Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Galveston, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,608 a month against $2,217 in Galveston, TX, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
Learn more

Monterrey Living Index
108

Cost of Living Index in Galveston, TX
Learn more

Galveston, TX Living Index

Jump to prices

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Galveston, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,217

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in Galveston, 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 Galveston, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,608 per month in Monterrey vs $2,217 in Galveston, TX, rent included.

Monterrey $1,608
Galveston, TX $2,217

A couple spends around $2,521 per month in Monterrey vs $3,211 in Galveston, TX, rent included.

Monterrey $2,521
Galveston, TX $3,211

A family of three spends $3,433 per month in Monterrey vs $4,204 in Galveston, TX, rent included.

Monterrey $3,433
Galveston, TX $4,204

Monterrey is about 27% cheaper than Galveston, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Monterrey and Galveston, TX sit above the global median – Monterrey by 19%, Galveston, TX by 64%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.85 MX$256

$21.68 $21.68

-36.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.70 MX$918

$77.0 $77.0

-35.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.05 MX$204

$12.10 $12.10

-8.68%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$75.6

$7.86 $7.86

-47.96%

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

$1.68 MX$30.97

$2.93 $2.93

-42.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 MX$18.98

$1.72 $1.72

-40.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 MX$44.28

$4.92 $4.92

-51.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 MX$80.3

$3.88 $3.88

12.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 MX$35.55

$0.81 $0.81

137.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 MX$54.2

$2.56 $2.56

14.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$34.66

$2.95 $2.95

-36.27%

Eggs

$2.55 MX$47.06

$2.84 $2.84

-10.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.84 MX$219

$11.15 $11.15

6.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 MX$173

$9.60 $9.60

-2.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 MX$242

$13.32 $13.32

-1.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 MX$62.5

$5.57 $5.57

-39.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 MX$28.13

$1.55 $1.55

-1.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.51

$3.12 $3.12

-29.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$43.63

$3.85 $3.85

-38.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$41.76

$2.14 $2.14

5.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.73 MX$50.5

$2.54 $2.54

7.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 MX$28.17

$1.76 $1.76

-13.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$22.90

$1.83 $1.83

-32.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.75 MX$87.8

$8.49 $8.49

-44.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.66 MX$252

$11.29 $11.29

20.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 MX$34.95

$1.70 $1.70

11.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 MX$55.2

$1.79 $1.79

67.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 MX$15.78

$1.96 $1.96

-56.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.95 MX$572

$32.52 $32.52

-4.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 MX$30.98

$10.11 $10.11

-83.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 MX$20.87

$1.83 $1.83

-38.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.15 MX$206

$59.9 $59.9

-81.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 MX$28.91

$0.92 $0.92

69.57%

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

$21.4K MX$395.8K

$29.4K $29.4K

-27.20%

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

$25.1K MX$463.2K

$25.2K $25.2K

-0.64%

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

$119 MX$2,206

$179 $179

-33.24%

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

$26.21 MX$484

$42.34 $42.34

-38.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.78 MX$495

$39.66 $39.66

-32.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.03 MX$573

$34.15 $34.15

-9.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.43 MX$396

Cinema Ticket

$5.29 MX$97.7

$11.58 $11.58

-54.32%

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

$691 MX$12.8K

$746 $746

-7.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K MX$212.1K

$18.0K $18.0K

-36.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.3 MX$1,335

$42.83 $42.83

68.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.72 MX$789

$39.03 $39.03

9.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 MX$2,024

$71.5 $71.5

53.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,158

$80.9 $80.9

44.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$970 MX$17.9K

$1,167 $1,167

-16.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$664 MX$12.3K

$1,057 $1,057

-37.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,857 MX$34.3K

$2,119 $2,119

-12.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 MX$23.8K

$1,579 $1,579

-18.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,162 MX$76.9K

$2,739 $2,739

51.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,349 MX$43.4K

$2,177 $2,177

7.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,146 MX$21.2K

$4,172 $4,172

-72.52%

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 10, 2026

Last update for Galveston, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Monterrey

$664 41.3%

Galveston, TX

$1.1K 47.7% 59.2% $393

Groceries & Markets

Monterrey

$310 19.3%

Galveston, TX

$322 14.5% 3.8% $12

Eating Out

Monterrey

$225 14%

Galveston, TX

$355 16% 58.1% $130

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monterrey

$172 10.7%

Galveston, TX

$261 11.8% 51.3% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Monterrey

$154 9.6%

Galveston, TX

$105 4.8% 31.4% $48

Getting Around

Monterrey

$42 2.6%

Galveston, TX

$60 2.7% 43% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Monterrey

$42 2.6%

Galveston, TX

$57 2.6% 37.7% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $970 in Monterrey versus $1,167 in Galveston, TX. 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 264% higher in Galveston, TX, 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 $77.0 in Galveston, TX. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $310 vs $322 – making Monterrey the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🇺🇸 Galveston, TX

🕒 Local time

23:40 11:40 PM

00:40 12:40 AM

1 h ahead of Monterrey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,142,994

53,695

💱 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 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).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Monterrey Galveston, TX 680 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Monterrey
Galveston, 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 Galveston, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,608 in Monterrey, $2,217 in Galveston, TX – roughly 38% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,412 per month in Monterrey and $3,326 in Galveston, TX. 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,608 in Monterrey and $2,217 in Galveston, TX. That's a gap of about 38%.

Public transport costs about 5% less in Monterrey. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Monterrey, where all-in costs run around $1,608, than in Galveston, TX at $2,217. In Monterrey it covers expenses comfortably, while in Galveston, TX 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 $1,608 in Monterrey to $2,217 in Galveston, TX. 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, Galveston, TX makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.