Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Hot Springs, AR

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,608 a month against $1,710 in Hot Springs, AR, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. The total is higher in Hot Springs, AR despite lower rent and utilities.

79

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index
83

Cost of Living Index in Hot Springs, AR
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Hot Springs, AR Living Index

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Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Hot Springs, AR

🇺🇸 United States

$1,710

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in Hot Springs, AR

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 Hot Springs, AR actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,608 per month in Monterrey vs $1,710 in Hot Springs, AR, rent included.

Monterrey $1,608
Hot Springs, AR $1,710

A couple spends around $2,521 per month in Monterrey vs $2,571 in Hot Springs, AR, rent included.

Monterrey $2,521
Hot Springs, AR $2,571

A family of three spends $3,433 per month in Monterrey vs $3,432 in Hot Springs, AR, rent included.

Monterrey $3,433
Hot Springs, AR $3,432

Monterrey is about 6% cheaper than Hot Springs, AR, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Monterrey and Hot Springs, AR sit above the global median – Monterrey by 19%, Hot Springs, AR by 27%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.85 MX$256

$16.17 $16.17

-14.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.70 MX$918

$69.0 $69.0

-27.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.05 MX$204

$9.35 $9.35

18.18%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$75.6

$5.02 $5.02

-18.53%

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

$1.68 MX$30.97

$2.77 $2.77

-39.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 MX$18.98

$1.53 $1.53

-32.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 MX$44.28

$4.87 $4.87

-50.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 MX$80.3

$6.01 $6.01

-27.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 MX$35.55

$0.92 $0.92

108.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 MX$54.2

$2.97 $2.97

-1.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$34.66

$2.03 $2.03

-7.39%

Eggs

$2.55 MX$47.06

$2.31 $2.31

10.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.84 MX$219

$10.88 $10.88

8.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 MX$173

$12.73 $12.73

-26.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 MX$242

$19.27 $19.27

-32.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 MX$62.5

$3.60 $3.60

-6.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 MX$28.13

$1.38 $1.38

10.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.51

$3.74 $3.74

-41.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$43.63

$3.72 $3.72

-36.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$41.76

$1.79 $1.79

26.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.73 MX$50.5

$2.73 $2.73

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 MX$28.17

$2.34 $2.34

-35.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$22.90

$1.09 $1.09

13.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.75 MX$87.8

$8.54 $8.54

-44.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.66 MX$252

$18.84 $18.84

-27.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 MX$34.95

$2.56 $2.56

-26.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 MX$55.2

$4.57 $4.57

-34.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 MX$15.78

$1.22 $1.22

-30.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.95 MX$572

$28.39 $28.39

9.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 MX$30.98

$2.72 $2.72

-38.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 MX$20.87

$2.20 $2.20

-48.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.15 MX$206

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 MX$28.91

$0.87 $0.87

79.31%

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

$21.4K MX$395.8K

$16.8K $16.8K

27.76%

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

$25.1K MX$463.2K

$23.1K $23.1K

8.49%

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

$119 MX$2,206

$179 $179

-33.25%

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

$26.21 MX$484

$56.1 $56.1

-53.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.78 MX$495

$39.40 $39.40

-32.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.03 MX$573

$34.69 $34.69

-10.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.43 MX$396

$9.92 $9.92

116.03%

Cinema Ticket

$5.29 MX$97.7

$10.13 $10.13

-47.78%

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

$691 MX$12.8K

$593 $593

16.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K MX$212.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.3 MX$1,335

$40.76 $40.76

77.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.72 MX$789

$40.11 $40.11

6.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 MX$2,024

$102 $102

7.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,158

$78.7 $78.7

48.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$970 MX$17.9K

$722 $722

34.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$664 MX$12.3K

$582 $582

14.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,857 MX$34.3K

$1,088 $1,088

70.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 MX$23.8K

$905 $905

42.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,162 MX$76.9K

$1,950 $1,950

113.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,349 MX$43.4K

$1,942 $1,942

20.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,146 MX$21.2K

$3,532 $3,532

-67.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.79

6.49

81.66%

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

Last update for Monterrey: October 10, 2026

Last update for Hot Springs, AR: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Monterrey

$664 41.3%

Hot Springs, AR

$582 34% 12.3% $82

Groceries & Markets

Monterrey

$310 19.3%

Hot Springs, AR

$363 21.2% 16.9% $53

Eating Out

Monterrey

$225 14%

Hot Springs, AR

$271 15.9% 20.8% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monterrey

$172 10.7%

Hot Springs, AR

$274 16% 59.2% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Monterrey

$154 9.6%

Hot Springs, AR

$118 6.9% 23.4% $36

Getting Around

Monterrey

$42 2.6%

Hot Springs, AR

$47 2.8% 12.9% $5.4

Sport & Entertainment

Monterrey

$42 2.6%

Hot Springs, AR

$55 3.2% 32.1% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $970 in Monterrey versus $722 in Hot Springs, AR. 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 208% higher in Hot Springs, AR, 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 $69.0 in Hot Springs, AR. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $310 vs $363 – making Monterrey the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🇺🇸 Hot Springs, AR

🕒 Local time

03:59 3:59 AM

04:59 4:59 AM

1 h ahead of Monterrey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,142,994

37,930

💱 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 18, 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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

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Between locations

Monterrey Hot Springs, AR 1,200 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Monterrey
Hot Springs, AR

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 Hot Springs, AR: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hot Springs, AR costs about 6% more than Monterrey, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,412 per month in Monterrey and $2,565 in Hot Springs, AR. 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.

Kindergarten costs $691 per month in Monterrey and $593 in Hot Springs, AR. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 17% more in Hot Springs, AR, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Monterrey, where all-in costs run around $1,608, than in Hot Springs, AR at $1,710. In Monterrey it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hot Springs, AR it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Monterrey costs $1,608 versus $1,710 in Hot Springs, AR. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Hot Springs, AR makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.