.37 MX$110

-7.06%

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

$346 MX$5,979

$338 MX$5,854

2.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,997 MX$155.6K

$3,545 MX$61.3K

153.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.4 MX$1,010

$58.1 MX$1,004

0.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.55 MX$736

$44.50 MX$770

-4.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$1,892

$103 MX$1,779

6.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 MX$2,231

$107 MX$1,858

20.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$913 MX$15.8K

$510 MX$8,824

78.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$647 MX$11.2K

$398 MX$6,884

62.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,565 MX$27.1K

$917 MX$15.9K

70.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,401 MX$24.2K

$770 MX$13.3K

82.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,371 MX$75.6K

$820 MX$14.2K

433.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,839 MX$49.1K

$803 MX$13.9K

253.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,104 MX$19.1K

$582 MX$10.1K

89.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

11.5

0.43%

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

Last update for Monterrey: June 1, 2026

Last update for Ecatepec: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $913 in Monterrey versus $510 in Ecatepec. 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 90% 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 $47.00 in Ecatepec. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 vs $280 – making Ecatepec 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 Ecatepec: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,601 in Monterrey, $1,170 in Ecatepec – roughly 37% apart. Monterrey costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,402 per month in Monterrey and $1,756 in Ecatepec. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ecatepec, 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 $47.00 in Ecatepec. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,601 in Monterrey and $1,170 in Ecatepec. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Ecatepec, where all-in costs run around $1,170, than in Monterrey at $1,601. In Ecatepec 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 $1,170 in Ecatepec to $1,601 in Monterrey. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Ecatepec. 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.