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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,618 per month in Monterrey vs $1,175 in Ecatepec, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,585 per month in Monterrey vs $1,897 in Ecatepec, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,552 per month in Monterrey vs $2,620 in Ecatepec, rent included.

Monterrey costs about 38% more than Ecatepec, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Monterrey sits 21% above the global median, while Ecatepec is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.41 MX$235

$13.27 MX$233

1.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.7 MX$924

$46.90 MX$823

12.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.11 MX$177

$9.16 MX$161

10.37%

Cappuccino

$3.73 MX$65.4

$3.51 MX$61.6

6.27%

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

$1.44 MX$25.31

$1.35 MX$23.72

6.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 MX$17.60

$0.99 MX$17.37

1.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.67 MX$46.81

$2.99 MX$52.5

-10.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.20 MX$73.6

$4.71 MX$82.5

-10.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 MX$29.19

$1.38 MX$24.14

20.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.63

$2.67 MX$46.89

1.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 MX$34.18

$1.87 MX$32.84

4.28%

Eggs

$2.66 MX$46.71

$2.56 MX$44.83

3.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.21 MX$179

$8.07 MX$142

26.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.91 MX$156

$8.34 MX$146

6.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.78 MX$242

$11.67 MX$205

18.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 MX$53.3

$2.89 MX$50.7

5.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 MX$24.60

$1.72 MX$30.09

-18.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 MX$35.34

$2.08 MX$36.45

-2.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 MX$36.37

$1.99 MX$34.90

4.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 MX$40.66

$1.85 MX$32.43

25.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.55 MX$44.78

$2.29 MX$40.21

11.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 MX$26.48

$1.46 MX$25.58

3.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.93

$1.07 MX$18.80

0.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 MX$74.5

$4.13 MX$72.4

2.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.28 MX$250

$16.83 MX$295

-15.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 MX$31.32

$1.69 MX$29.66

5.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$3.69 MX$64.8

-13.82%

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

$29.36 MX$515

39.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.76 MX$30.81

$1.63 MX$28.62

7.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 MX$17.39

$0.30 MX$5.27

230.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.39 MX$182

$5.49 MX$96.2

89.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.55

$1.26 MX$22.16

6.35%

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

$26.6K MX$467.3K

$18.2K MX$319.0K

46.52%

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

$25.6K MX$448.3K

$21.7K MX$380.7K

17.75%

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

$121 MX$2,128

$40.12 MX$704

202.44%

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

$27.40 MX$481

$21.43 MX$376

27.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.75 MX$522

$29.95 MX$525

-0.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.46 MX$657

$25.02 MX$439

49.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.78 MX$382

$10.71 MX$188

103.36%

Cinema Ticket

$5.75 MX$101

$6.21 MX$109

-7.41%

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

$348 MX$6,098

$341 MX$5,973

2.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,983 MX$157.6K

$3,633 MX$63.7K

147.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 MX$1,037

$57.6 MX$1,010

2.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.88 MX$735

$45.16 MX$792

-7.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 MX$1,880

$103 MX$1,804

4.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 MX$2,249

$107 MX$1,885

19.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$889 MX$15.6K

$508 MX$8,905

75.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$646 MX$11.3K

$392 MX$6,880

64.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,577 MX$27.7K

$918 MX$16.1K

71.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,378 MX$24.2K

$756 MX$13.3K

82.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,238 MX$74.3K

$808 MX$14.2K

424.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,757 MX$48.4K

$798 MX$14.0K

245.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,133 MX$19.9K

$576 MX$10.1K

96.66%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Ecatepec: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $889 in Monterrey versus $508 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 97% 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 $47.00 in Ecatepec. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $296 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: $1,618 in Monterrey, $1,175 in Ecatepec – roughly 38% apart. Monterrey costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,428 per month in Monterrey and $1,762 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 $53.0 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 $1,618 in Monterrey and $1,175 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 $1,175, than in Monterrey at $1,618. 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 $1,175 in Ecatepec to $1,618 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.