Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Hays, KS

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,599 a month against $1,737 in Hays, KS, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
Learn more

Monterrey Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Hays, KS
Learn more

Hays, KS Living Index

Jump to prices

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,599

/mo nomad

Hays, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$1,737

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in Hays, KS

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 Hays, KS actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,599 per month in Monterrey vs $1,737 in Hays, KS, rent included.

Monterrey $1,599
Hays, KS $1,737

A couple spends around $2,493 per month in Monterrey vs $2,467 in Hays, KS, rent included.

Monterrey $2,493
Hays, KS $2,467

A family of three spends $3,387 per month in Monterrey vs $3,198 in Hays, KS, rent included.

Monterrey $3,387
Hays, KS $3,198

Monterrey is about 8% cheaper than Hays, KS, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Monterrey and Hays, KS sit above the global median – Monterrey by 18%, Hays, KS by 28%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.80 MX$255

$13.33 $13.33

3.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.99 MX$887

$43.87 $43.87

9.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$197

$8.11 $8.11

31.32%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$73.7

$3.98 $3.98

0.25%

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

$1.66 MX$30.76

$2.39 $2.39

-30.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 MX$18.21

$1.02 $1.02

-2.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 MX$43.64

$3.85 $3.85

-38.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 MX$81.8

$4.33 $4.33

2.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 MX$33.58

$0.76 $0.76

139.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.83 MX$52.4

$2.26 $2.26

25.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.44

$4.46 $4.46

-56.95%

Eggs

$2.48 MX$45.78

$2.06 $2.06

20.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.74 MX$217

$4.46 $4.46

163.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.10 MX$168

$8.93 $8.93

1.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.53 MX$232

$13.33 $13.33

-6.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.34 MX$61.6

$6.04 $6.04

-44.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$29.10

$1.64 $1.64

-4.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.16 MX$39.86

$5.06 $5.06

-57.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 MX$45.65

$4.42 $4.42

-44.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$42.64

$2.93 $2.93

-21.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.68 MX$49.47

$2.17 $2.17

23.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$26.90

$1.97 $1.97

-25.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$22.07

$2.03 $2.03

-41.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.75 MX$87.8

$9.68 $9.68

-50.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.58 MX$251

$12.15 $12.15

11.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 MX$35.52

$2.23 $2.23

-13.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$53.2

$3.85 $3.85

-25.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 MX$14.66

$2.01 $2.01

-60.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.36 MX$579

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.59 MX$29.44

$2.43 $2.43

-34.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 MX$19.58

$1.57 $1.57

-32.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.80 MX$200

$39.71 $39.71

-72.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$28.59

$0.92 $0.92

68.48%

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

$24.2K MX$446.4K

$28.1K $28.1K

-13.96%

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

$24.3K MX$449.4K

$26.0K $26.0K

-6.29%

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

$117 MX$2,159

$269 $269

-56.52%

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

$26.38 MX$488

$34.85 $34.85

-24.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.04 MX$481

$68.8 $68.8

-62.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.26 MX$559

$45.17 $45.17

-33.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.25 MX$393

Cinema Ticket

$5.23 MX$96.6

$15.21 $15.21

-65.61%

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

$673 MX$12.4K

$922 $922

-27.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K MX$205.2K

$15.7K $15.7K

-29.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.1 MX$1,332

$23.68 $23.68

204.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.38 MX$783

$31.82 $31.82

33.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$2,066

$110 $110

2.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 MX$2,200

$138 $138

-13.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$949 MX$17.5K

$793 $793

19.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$666 MX$12.3K

$589 $589

13.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,821 MX$33.7K

$1,034 $1,034

76.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 MX$23.5K

$895 $895

42.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,050 MX$74.8K

$2,386 $2,386

69.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,348 MX$43.4K

$2,615 $2,615

-10.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,155 MX$21.3K

$2,386 $2,386

-51.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.79

6.65

77.29%

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

Last update for Monterrey: October 18, 2026

Last update for Hays, KS: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Monterrey

$666 41.7%

Hays, KS

$589 33.9% 11.6% $77

Groceries & Markets

Monterrey

$304 19%

Hays, KS

$325 18.7% 6.8% $21

Eating Out

Monterrey

$221 13.9%

Hays, KS

$220 12.7% 0.6% $1.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monterrey

$169 10.6%

Hays, KS

$372 21.4% 120% $203

Clothing & Footwear

Monterrey

$155 9.7%

Hays, KS

$136 7.9% 12.2% $19

Getting Around

Monterrey

$41 2.6%

Hays, KS

$18 * 1.1% 55.8% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Monterrey

$41 2.6%

Hays, KS

$76 4.4% 85.7% $35

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 $793 in Hays, KS. 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 107% higher in Hays, KS, 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 $48.00 in Monterrey versus $44.00 in Hays, KS. Groceries tell a different story – $304 in Monterrey vs $325 in Hays, KS – so Monterrey wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🇺🇸 Hays, KS

🕒 Local time

02:44 2:44 AM

03:44 3:44 AM

1 h ahead of Monterrey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,142,994

19,726

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Monterrey Hays, KS 1,470 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Monterrey
Hays, KS

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 Hays, KS: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Hays, KS is pricier by about 9%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,399 per month in Monterrey and $2,605 in Hays, KS. 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Monterrey and $44.00 in Hays, KS. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 7% more in Hays, KS, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Monterrey, where all-in costs run around $1,599, than in Hays, KS at $1,737. In Monterrey it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hays, KS it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Monterrey – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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, Hays, KS makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.