Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Harlingen, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Harlingen, TX: $1,492 a month against $1,608 in Monterrey, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. The total is higher in Monterrey despite lower rent and utilities.

79

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index
128

Cost of Living Index in Harlingen, TX
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Harlingen, TX Living Index

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Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Harlingen, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$1,492

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Monterrey versus $1,492 in Harlingen, TX.

Monterrey $1,608
Harlingen, TX $1,492

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,521 in Monterrey versus $1,876 in Harlingen, TX.

Monterrey $2,521
Harlingen, TX $1,876

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,433 in Monterrey versus $2,259 in Harlingen, TX.

Monterrey $3,433
Harlingen, TX $2,259

Living in Monterrey is roughly 8% more expensive than in Harlingen, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Monterrey 19% above, Harlingen, TX 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.85 MX$256

$12.27 $12.27

12.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.70 MX$918

$46.71 $46.71

6.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.05 MX$204

$9.11 $9.11

21.30%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$75.6

$4.99 $4.99

-18.04%

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

$1.68 MX$30.97

$2.00 $2.00

-16.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 MX$18.98

$2.00 $2.00

-48.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 MX$44.28

$6.03 $6.03

-60.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 MX$80.3

$4.54 $4.54

-4.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 MX$35.55

$0.96 $0.96

100.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 MX$54.2

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$34.66

Eggs

$2.55 MX$47.06

$3.52 $3.52

-27.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.84 MX$219

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 MX$173

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 MX$242

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 MX$62.5

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 MX$28.13

$1.32 $1.32

15.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.51

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$43.63

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$41.76

Onion (1kg)

$2.73 MX$50.5

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 MX$28.17

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

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 MX$34.95

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 MX$55.2

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

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

$1.03 $1.03

51.46%

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

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

$119 MX$2,206

$199 $199

-40.02%

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

$26.21 MX$484

$99.1 $99.1

-73.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.78 MX$495

$49.44 $49.44

-45.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.03 MX$573

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.43 MX$396

Cinema Ticket

$5.29 MX$97.7

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

$691 MX$12.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K MX$212.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.3 MX$1,335

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.72 MX$789

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 MX$2,024

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,158

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$970 MX$17.9K

$836 $836

16.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$664 MX$12.3K

$873 $873

-23.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,857 MX$34.3K

$1,385 $1,385

34.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 MX$23.8K

$1,015 $1,015

26.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,162 MX$76.9K

$1,886 $1,886

120.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,349 MX$43.4K

$1,869 $1,869

25.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,146 MX$21.2K

$4,030 $4,030

-71.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.79

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

Last update for Monterrey: October 10, 2026

Last update for Harlingen, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Monterrey

$664 41.3%

Harlingen, TX

$873 58.5% 31.5% $209

Groceries & Markets

Monterrey

$310 19.3%

Harlingen, TX

$32 * 2.1% 89.8% $279

Eating Out

Monterrey

$225 14%

Harlingen, TX

$241 16.1% 7.2% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monterrey

$172 10.7%

Harlingen, TX

$348 23.3% 102% $175

Clothing & Footwear

Monterrey

$154 9.6%

Harlingen, TX

- * 0% 100%

Getting Around

Monterrey

$42 2.6%

Harlingen, TX

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Monterrey

$42 2.6%

Harlingen, TX

- * 0% 100%

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $970 in Monterrey and $836 in Harlingen, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Harlingen, TX pays 252% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $50.0 in Monterrey vs $47.00 in Harlingen, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $310 vs $32.00 per month, with Harlingen, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🇺🇸 Harlingen, TX

🕒 Local time

02:00 2:00 AM

03:00 3:00 AM

1 h ahead of Monterrey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,142,994

71,829

💱 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

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Between locations

Monterrey Harlingen, TX 270 km

From you

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

Harlingen, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Monterrey. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Harlingen, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 252% lower in Harlingen, TX. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $970 in Monterrey versus $836 in Harlingen, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,608 per month in Monterrey versus $1,492 in Harlingen, TX – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 881% higher in Monterrey. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,492 in Harlingen, TX versus $1,608 in Monterrey, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Harlingen, TX but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes Harlingen, TX the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Harlingen, TX delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,492 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Harlingen, TX hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Harlingen, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.