Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Geneva, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,599 a month against $2,350 in Geneva, IL, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 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
117

Cost of Living Index in Geneva, IL
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Geneva, IL Living Index

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Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,599

/mo nomad

Geneva, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,350

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in Geneva, IL

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 Geneva, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,599 per month in Monterrey vs $2,350 in Geneva, IL, rent included.

Monterrey $1,599
Geneva, IL $2,350

A couple spends around $2,493 per month in Monterrey vs $3,481 in Geneva, IL, rent included.

Monterrey $2,493
Geneva, IL $3,481

A family of three spends $3,387 per month in Monterrey vs $4,612 in Geneva, IL, rent included.

Monterrey $3,387
Geneva, IL $4,612

Monterrey is about 32% cheaper than Geneva, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Monterrey and Geneva, IL sit above the global median – Monterrey by 18%, Geneva, IL by 73%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.80 MX$255

$14.21 $14.21

-2.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.99 MX$887

$68.2 $68.2

-29.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$197

$12.13 $12.13

-12.20%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$73.7

$5.38 $5.38

-25.84%

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

$1.66 MX$30.76

$3.02 $3.02

-45.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 MX$18.21

$2.29 $2.29

-56.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 MX$43.64

$6.15 $6.15

-61.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 MX$81.8

$8.01 $8.01

-44.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 MX$33.58

$0.78 $0.78

133.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.83 MX$52.4

$2.74 $2.74

3.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.44

$2.92 $2.92

-34.25%

Eggs

$2.48 MX$45.78

$3.44 $3.44

-27.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.74 MX$217

$7.63 $7.63

53.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.10 MX$168

$11.55 $11.55

-21.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.53 MX$232

$10.52 $10.52

19.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.34 MX$61.6

$4.69 $4.69

-28.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$29.10

$1.65 $1.65

-4.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.16 MX$39.86

$3.60 $3.60

-40.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 MX$45.65

$4.84 $4.84

-48.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$42.64

$1.78 $1.78

29.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.68 MX$49.47

$2.96 $2.96

-9.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$26.90

$1.60 $1.60

-8.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$22.07

$2.43 $2.43

-51.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.75 MX$87.8

$10.69 $10.69

-55.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.58 MX$251

$8.08 $8.08

68.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 MX$35.52

$1.78 $1.78

7.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$53.2

$4.47 $4.47

-35.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 MX$14.66

$2.20 $2.20

-64.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.36 MX$579

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.59 MX$29.44

$4.10 $4.10

-61.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 MX$19.58

$2.01 $2.01

-47.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.80 MX$200

$44.12 $44.12

-75.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$28.59

$1.09 $1.09

42.20%

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

$24.2K MX$446.4K

$24.8K $24.8K

-2.68%

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

$24.3K MX$449.4K

$25.9K $25.9K

-6.14%

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

$117 MX$2,159

$176 $176

-33.51%

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

$26.38 MX$488

$52.6 $52.6

-49.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.04 MX$481

$67.1 $67.1

-61.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.26 MX$559

$35.52 $35.52

-14.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.25 MX$393

Cinema Ticket

$5.23 MX$96.6

$11.86 $11.86

-55.90%

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

$673 MX$12.4K

$1,528 $1,528

-55.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K MX$205.2K

$23.9K $23.9K

-53.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.1 MX$1,332

$55.6 $55.6

29.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.38 MX$783

$50.8 $50.8

-16.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$2,066

$88.3 $88.3

26.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 MX$2,200

$122 $122

-2.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$949 MX$17.5K

$1,820 $1,820

-47.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$666 MX$12.3K

$1,221 $1,221

-45.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,821 MX$33.7K

$2,229 $2,229

-18.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 MX$23.5K

$2,128 $2,128

-40.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,050 MX$74.8K

$3,121 $3,121

29.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,348 MX$43.4K

$2,190 $2,190

7.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,155 MX$21.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.79

6.43

83.36%

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

Last update for Monterrey: October 18, 2026

Last update for Geneva, IL: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Monterrey

$666 41.7%

Geneva, IL

$1.2K 52% 83.2% $555

Groceries & Markets

Monterrey

$304 19%

Geneva, IL

$326 13.9% 7% $21

Eating Out

Monterrey

$221 13.9%

Geneva, IL

$283 12% 27.7% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monterrey

$169 10.6%

Geneva, IL

$295 12.6% 74.5% $126

Clothing & Footwear

Monterrey

$155 9.7%

Geneva, IL

$143 6.1% 8.2% $13

Getting Around

Monterrey

$41 2.6%

Geneva, IL

$23 * 1% 44.6% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Monterrey

$41 2.6%

Geneva, IL

$59 2.5% 45.5% $19

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 $1,820 in Geneva, IL. 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 $68.0 in Geneva, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $304 vs $326 – making Monterrey the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🇺🇸 Geneva, IL

🕒 Local time

22:45 10:45 PM

23:45 11:45 PM

1 h ahead of Monterrey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,142,994

12,812

💱 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 22, 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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Monterrey Geneva, IL 2,110 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Monterrey
Geneva, IL

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 Geneva, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,599 in Monterrey, $2,350 in Geneva, IL – roughly 47% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,399 per month in Monterrey and $3,524 in Geneva, IL. 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 $1,599 in Monterrey and $2,350 in Geneva, IL. That's a gap of about 47%.

Kindergarten costs $673 per month in Monterrey and $1,528 in Geneva, IL. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Monterrey, where all-in costs run around $1,599, than in Geneva, IL at $2,350. In Monterrey it covers expenses comfortably, while in Geneva, IL 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 $2,350 in Geneva, IL. 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, Geneva, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.