Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Fort Lee, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,641 a month against $3,905 in Fort Lee, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $27,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index
187

Cost of Living Index in Fort Lee, NJ
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Fort Lee, NJ Living Index

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Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,641

/mo nomad

Fort Lee, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,905

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in Fort Lee, NJ

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 Fort Lee, NJ actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Monterrey versus $3,905 in Fort Lee, NJ.

Monterrey $1,641
Fort Lee, NJ $3,905

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,573 in Monterrey versus $6,215 in Fort Lee, NJ.

Monterrey $2,573
Fort Lee, NJ $6,215

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,504 in Monterrey versus $8,525 in Fort Lee, NJ.

Monterrey $3,504
Fort Lee, NJ $8,525

Living in Monterrey costs roughly 58% less than in Fort Lee, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Monterrey 21% above, Fort Lee, NJ 189% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.37 MX$250

$24.72 $24.72

-45.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.95 MX$897

$82.9 $82.9

-42.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.79 MX$202

$11.17 $11.17

-3.40%

Cappuccino

$3.77 MX$70.4

$5.54 $5.54

-31.95%

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

$1.51 MX$28.26

$2.21 $2.21

-31.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 MX$19.25

$1.60 $1.60

-35.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 MX$46.41

$7.88 $7.88

-68.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 MX$81.5

$7.99 $7.99

-45.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 MX$35.43

$1.32 $1.32

43.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.85 MX$53.3

$3.80 $3.80

-25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 MX$34.71

$6.71 $6.71

-72.28%

Eggs

$2.47 MX$46.12

$4.69 $4.69

-47.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.81 MX$221

$12.49 $12.49

-5.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.97 MX$168

$16.30 $16.30

-44.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$235

$17.09 $17.09

-26.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.20 MX$59.8

$5.44 $5.44

-41.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$28.12

$1.72 $1.72

-12.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.74

$6.39 $6.39

-66.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 MX$43.64

$5.57 $5.57

-58.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 MX$41.58

$3.97 $3.97

-44.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.58 MX$48.34

$3.75 $3.75

-31.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MX$27.04

$2.79 $2.79

-48.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MX$22.85

$2.68 $2.68

-54.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.80 MX$89.7

$11.72 $11.72

-59.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.30 MX$249

$11.89 $11.89

11.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 MX$36.14

$1.71 $1.71

12.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 MX$53.4

$2.04 $2.04

40.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 MX$14.94

$2.80 $2.80

-71.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.94 MX$579

$134 $134

-76.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.83 MX$34.28

$2.98 $2.98

-38.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 MX$19.78

$2.00 $2.00

-47.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.82 MX$202

$23.88 $23.88

-54.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.54

$0.87 $0.87

68.97%

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

$24.1K MX$450.4K

$28.3K $28.3K

-14.89%

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

$23.5K MX$440.2K

$26.2K $26.2K

-10.04%

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

$115 MX$2,144

$211 $211

-45.72%

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

$26.37 MX$493

$75.4 $75.4

-65.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.70 MX$481

$66.0 $66.0

-61.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.53 MX$571

$127 $127

-75.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.27 MX$398

Cinema Ticket

$4.96 MX$92.8

$14.58 $14.58

-65.98%

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

$679 MX$12.7K

$2,008 $2,008

-66.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.2K MX$265.3K

$25.5K $25.5K

-44.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.2 MX$1,350

$41.02 $41.02

76.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.94 MX$784

$57.4 $57.4

-26.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 MX$2,011

$75.7 $75.7

41.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 MX$2,219

$86.0 $86.0

38.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,018 MX$19.0K

$2,887 $2,887

-64.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$722 MX$13.5K

$2,295 $2,295

-68.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 MX$36.8K

$6,408 $6,408

-69.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,416 MX$26.5K

$4,981 $4,981

-71.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,203 MX$78.6K

$4,254 $4,254

-1.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,782 MX$52.0K

$3,836 $3,836

-27.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,096 MX$20.5K

$6,563 $6,563

-83.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.79

6.76

74.41%

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

Last update for Monterrey: November 2, 2026

Last update for Fort Lee, NJ: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Monterrey

$722 44%

Fort Lee, NJ

$2.3K 58.8% 218% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Monterrey

$302 18.4%

Fort Lee, NJ

$457 11.7% 51.3% $155

Eating Out

Monterrey

$216 13.2%

Fort Lee, NJ

$368 9.4% 70.7% $153

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monterrey

$167 10.2%

Fort Lee, NJ

$353 9% 112% $186

Clothing & Footwear

Monterrey

$153 9.3%

Fort Lee, NJ

$117 3% 23.6% $36

Getting Around

Monterrey

$41 2.5%

Fort Lee, NJ

$159 4.1% 285% $117

Sport & Entertainment

Monterrey

$40 2.5%

Fort Lee, NJ

$156 4% 285% $115

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,018 in Monterrey and $2,887 in Fort Lee, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fort Lee, NJ pays about 6 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $48 in Monterrey vs $83 in Fort Lee, NJ for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 vs $457 per month, with Monterrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🇺🇸 Fort Lee, NJ

🕒 Local time

19:58 7:58 PM

20:58 8:58 PM

1 h ahead of Monterrey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,142,994

37,008

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 EUR

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 18.7 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 20.9 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Monterrey Fort Lee, NJ 2,960 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Monterrey
Fort Lee, NJ

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 Fort Lee, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey wins on cost – living expenses run 58% lower than in Fort Lee, NJ. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Monterrey the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 83% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,018 in Monterrey versus $2,887 in Fort Lee, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,641 per month in Monterrey versus $3,905 in Fort Lee, NJ – Monterrey is about 58% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Monterrey runs roughly 77% less than in Fort Lee, NJ. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $1,641 in Monterrey versus $3,905 in Fort Lee, NJ, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Monterrey but tight or insufficient in Fort Lee, NJ. The gap between the two cities makes Monterrey the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Monterrey is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Fort Lee, NJ, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Monterrey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Fort Lee, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.