Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Houma, LA

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,607 a month against $2,059 in Houma, LA, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
Learn more

Monterrey Living Index
100

Cost of Living Index in Houma, LA
Learn more

Houma, LA Living Index

Jump to prices

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,607

/mo nomad

Houma, LA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,059

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in Houma, LA

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 Houma, LA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,607 per month in Monterrey vs $2,059 in Houma, LA, rent included.

Monterrey $1,607
Houma, LA $2,059

A couple spends around $2,512 per month in Monterrey vs $3,039 in Houma, LA, rent included.

Monterrey $2,512
Houma, LA $3,039

A family of three spends $3,417 per month in Monterrey vs $4,018 in Houma, LA, rent included.

Monterrey $3,417
Houma, LA $4,018

Monterrey is about 22% cheaper than Houma, LA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Monterrey and Houma, LA sit above the global median – Monterrey by 20%, Houma, LA by 54%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.75 MX$253

$20.30 $20.30

-32.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.2 MX$923

$50.5 $50.5

-0.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.13 MX$205

$11.95 $11.95

-6.86%

Cappuccino

$4.04 MX$74.3

$5.59 $5.59

-27.73%

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

$1.70 MX$31.33

$2.11 $2.11

-19.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 MX$18.19

$1.66 $1.66

-40.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 MX$44.27

$3.18 $3.18

-24.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 MX$82.5

$4.87 $4.87

-8.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 MX$35.36

$1.12 $1.12

71.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 MX$53.2

$3.86 $3.86

-25.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$35.72

$5.16 $5.16

-62.40%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$45.97

$1.77 $1.77

41.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.30 MX$226

$10.56 $10.56

16.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.33 MX$172

$10.06 $10.06

-7.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.07 MX$240

$15.09 $15.09

-13.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 MX$62.2

$5.13 $5.13

-34.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$29.07

$1.30 $1.30

21.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$40.51

$5.36 $5.36

-58.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$44.96

$4.02 $4.02

-39.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$41.54

$2.06 $2.06

9.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.74 MX$50.4

$3.31 $3.31

-17.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 MX$28.13

$2.04 $2.04

-25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 MX$23.19

$2.68 $2.68

-52.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.84 MX$89.0

$8.60 $8.60

-43.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.59 MX$250

$13.12 $13.12

3.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 MX$35.06

$2.56 $2.56

-25.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 MX$56.4

$4.04 $4.04

-24.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 MX$14.62

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.77 MX$584

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 MX$29.82

$3.58 $3.58

-54.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 MX$20.20

$1.53 $1.53

-28.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.97 MX$202

$35.18 $35.18

-68.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$27.98

$0.93 $0.93

63.44%

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

$21.4K MX$393.0K

$35.9K $35.9K

-40.42%

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

$25.5K MX$468.3K

$26.2K $26.2K

-2.82%

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

$120 MX$2,201

$151 $151

-20.56%

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

$27.08 MX$498

$71.1 $71.1

-61.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.70 MX$491

$48.43 $48.43

-44.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.15 MX$573

$27.71 $27.71

12.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.95 MX$404

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$94.5

$12.69 $12.69

-59.50%

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

$688 MX$12.6K

$1,535 $1,535

-55.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$210.1K

$10.2K $10.2K

12.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.9 MX$1,323

$57.3 $57.3

25.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.30 MX$796

$43.31 $43.31

-0.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$2,062

$86.8 $86.8

29.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,240

$118 $118

3.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$957 MX$17.6K

$1,073 $1,073

-10.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$670 MX$12.3K

$909 $909

-26.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 MX$34.7K

$1,549 $1,549

21.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,305 MX$24.0K

$1,439 $1,439

-9.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,159 MX$76.5K

$1,465 $1,465

183.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,437 MX$44.8K

$1,431 $1,431

70.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,133 MX$20.8K

$3,795 $3,795

-70.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.79

194.75%

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

Last update for Monterrey: October 4, 2026

Last update for Houma, LA: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Monterrey

$670 41.4%

Houma, LA

$909 44% 35.7% $239

Groceries & Markets

Monterrey

$312 19.3%

Houma, LA

$380 18.4% 21.6% $67

Eating Out

Monterrey

$224 13.8%

Houma, LA

$306 14.8% 36.8% $82

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monterrey

$174 10.7%

Houma, LA

$270 13.1% 55.7% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Monterrey

$157 9.7%

Houma, LA

$137 6.7% 12.6% $20

Getting Around

Monterrey

$42 2.6%

Houma, LA

$11 * 0.5% 73.4% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Monterrey

$41 2.6%

Houma, LA

$53 2.6% 28.1% $12

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $957 in Monterrey versus $1,073 in Houma, LA. 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 235% higher in Houma, LA, 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 $51.0 in Houma, LA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $312 vs $380 – making Monterrey the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🇺🇸 Houma, LA

🕒 Local time

01:08 1:08 AM

02:08 2:08 AM

1 h ahead of Monterrey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,142,994

32,657

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.44 USD

100 MXN = 4.85 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 11, 2026: 1 USD = 18.39 MXN (100 MXN = 5.44 USD). 1 EUR = 20.61 MXN (100 MXN = 4.85 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 11, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Monterrey Houma, LA 1,040 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Monterrey
Houma, LA

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 Houma, LA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Houma, LA is pricier by about 28%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,411 per month in Monterrey and $3,088 in Houma, LA. 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 $1,607 in Monterrey and $2,059 in Houma, LA. That's a gap of about 28%.

Kindergarten costs $688 per month in Monterrey and $1,535 in Houma, LA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Monterrey, where all-in costs run around $1,607, than in Houma, LA at $2,059. In Monterrey it covers expenses comfortably, while in Houma, LA 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, Houma, LA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.