Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Golden Grove

For one person, living is cheaper in Golden Grove: $1,005 a month against $1,608 in Monterrey, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Monterrey outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

79

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Golden Grove
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Golden Grove Living Index

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Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Golden Grove

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,005

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in Golden Grove

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 Golden Grove actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Monterrey versus $1,005 in Golden Grove.

Monterrey $1,608
Golden Grove $1,005

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,521 in Monterrey versus $1,664 in Golden Grove.

Monterrey $2,521
Golden Grove $1,664

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,433 in Monterrey versus $2,322 in Golden Grove.

Monterrey $3,433
Golden Grove $2,322

Living in Monterrey is roughly 60% more expensive than in Golden Grove, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 19% above, Golden Grove is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.85 MX$256

$13.67 JMD 2,160

1.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.70 MX$918

$75.6 JMD 11.9K

-34.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.05 MX$204

$8.39 JMD 1,325

31.70%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$75.6

$5.15 JMD 814

-20.58%

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

$1.68 MX$30.97

$1.18 JMD 187

42.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 MX$18.98

$0.74 JMD 116

39.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 MX$44.28

$2.15 JMD 340

11.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 MX$80.3

$3.10 JMD 490

40.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 MX$35.55

$4.03 JMD 636

-52.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 MX$54.2

$3.84 JMD 607

-23.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$34.66

$1.62 JMD 257

16.05%

Eggs

$2.55 MX$47.06

$3.46 JMD 547

-26.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.84 MX$219

$11.39 JMD 1,800

3.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 MX$173

$6.42 JMD 1,014

45.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 MX$242

$10.26 JMD 1,622

27.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 MX$62.5

$6.18 JMD 976

-45.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 MX$28.13

$3.92 JMD 620

-61.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.51

$7.24 JMD 1,143

-69.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$43.63

$2.96 JMD 468

-20.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$41.76

$3.29 JMD 520

-31.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.73 MX$50.5

$2.57 JMD 405

6.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 MX$28.17

$3.12 JMD 493

-51.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$22.90

$1.44 JMD 228

-13.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.75 MX$87.8

$9.46 JMD 1,495

-49.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.66 MX$252

$11.31 JMD 1,787

20.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 MX$34.95

$2.79 JMD 440

-32.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 MX$55.2

$4.05 JMD 640

-26.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 MX$15.78

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.95 MX$572

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 MX$30.98

$1.17 JMD 186

43.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 MX$20.87

$3.06 JMD 483

-63.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.15 MX$206

$6.33 JMD 1,000

76.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 MX$28.91

$1.44 JMD 228

8.33%

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

$21.4K MX$395.8K

$44.0K JMD 6.9M

-51.27%

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

$25.1K MX$463.2K

$32.1K JMD 5.1M

-21.81%

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

$119 MX$2,206

$170 JMD 26.8K

-29.59%

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

$26.21 MX$484

$29.38 JMD 4,642

-10.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.78 MX$495

$53.3 JMD 8,419

-49.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.03 MX$573

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.43 MX$396

Cinema Ticket

$5.29 MX$97.7

$12.99 JMD 2,052

-59.28%

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

$691 MX$12.8K

$367 JMD 58.0K

88.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K MX$212.1K

$8,104 JMD 1.3M

41.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.3 MX$1,335

$23.86 JMD 3,769

202.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.72 MX$789

$31.51 JMD 4,979

35.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 MX$2,024

$78.1 JMD 12.3K

40.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,158

$102 JMD 16.0K

14.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$970 MX$17.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$664 MX$12.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,857 MX$34.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 MX$23.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,162 MX$76.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,349 MX$43.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,146 MX$21.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.79

9.45

24.76%

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

Last update for Monterrey: October 10, 2026

Last update for Golden Grove: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Monterrey

$664 41.3%

Golden Grove

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Monterrey

$310 19.3%

Golden Grove

$384 38.2% 23.6% $73

Eating Out

Monterrey

$225 14%

Golden Grove

$221 22% 1.6% $3.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monterrey

$172 10.7%

Golden Grove

$252 25.1% 46.3% $80

Clothing & Footwear

Monterrey

$154 9.6%

Golden Grove

$106 10.5% 31.1% $48

Getting Around

Monterrey

$42 2.6%

Golden Grove

$16 * 1.6% 60.5% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Monterrey

$42 2.6%

Golden Grove

$26 * 2.6% 37.6% $16

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $50.0 in Monterrey vs $76.0 in Golden Grove for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $310 vs $384 per month, with Monterrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🇯🇲 Golden Grove

🕒 Local time

20:08 8:08 PM

21:08 9:08 PM

1 h ahead of Monterrey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,142,994

3,058

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JMD, 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).

Jamaican Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Monterrey Golden Grove 2,620 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Monterrey
Golden Grove

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 Golden Grove: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey and Golden Grove differ by about 60% in total monthly costs ($1,608 vs $1,005 including rent). Golden Grove is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,412 in Monterrey and $1,508 in Golden Grove to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Shoppers in Monterrey pay roughly 24% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,608 per month in Monterrey versus $1,005 in Golden Grove – a 60% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,005 in Golden Grove versus $1,608 in Monterrey, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Golden Grove but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes Golden Grove the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Golden Grove gentler on the wallet – expenses run 60% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.