Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Emporia, KS

For one person, living costs are similar in Monterrey and in Emporia, KS: $1,599 and $1,558 a month, rent and utilities included.

77

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
Learn more

Monterrey Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Emporia, KS
Learn more

Emporia, KS Living Index

Jump to prices

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,599

/mo nomad

Emporia, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$1,558

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in Emporia, KS

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Monterrey and in Emporia, KS actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,599 per month in Monterrey vs $1,558 in Emporia, KS, rent included.

Monterrey $1,599
Emporia, KS $1,558

A couple spends around $2,493 per month in Monterrey vs $2,497 in Emporia, KS, rent included.

Monterrey $2,493
Emporia, KS $2,497

A family of three spends $3,387 per month in Monterrey vs $3,435 in Emporia, KS, rent included.

Monterrey $3,387
Emporia, KS $3,435

Monterrey costs about 3% more than Emporia, KS, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Monterrey and Emporia, KS sit above the global median – Monterrey by 18%, Emporia, KS by 15%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.80 MX$255

$15.83 $15.83

-12.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.99 MX$887

$75.6 $75.6

-36.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$197

$11.90 $11.90

-10.50%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$73.7

$4.45 $4.45

-10.34%

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

$1.66 MX$30.76

$2.33 $2.33

-28.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 MX$18.21

$1.69 $1.69

-41.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 MX$43.64

$5.05 $5.05

-53.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 MX$81.8

$6.06 $6.06

-26.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 MX$33.58

$0.88 $0.88

106.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.83 MX$52.4

$3.30 $3.30

-14.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.44

$1.92 $1.92

Eggs

$2.48 MX$45.78

$2.85 $2.85

-12.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.74 MX$217

$8.30 $8.30

41.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.10 MX$168

$8.45 $8.45

7.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.53 MX$232

$14.40 $14.40

-12.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.34 MX$61.6

$4.99 $4.99

-33.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$29.10

$1.20 $1.20

30.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.16 MX$39.86

$2.84 $2.84

-23.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 MX$45.65

$2.79 $2.79

-11.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$42.64

$1.64 $1.64

40.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.68 MX$49.47

$2.76 $2.76

-2.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$26.90

$1.88 $1.88

-22.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$22.07

$2.32 $2.32

-48.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.75 MX$87.8

$9.13 $9.13

-47.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.58 MX$251

$9.49 $9.49

43.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 MX$35.52

$1.84 $1.84

4.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$53.2

$2.57 $2.57

12.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 MX$14.66

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.36 MX$579

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.59 MX$29.44

$4.91 $4.91

-67.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 MX$19.58

$1.82 $1.82

-41.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.80 MX$200

$34.41 $34.41

-68.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$28.59

$0.89 $0.89

74.16%

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

$24.2K MX$446.4K

$27.5K $27.5K

-12.32%

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

$24.3K MX$449.4K

$25.8K $25.8K

-5.78%

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

$117 MX$2,159

$144 $144

-19.08%

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

$26.38 MX$488

$46.93 $46.93

-43.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.04 MX$481

$49.14 $49.14

-47.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.26 MX$559

$44.39 $44.39

-31.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.25 MX$393

Cinema Ticket

$5.23 MX$96.6

$12.43 $12.43

-57.92%

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

$673 MX$12.4K

$824 $824

-18.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K MX$205.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.1 MX$1,332

$48.75 $48.75

47.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.38 MX$783

$25.34 $25.34

67.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$2,066

$89.5 $89.5

24.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 MX$2,200

$83.4 $83.4

42.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$949 MX$17.5K

$685 $685

38.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$666 MX$12.3K

$546 $546

22.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,821 MX$33.7K

$1,752 $1,752

3.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 MX$23.5K

$1,108 $1,108

14.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,050 MX$74.8K

$1,251 $1,251

223.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,348 MX$43.4K

$1,246 $1,246

88.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,155 MX$21.3K

$5,551 $5,551

-79.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.79

6.37

85.09%

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

Last update for Monterrey: October 18, 2026

Last update for Emporia, KS: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Monterrey

$666 41.7%

Emporia, KS

$546 35% 18.1% $121

Groceries & Markets

Monterrey

$304 19%

Emporia, KS

$308 19.8% 1.1% $3.4

Eating Out

Monterrey

$221 13.9%

Emporia, KS

$269 17.3% 21.6% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monterrey

$169 10.6%

Emporia, KS

$240 15.4% 42.1% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Monterrey

$155 9.7%

Emporia, KS

$111 7.1% 28.5% $44

Getting Around

Monterrey

$41 2.6%

Emporia, KS

$14 * 0.9% 66.1% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Monterrey

$41 2.6%

Emporia, KS

$69 4.5% 70.1% $29

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $949 in Monterrey versus $685 in Emporia, KS. 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 381% higher in Emporia, KS, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Monterrey versus $76.0 in Emporia, KS. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $304 vs $308 – making Monterrey the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🇺🇸 Emporia, KS

🕒 Local time

04:18 4:18 AM

05:18 5:18 AM

1 h ahead of Monterrey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,142,994

26,188

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Monterrey Emporia, KS 1,470 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Monterrey
Emporia, KS

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Emporia, KS: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey costs about 3% more than Emporia, KS, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,399 per month in Monterrey and $2,337 in Emporia, KS. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Emporia, KS, 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 $48.00 in Monterrey and $76.0 in Emporia, KS. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 1% cheaper in Monterrey – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Emporia, KS, where all-in costs run around $1,558, than in Monterrey at $1,599. In Emporia, KS it covers expenses comfortably, while in Monterrey it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Emporia, KS costs $1,558 versus $1,599 in Monterrey. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Emporia, KS. 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.