Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Evanston, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,608 a month against $2,592 in Evanston, IL, rent and utilities included – about $11,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Evanston, IL
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Evanston, IL Living Index

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Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Evanston, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,592

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in Evanston, IL

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 Evanston, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,608 per month in Monterrey vs $2,592 in Evanston, IL, rent included.

Monterrey $1,608
Evanston, IL $2,592

A couple spends around $2,521 per month in Monterrey vs $4,449 in Evanston, IL, rent included.

Monterrey $2,521
Evanston, IL $4,449

A family of three spends $3,433 per month in Monterrey vs $6,305 in Evanston, IL, rent included.

Monterrey $3,433
Evanston, IL $6,305

Monterrey is about 38% cheaper than Evanston, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Monterrey and Evanston, IL sit above the global median – Monterrey by 19%, Evanston, IL by 92%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.85 MX$256

$21.26 $21.26

-34.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.70 MX$918

$85.6 $85.6

-41.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.05 MX$204

$12.75 $12.75

-13.33%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$75.6

$5.68 $5.68

-27.99%

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

$1.68 MX$30.97

$2.68 $2.68

-37.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 MX$18.98

$2.27 $2.27

-54.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 MX$44.28

$7.12 $7.12

-66.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 MX$80.3

$8.19 $8.19

-46.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 MX$35.55

$1.04 $1.04

84.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 MX$54.2

$3.93 $3.93

-25.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$34.66

$4.32 $4.32

-56.48%

Eggs

$2.55 MX$47.06

$4.82 $4.82

-47.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.84 MX$219

$14.41 $14.41

-17.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 MX$173

$14.93 $14.93

-37.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 MX$242

$20.11 $20.11

-34.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 MX$62.5

$5.33 $5.33

-36.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 MX$28.13

$1.67 $1.67

-8.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.51

$4.03 $4.03

-45.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$43.63

$4.78 $4.78

-50.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$41.76

$2.68 $2.68

-15.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.73 MX$50.5

$2.85 $2.85

-4.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 MX$28.17

$2.10 $2.10

-27.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$22.90

$2.35 $2.35

-47.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.75 MX$87.8

$10.66 $10.66

-55.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.66 MX$252

$14.98 $14.98

-8.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 MX$34.95

$2.56 $2.56

-26.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 MX$55.2

$3.39 $3.39

-11.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 MX$15.78

$2.44 $2.44

-65.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.95 MX$572

$75.2 $75.2

-58.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 MX$30.98

$4.10 $4.10

-59.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 MX$20.87

$1.43 $1.43

-20.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.15 MX$206

$43.26 $43.26

-74.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 MX$28.91

$1.00 $1.00

56.00%

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

$21.4K MX$395.8K

$35.4K $35.4K

-39.47%

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

$25.1K MX$463.2K

$25.0K $25.0K

0.44%

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

$119 MX$2,206

$192 $192

-37.79%

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

$26.21 MX$484

$61.6 $61.6

-57.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.78 MX$495

$72.2 $72.2

-62.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.03 MX$573

$76.1 $76.1

-59.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.43 MX$396

$60.8 $60.8

-64.72%

Cinema Ticket

$5.29 MX$97.7

$14.83 $14.83

-64.33%

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

$691 MX$12.8K

$1,516 $1,516

-54.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K MX$212.1K

$31.6K $31.6K

-63.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.3 MX$1,335

$64.7 $64.7

11.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.72 MX$789

$50.8 $50.8

-15.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 MX$2,024

$108 $108

1.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,158

$126 $126

-7.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$970 MX$17.9K

$1,645 $1,645

-41.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$664 MX$12.3K

$1,118 $1,118

-40.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,857 MX$34.3K

$3,989 $3,989

-53.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 MX$23.8K

$2,954 $2,954

-56.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,162 MX$76.9K

$14.6K $14.6K

-71.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,349 MX$43.4K

$12.8K $12.8K

-81.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,146 MX$21.2K

$5,335 $5,335

-78.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.79

6.77

74.15%

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

Last update for Monterrey: October 10, 2026

Last update for Evanston, IL: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Monterrey

$664 41.3%

Evanston, IL

$1.1K 43.1% 68.4% $454

Groceries & Markets

Monterrey

$310 19.3%

Evanston, IL

$441 17% 42.1% $131

Eating Out

Monterrey

$225 14%

Evanston, IL

$348 13.4% 55.1% $124

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monterrey

$172 10.7%

Evanston, IL

$326 12.6% 88.9% $153

Clothing & Footwear

Monterrey

$154 9.6%

Evanston, IL

$157 6.1% 2.5% $3.8

Getting Around

Monterrey

$42 2.6%

Evanston, IL

$96 3.7% 131% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Monterrey

$42 2.6%

Evanston, IL

$106 4.1% 154% $64

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $970 in Monterrey versus $1,645 in Evanston, IL. 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 365% higher in Evanston, IL, 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 $50.0 in Monterrey versus $86.0 in Evanston, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $310 vs $441 – making Monterrey the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🇺🇸 Evanston, IL

🕒 Local time

01:25 1:25 AM

02:25 2:25 AM

1 h ahead of Monterrey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,142,994

74,486

💱 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 18, 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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Monterrey Evanston, IL 2,160 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Monterrey
Evanston, IL

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 Evanston, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,608 in Monterrey, $2,592 in Evanston, IL – roughly 61% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,412 per month in Monterrey and $3,888 in Evanston, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Monterrey, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 42% more in Evanston, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Monterrey and $86.0 in Evanston, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Monterrey, where all-in costs run around $1,608, than in Evanston, IL at $2,592. In Monterrey it covers expenses comfortably, while in Evanston, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Evanston, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,608 in Monterrey to $2,592 in Evanston, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Monterrey. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Evanston, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.