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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,715 per month in Monterrey vs $1,067 in Ecatepec, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,683 per month in Monterrey vs $1,841 in Ecatepec, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,652 per month in Monterrey vs $2,615 in Ecatepec, rent included.

Monterrey costs about 61% more than Ecatepec, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Monterrey sits 25% above the global median, while Ecatepec is 22% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.60 MX$248

$14.72 MX$250

-0.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$909

$47.85 MX$813

11.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.95 MX$203

$11.06 MX$188

8.05%

Cappuccino

$4.29 MX$72.8

$4.05 MX$68.8

5.93%

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

$1.73 MX$29.33

$1.72 MX$29.14

0.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 MX$18.07

$1.08 MX$18.32

-1.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$50.2

$3.45 MX$58.6

-14.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.73 MX$80.3

$5.76 MX$97.8

-17.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 MX$33.91

$1.59 MX$27.02

25.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.15 MX$53.5

$3.27 MX$55.5

-3.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.08

$1.94 MX$32.90

6.70%

Eggs

$2.78 MX$47.28

$2.91 MX$49.44

-4.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.18 MX$224

$8.98 MX$152

46.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$10.38 MX$176

-2.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 MX$237

$15.77 MX$268

-11.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.49 MX$59.3

$3.42 MX$58.1

2.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 MX$27.82

$1.77 MX$30.08

-7.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 MX$38.65

$2.10 MX$35.71

8.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.60 MX$44.13

$2.45 MX$41.60

6.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 MX$43.01

$2.14 MX$36.40

18.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 MX$48.33

$1.89 MX$32.11

50.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 MX$26.46

$1.17 MX$19.82

33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 MX$21.88

$1.43 MX$24.22

-9.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.21 MX$88.4

$4.78 MX$81.2

9.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.84 MX$252

$17.31 MX$294

-14.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 MX$34.17

$2.10 MX$35.70

-4.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 MX$53.2

$4.14 MX$70.3

-24.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 MX$15.22

$0.74 MX$12.57

21.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.72 MX$573

$32.46 MX$551

3.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 MX$31.47

$2.09 MX$35.43

-11.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 MX$20.27

$0.61 MX$10.40

95.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.82 MX$201

$5.83 MX$99.0

102.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.67 MX$28.44

$1.53 MX$25.94

9.15%

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

$22.6K MX$383.4K

$22.6K MX$384.6K

-0.31%

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

$27.1K MX$460.4K

$25.6K MX$434.7K

5.91%

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

$128 MX$2,175

$44.45 MX$755

188.05%

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

$28.03 MX$476

$17.20 MX$292

62.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.47 MX$484

$36.78 MX$625

-22.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.66 MX$555

$28.37 MX$482

15.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.24 MX$395

$11.95 MX$203

94.48%

Cinema Ticket

$5.58 MX$94.8

$7.15 MX$121

-21.96%

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

$734 MX$12.5K

$381 MX$6,477

92.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K MX$205.8K

$5,202 MX$88.3K

132.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.5 MX$1,350

$71.5 MX$1,215

11.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.39 MX$788

$55.8 MX$947

-16.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 MX$2,037

$114 MX$1,937

5.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 MX$2,266

$124 MX$2,108

7.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 MX$17.9K

$266 MX$4,515

295.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$739 MX$12.5K

$145 MX$2,461

409.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 MX$34.3K

$748 MX$12.7K

170.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,358 MX$23.1K

$473 MX$8,035

187.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,486 MX$76.2K

$809 MX$13.7K

454.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,663 MX$45.2K

$840 MX$14.3K

217.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,153 MX$19.6K

$582 MX$9,881

98.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.56

11.3

2.30%

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

Last update for Monterrey: August 31, 2026

Last update for Ecatepec: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,052 in Monterrey versus $266 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 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 $48.00 in Ecatepec. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $333 vs $328 – 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: $1,715 in Monterrey, $1,067 in Ecatepec – roughly 61% apart. Monterrey costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,572 per month in Monterrey and $1,600 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 $48.00 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 $1,715 in Monterrey and $1,067 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 $1,067, than in Monterrey at $1,715. 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 $1,067 in Ecatepec to $1,715 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.