Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Frisco, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,608 a month against $2,780 in Frisco, TX, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Monterrey
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,608
/mo nomad
Frisco, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,780
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in Frisco, TX

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 Frisco, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Monterrey versus $2,780 in Frisco, TX.

  • Monterrey $1,608
  • Frisco, TX $2,780

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,521 in Monterrey versus $4,145 in Frisco, TX.

  • Monterrey $2,521
  • Frisco, TX $4,145

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,433 in Monterrey versus $5,511 in Frisco, TX.

  • Monterrey $3,433
  • Frisco, TX $5,511

Living in Monterrey costs roughly 42% less than in Frisco, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Monterrey 19% above, Frisco, TX 106% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Monterrey
Frisco, TX
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.85 MX$256
$15.22 $15.22
-9.00%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$49.70 MX$918
$78.6 $78.6
-36.78%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.05 MX$204
$10.88 $10.88
1.56%
Cappuccino
$4.09 MX$75.6
$5.35 $5.35
-23.55%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68 MX$30.97
$2.65 $2.65
-36.60%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.03 MX$18.98
$2.28 $2.28
-54.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.40 MX$44.28
$7.03 $7.03
-65.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.35 MX$80.3
$8.90 $8.90
-51.12%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Monterrey
Frisco, TX
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.92 MX$35.55
$1.02 $1.02
88.24%
White Bread (500g)
$2.94 MX$54.2
$3.48 $3.48
-15.52%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.88 MX$34.66
$3.59 $3.59
-47.63%
Eggs
$2.55 MX$47.06
$4.25 $4.25
-40.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.84 MX$219
$13.14 $13.14
-9.89%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.36 MX$173
$10.65 $10.65
-12.11%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.10 MX$242
$19.39 $19.39
-32.44%
Apples (1kg)
$3.38 MX$62.5
$4.84 $4.84
-30.17%
Banana (1kg)
$1.52 MX$28.13
$1.31 $1.31
16.03%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.19 MX$40.51
$3.08 $3.08
-28.90%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.36 MX$43.63
$4.08 $4.08
-42.16%
Potato (1kg)
$2.26 MX$41.76
$3.30 $3.30
-31.52%
Onion (1kg)
$2.73 MX$50.5
$2.98 $2.98
-8.39%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.52 MX$28.17
$2.06 $2.06
-26.21%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 MX$22.90
$2.48 $2.48
-50.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.75 MX$87.8
$9.59 $9.59
-50.47%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.66 MX$252
$13.91 $13.91
-1.80%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.89 MX$34.95
$1.75 $1.75
8.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.99 MX$55.2
$3.26 $3.26
-8.28%
🚌 Getting Around
Monterrey
Frisco, TX
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.85 MX$15.78
$4.96 $4.96
-82.86%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$30.95 MX$572
$81.3 $81.3
-61.91%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.68 MX$30.98
$2.68 $2.68
-37.31%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.13 MX$20.87
$1.23 $1.23
-8.13%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.15 MX$206
$29.58 $29.58
-62.31%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.56 MX$28.91
$0.95 $0.95
64.21%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.4K MX$395.8K
$35.1K $35.1K
-38.93%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.1K MX$463.2K
$26.4K $26.4K
-5.14%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Monterrey
Frisco, TX
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$119 MX$2,206
$243 $243
-50.84%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.21 MX$484
$66.8 $66.8
-60.79%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$26.78 MX$495
$63.3 $63.3
-57.72%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Monterrey
Frisco, TX
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$31.03 MX$573
$41.85 $41.85
-25.85%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.43 MX$396
$11.95 $11.95
79.33%
Cinema Ticket
$5.29 MX$97.7
$14.93 $14.93
-64.57%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Monterrey
Frisco, TX
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$691 MX$12.8K
$1,563 $1,563
-55.77%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.5K MX$212.1K
$23.7K $23.7K
-51.56%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Monterrey
Frisco, TX
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$72.3 MX$1,335
$52.9 $52.9
36.71%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.72 MX$789
$40.40 $40.40
5.74%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$110 MX$2,024
$74.7 $74.7
46.61%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$117 MX$2,158
$139 $139
-15.92%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Monterrey
Frisco, TX
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$970 MX$17.9K
$1,722 $1,722
-43.68%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$664 MX$12.3K
$1,407 $1,407
-52.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,857 MX$34.3K
$3,458 $3,458
-46.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,287 MX$23.8K
$2,513 $2,513
-48.77%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,162 MX$76.9K
$3,189 $3,189
30.50%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,349 MX$43.4K
$2,383 $2,383
-1.42%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Monterrey
Frisco, TX
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,146 MX$21.2K
$6,839 $6,839
-83.24%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.79
6.51
81.11%

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

Last update for Monterrey: October 10, 2026

Last update for Frisco, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Monterrey
$664
Frisco, TX
$1.4K 112% $743
Groceries & Markets
Monterrey
$310
Frisco, TX
$389 25.3% $78
Eating Out
Monterrey
$225
Frisco, TX
$291 29.7% $67
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Monterrey
$172
Frisco, TX
$373 116% $201
Clothing & Footwear
Monterrey
$154
Frisco, TX
$138 10.1% $16
Getting Around
Monterrey
$42
Frisco, TX
$110 164% $68
Sport & Entertainment
Monterrey
$42
Frisco, TX
$72 72.3% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $970 in Monterrey and $1,722 in Frisco, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Frisco, TX pays 497% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $50.0 in Monterrey vs $79.0 in Frisco, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $310 vs $389 per month, with Monterrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Monterrey
🇺🇸 Frisco, TX
🕒 Local time
11:44 11:44 AM
12:44 12:44 PM
1 h ahead of Monterrey
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,142,994
873,965
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Monterrey Frisco, TX 900 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Monterrey
  • Frisco, TX

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 Frisco, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Monterrey and in Frisco, TX?
Monterrey and Frisco, TX differ by about 73% in total monthly costs ($1,608 vs $2,780 including rent). Monterrey is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 497% lower in Frisco, TX. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Monterrey and in Frisco, TX?
Rent for a central apartment: $970 in Monterrey versus $1,722 in Frisco, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Frisco, TX. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Monterrey – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $79.0 in Frisco, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $1,608 in Monterrey versus $2,780 in Frisco, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Monterrey but tight or insufficient in Frisco, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Monterrey the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Monterrey and Frisco, TX?
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.
Where should expats move: Monterrey or Frisco, TX?
Expats usually find Monterrey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 73% less than in Frisco, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Monterrey vs other spots: cost of living compared

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