Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Franklin, TN

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,608 a month against $3,159 in Franklin, TN, rent and utilities included – about $18,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Monterrey
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,608
/mo nomad
Franklin, TN
🇺🇸 United States
$3,159
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in Franklin, TN

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 Franklin, TN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,608 per month in Monterrey vs $3,159 in Franklin, TN, rent included.

  • Monterrey $1,608
  • Franklin, TN $3,159

A couple spends around $2,521 per month in Monterrey vs $4,404 in Franklin, TN, rent included.

  • Monterrey $2,521
  • Franklin, TN $4,404

A family of three spends $3,433 per month in Monterrey vs $5,649 in Franklin, TN, rent included.

  • Monterrey $3,433
  • Franklin, TN $5,649

Monterrey is about 49% cheaper than Franklin, TN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Monterrey and Franklin, TN sit above the global median – Monterrey by 19%, Franklin, TN by 134%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Monterrey
Franklin, TN
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.85 MX$256
$23.93 $23.93
-42.12%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$49.70 MX$918
$87.0 $87.0
-42.90%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.05 MX$204
$11.89 $11.89
-7.06%
Cappuccino
$4.09 MX$75.6
$7.10 $7.10
-42.39%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68 MX$30.97
$3.34 $3.34
-49.70%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.03 MX$18.98
$2.29 $2.29
-55.02%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.40 MX$44.28
$7.47 $7.47
-67.87%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.35 MX$80.3
$8.05 $8.05
-45.96%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Monterrey
Franklin, TN
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.92 MX$35.55
$1.34 $1.34
43.28%
White Bread (500g)
$2.94 MX$54.2
$3.85 $3.85
-23.64%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.88 MX$34.66
-
-
Eggs
$2.55 MX$47.06
$5.58 $5.58
-54.30%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.84 MX$219
$15.59 $15.59
-24.05%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.36 MX$173
$17.82 $17.82
-47.47%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.10 MX$242
-
-
Apples (1kg)
$3.38 MX$62.5
$3.76 $3.76
-10.11%
Banana (1kg)
$1.52 MX$28.13
$2.00 $2.00
-24.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.19 MX$40.51
-
-
Tomato (1kg)
$2.36 MX$43.63
-
-
Potato (1kg)
$2.26 MX$41.76
$2.01 $2.01
12.44%
Onion (1kg)
$2.73 MX$50.5
$2.19 $2.19
24.66%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.52 MX$28.17
$2.44 $2.44
-37.70%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 MX$22.90
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.75 MX$87.8
-
-
Wine (Bottle)
$13.66 MX$252
$12.95 $12.95
5.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.89 MX$34.95
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.99 MX$55.2
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Monterrey
Franklin, TN
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.85 MX$15.78
$1.01 $1.01
-15.84%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$30.95 MX$572
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.68 MX$30.98
-
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.13 MX$20.87
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.15 MX$206
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.56 MX$28.91
$0.85 $0.85
83.53%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.4K MX$395.8K
-
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.1K MX$463.2K
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Monterrey
Franklin, TN
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$119 MX$2,206
$214 $214
-44.33%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.21 MX$484
$115 $115
-77.23%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$26.78 MX$495
$91.0 $91.0
-70.56%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Monterrey
Franklin, TN
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$31.03 MX$573
$44.10 $44.10
-29.64%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.43 MX$396
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.29 MX$97.7
$15.91 $15.91
-66.75%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Monterrey
Franklin, TN
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$691 MX$12.8K
$395 $395
74.88%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.5K MX$212.1K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Monterrey
Franklin, TN
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$72.3 MX$1,335
$101 $101
-28.53%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.72 MX$789
$64.8 $64.8
-34.03%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$110 MX$2,024
$75.2 $75.2
45.67%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$117 MX$2,158
$110 $110
6.59%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Monterrey
Franklin, TN
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$970 MX$17.9K
$2,060 $2,060
-52.93%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$664 MX$12.3K
$1,826 $1,826
-63.65%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,857 MX$34.3K
$3,544 $3,544
-47.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,287 MX$23.8K
$2,705 $2,705
-52.40%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,162 MX$76.9K
$2,825 $2,825
47.30%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,349 MX$43.4K
$2,801 $2,801
-16.12%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Monterrey
Franklin, TN
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,146 MX$21.2K
$5,994 $5,994
-80.87%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.79
6.59
78.91%

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

Last update for Monterrey: October 10, 2026

Last update for Franklin, TN: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Monterrey
$664
Franklin, TN
$1.8K 175% $1.2K
Groceries & Markets
Monterrey
$310
Franklin, TN
$287 * 7.6% $23
Eating Out
Monterrey
$225
Franklin, TN
$388 72.9% $164
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Monterrey
$172
Franklin, TN
$421 144% $248
Clothing & Footwear
Monterrey
$154
Franklin, TN
$158 2.7% $4.2
Getting Around
Monterrey
$42
Franklin, TN
$4.1 * 90.3% $38
Sport & Entertainment
Monterrey
$42
Franklin, TN
$76 82.4% $34

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $970 in Monterrey versus $2,060 in Franklin, TN. 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 423% higher in Franklin, TN, 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 $87.0 in Franklin, TN. Groceries tell a different story – $310 in Monterrey vs $287 in Franklin, TN – so Franklin, TN wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Monterrey
🇺🇸 Franklin, TN
🕒 Local time
19:00 7:00 PM
20:00 8:00 PM
1 h ahead of Monterrey
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,142,994
83,454
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Monterrey Franklin, TN 1,710 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Monterrey
  • Franklin, TN

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 Franklin, TN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Monterrey and in Franklin, TN compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,608 in Monterrey, $3,159 in Franklin, TN – roughly 96% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Monterrey compared to Franklin, TN?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,412 per month in Monterrey and $4,739 in Franklin, TN. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Monterrey and Franklin, TN?
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.
Which city is more expensive overall: Monterrey or Franklin, TN?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,608 in Monterrey and $3,159 in Franklin, TN. That's a gap of about 96%.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Monterrey and Franklin, TN?
Kindergarten costs $691 per month in Monterrey and $395 in Franklin, TN. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Monterrey, where all-in costs run around $1,608, than in Franklin, TN at $3,159. In Monterrey it covers expenses comfortably, while in Franklin, TN it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Monterrey and Franklin, TN?
It depends on your priorities. Monterrey has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,608 in Monterrey to $3,159 in Franklin, TN. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Monterrey or Franklin, TN safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Monterrey and Franklin, TN?
If budget matters most, go with Monterrey. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Franklin, TN makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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