Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Florence, SC

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,641 a month against $2,273 in Florence, SC, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Monterrey, Mexico
Florence, SC, United States
Monterrey
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,641
/mo nomad
Florence, SC
🇺🇸 United States
$2,273
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in Florence, SC

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 Florence, SC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Monterrey versus $2,273 in Florence, SC.

  • Monterrey $1,641
  • Florence, SC $2,273

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,573 in Monterrey versus $3,190 in Florence, SC.

  • Monterrey $2,573
  • Florence, SC $3,190

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,504 in Monterrey versus $4,108 in Florence, SC.

  • Monterrey $3,504
  • Florence, SC $4,108

Living in Monterrey costs roughly 28% less than in Florence, SC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Monterrey 21% above, Florence, SC 68% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Monterrey
Florence, SC
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.37 MX$250
$14.82 $14.82
-9.78%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.95 MX$897
$64.9 $64.9
-26.09%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.79 MX$202
$10.87 $10.87
-0.74%
Cappuccino
$3.77 MX$70.4
$4.69 $4.69
-19.62%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.51 MX$28.26
$2.49 $2.49
-39.36%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.03 MX$19.25
$2.03 $2.03
-49.26%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.48 MX$46.41
$4.89 $4.89
-49.28%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.36 MX$81.5
$7.02 $7.02
-37.89%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Monterrey
Florence, SC
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.89 MX$35.43
$0.92 $0.92
105.43%
White Bread (500g)
$2.85 MX$53.3
$4.16 $4.16
-31.49%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.86 MX$34.71
$6.11 $6.11
-69.56%
Eggs
$2.47 MX$46.12
$5.30 $5.30
-53.40%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.81 MX$221
$11.59 $11.59
1.90%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.97 MX$168
$14.50 $14.50
-38.14%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.57 MX$235
$25.18 $25.18
-50.08%
Apples (1kg)
$3.20 MX$59.8
$6.67 $6.67
-52.02%
Banana (1kg)
$1.50 MX$28.12
$1.80 $1.80
-16.67%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.12 MX$39.74
$6.87 $6.87
-69.14%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.33 MX$43.64
$5.96 $5.96
-60.91%
Potato (1kg)
$2.22 MX$41.58
$4.27 $4.27
-48.01%
Onion (1kg)
$2.58 MX$48.34
$5.91 $5.91
-56.35%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.45 MX$27.04
$2.35 $2.35
-38.30%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.22 MX$22.85
$3.14 $3.14
-61.15%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.80 MX$89.7
$8.98 $8.98
-46.55%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.30 MX$249
$14.79 $14.79
-10.07%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.93 MX$36.14
$1.99 $1.99
-3.02%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.86 MX$53.4
$5.72 $5.72
-50.00%
🚌 Getting Around
Monterrey
Florence, SC
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.80 MX$14.94
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$30.94 MX$579
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.83 MX$34.28
$4.11 $4.11
-55.47%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.06 MX$19.78
$1.80 $1.80
-41.11%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.82 MX$202
$30.45 $30.45
-64.47%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 MX$27.54
$0.96 $0.96
53.13%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.1K MX$450.4K
$26.4K $26.4K
-8.74%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K MX$440.2K
$26.2K $26.2K
-10.20%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Monterrey
Florence, SC
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$115 MX$2,144
$291 $291
-60.57%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.37 MX$493
$56.1 $56.1
-52.99%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$25.70 MX$481
$40.58 $40.58
-36.67%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Monterrey
Florence, SC
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$30.53 MX$571
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.27 MX$398
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.96 MX$92.8
$15.16 $15.16
-67.28%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Monterrey
Florence, SC
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$679 MX$12.7K
$1,335 $1,335
-49.17%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.2K MX$265.3K
$14.1K $14.1K
0.75%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Monterrey
Florence, SC
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$72.2 MX$1,350
$69.2 $69.2
4.37%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.94 MX$784
$42.65 $42.65
-1.66%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$107 MX$2,011
$59.8 $59.8
79.63%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 MX$2,219
$68.7 $68.7
72.65%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Monterrey
Florence, SC
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,018 MX$19.0K
$982 $982
3.65%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$722 MX$13.5K
$966 $966
-25.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,966 MX$36.8K
$1,481 $1,481
32.76%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,416 MX$26.5K
$1,316 $1,316
7.60%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,203 MX$78.6K
$1,608 $1,608
161.40%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,782 MX$52.0K
$1,555 $1,555
78.93%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Monterrey
Florence, SC
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,096 MX$20.5K
$3,136 $3,136
-65.06%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.79
6.57
79.45%

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

Last update for Monterrey: November 2, 2026

Last update for Florence, SC: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Monterrey
$722
Florence, SC
$966 33.9% $245
Groceries & Markets
Monterrey
$302
Florence, SC
$503 66.6% $201
Eating Out
Monterrey
$216
Florence, SC
$264 22.4% $48
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Monterrey
$167
Florence, SC
$387 132% $221
Clothing & Footwear
Monterrey
$153
Florence, SC
$108 29.4% $45
Getting Around
Monterrey
$41
Florence, SC
$13 * 68.2% $28
Sport & Entertainment
Monterrey
$40
Florence, SC
$30 * 25% $10

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,018 in Monterrey and $982 in Florence, SC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Florence, SC pays about 2.9 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $48 in Monterrey vs $65 in Florence, SC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 vs $503 per month, with Monterrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Monterrey
🇺🇸 Florence, SC
🕒 Local time
09:03 9:03 AM
10:03 10:03 AM
1 h ahead of Monterrey
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,142,994
40,184
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.7 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 21.01 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Monterrey Florence, SC 2,190 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Monterrey
  • Florence, SC

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 Florence, SC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Monterrey or Florence, SC?
Monterrey wins on cost – living expenses run 28% lower than in Florence, SC. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Monterrey the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Monterrey or in Florence, SC?
On paper, salaries run 65% lower in Monterrey. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Monterrey compared to Florence, SC?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,018 in Monterrey versus $982 in Florence, SC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Monterrey and in Florence, SC?
Childcare runs $679 in Monterrey versus $1,335 in Florence, SC. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Monterrey and in Florence, SC?
Dining out is cheaper in Monterrey – a meal for two runs $48 versus $65 in Florence, SC. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $3,000/month in Monterrey or in Florence, SC?
Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Monterrey gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Monterrey or Florence, SC?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Should I move to Monterrey or to Florence, SC?
It comes down to priorities – Monterrey wins on affordability, Florence, SC on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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