Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Fort Madison, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,599 a month against $2,559 in Fort Madison, IA, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Fort Madison, IA
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Fort Madison, IA Living Index

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Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,599

/mo nomad

Fort Madison, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,559

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in Fort Madison, IA

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 Madison, IA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,599 per month in Monterrey vs $2,559 in Fort Madison, IA, rent included.

Monterrey $1,599
Fort Madison, IA $2,559

A couple spends around $2,493 per month in Monterrey vs $3,754 in Fort Madison, IA, rent included.

Monterrey $2,493
Fort Madison, IA $3,754

A family of three spends $3,387 per month in Monterrey vs $4,950 in Fort Madison, IA, rent included.

Monterrey $3,387
Fort Madison, IA $4,950

Monterrey is about 38% cheaper than Fort Madison, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Monterrey and Fort Madison, IA sit above the global median – Monterrey by 18%, Fort Madison, IA by 89%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.80 MX$255

$19.82 $19.82

-30.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.99 MX$887

$76.2 $76.2

-37.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$197

$11.40 $11.40

-6.58%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$73.7

$5.49 $5.49

-27.32%

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

$1.66 MX$30.76

$2.63 $2.63

-36.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 MX$18.21

$1.98 $1.98

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 MX$43.64

$6.13 $6.13

-61.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 MX$81.8

$7.37 $7.37

-39.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 MX$33.58

$1.05 $1.05

73.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.83 MX$52.4

$3.45 $3.45

-17.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.44

$4.30 $4.30

-55.35%

Eggs

$2.48 MX$45.78

$4.15 $4.15

-40.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.74 MX$217

$12.60 $12.60

-6.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.10 MX$168

$11.33 $11.33

-19.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.53 MX$232

$17.07 $17.07

-26.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.34 MX$61.6

$4.89 $4.89

-31.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$29.10

$1.58 $1.58

-0.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.16 MX$39.86

$4.23 $4.23

-48.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 MX$45.65

$4.82 $4.82

-48.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$42.64

$2.84 $2.84

-18.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.68 MX$49.47

$2.94 $2.94

-8.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$26.90

$2.14 $2.14

-31.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$22.07

$2.21 $2.21

-46.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.75 MX$87.8

$10.10 $10.10

-52.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.58 MX$251

$15.04 $15.04

-9.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 MX$35.52

$1.68 $1.68

14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$53.2

$3.00 $3.00

-4.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 MX$14.66

$2.27 $2.27

-65.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.36 MX$579

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.59 MX$29.44

$3.33 $3.33

-52.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 MX$19.58

$1.76 $1.76

-39.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.80 MX$200

$31.70 $31.70

-65.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$28.59

$0.92 $0.92

68.48%

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

$24.2K MX$446.4K

$26.6K $26.6K

-9.03%

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

$24.3K MX$449.4K

$23.8K $23.8K

2.12%

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

$117 MX$2,159

$201 $201

-42.01%

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

$26.38 MX$488

$59.0 $59.0

-55.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.04 MX$481

$71.0 $71.0

-63.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.26 MX$559

$41.05 $41.05

-26.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.25 MX$393

Cinema Ticket

$5.23 MX$96.6

$14.14 $14.14

-63.01%

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

$673 MX$12.4K

$1,439 $1,439

-53.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K MX$205.2K

$23.7K $23.7K

-53.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.1 MX$1,332

$53.8 $53.8

34.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.38 MX$783

$40.89 $40.89

3.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$2,066

$88.0 $88.0

27.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 MX$2,200

$115 $115

3.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$949 MX$17.5K

$1,582 $1,582

-40.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$666 MX$12.3K

$1,287 $1,287

-48.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,821 MX$33.7K

$2,533 $2,533

-28.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 MX$23.5K

$2,141 $2,141

-40.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,050 MX$74.8K

$2,414 $2,414

67.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,348 MX$43.4K

$2,589 $2,589

-9.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,155 MX$21.3K

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: October 18, 2026

Last update for Fort Madison, IA: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Monterrey

$666 41.7%

Fort Madison, IA

$1.3K 50.3% 93.2% $621

Groceries & Markets

Monterrey

$304 19%

Fort Madison, IA

$393 15.4% 29.2% $89

Eating Out

Monterrey

$221 13.9%

Fort Madison, IA

$322 12.6% 45.6% $101

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monterrey

$169 10.6%

Fort Madison, IA

$331 13% 95.8% $162

Clothing & Footwear

Monterrey

$155 9.7%

Fort Madison, IA

$134 5.2% 13.9% $22

Getting Around

Monterrey

$41 2.6%

Fort Madison, IA

$21 * 0.8% 48.8% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Monterrey

$41 2.6%

Fort Madison, IA

$69 2.7% 70.3% $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 $1,582 in Fort Madison, IA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Monterrey versus $76.0 in Fort Madison, IA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $304 vs $393 – making Monterrey the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🇺🇸 Fort Madison, IA

🕒 Local time

12:02 12:02 PM

13:02 1:02 PM

1 h ahead of Monterrey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,142,994

10,270

💱 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 20, 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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Monterrey Fort Madison, IA 1,860 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Monterrey
Fort Madison, IA

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 Madison, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,599 in Monterrey, $2,559 in Fort Madison, IA – roughly 60% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,399 per month in Monterrey and $3,838 in Fort Madison, IA. 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Monterrey and $76.0 in Fort Madison, IA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 29% more in Fort Madison, IA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Monterrey, where all-in costs run around $1,599, than in Fort Madison, IA at $2,559. In Monterrey it covers expenses comfortably, while in Fort Madison, IA 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 $1,599 in Monterrey to $2,559 in Fort Madison, IA. 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, Fort Madison, IA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.