Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Iowa City, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,608 a month against $2,368 in Iowa City, IA, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index
114

Cost of Living Index in Iowa City, IA
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Iowa City, IA Living Index

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Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Iowa City, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,368

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in Iowa City, IA

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 Iowa City, IA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Monterrey versus $2,368 in Iowa City, IA.

Monterrey $1,608
Iowa City, IA $2,368

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,521 in Monterrey versus $3,367 in Iowa City, IA.

Monterrey $2,521
Iowa City, IA $3,367

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,433 in Monterrey versus $4,366 in Iowa City, IA.

Monterrey $3,433
Iowa City, IA $4,366

Living in Monterrey costs roughly 32% less than in Iowa City, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Monterrey 19% above, Iowa City, IA 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.85 MX$256

$14.24 $14.24

-2.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.70 MX$918

$68.1 $68.1

-27.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.05 MX$204

$8.74 $8.74

26.43%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$75.6

$5.78 $5.78

-29.24%

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

$1.68 MX$30.97

$2.76 $2.76

-39.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 MX$18.98

$2.17 $2.17

-52.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 MX$44.28

$4.90 $4.90

-51.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 MX$80.3

$6.80 $6.80

-36.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 MX$35.55

$0.83 $0.83

131.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 MX$54.2

$2.76 $2.76

6.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$34.66

$2.02 $2.02

-6.93%

Eggs

$2.55 MX$47.06

$3.60 $3.60

-29.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.84 MX$219

$9.51 $9.51

24.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 MX$173

$10.32 $10.32

-9.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 MX$242

$20.56 $20.56

-36.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 MX$62.5

$3.32 $3.32

1.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 MX$28.13

$1.23 $1.23

23.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.51

$2.75 $2.75

-20.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$43.63

$4.86 $4.86

-51.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$41.76

$2.03 $2.03

11.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.73 MX$50.5

$2.37 $2.37

15.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 MX$28.17

$1.70 $1.70

-10.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$22.90

$2.43 $2.43

-48.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.75 MX$87.8

$8.79 $8.79

-45.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.66 MX$252

$13.27 $13.27

2.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 MX$34.95

$1.77 $1.77

6.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 MX$55.2

$4.32 $4.32

-30.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 MX$15.78

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.95 MX$572

$15.96 $15.96

93.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 MX$30.98

$3.97 $3.97

-57.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 MX$20.87

$1.99 $1.99

-43.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.15 MX$206

$43.23 $43.23

-74.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 MX$28.91

$1.00 $1.00

56.00%

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

$21.4K MX$395.8K

$36.0K $36.0K

-40.57%

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

$25.1K MX$463.2K

$25.2K $25.2K

-0.69%

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

$119 MX$2,206

$266 $266

-55.04%

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

$26.21 MX$484

$53.3 $53.3

-50.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.78 MX$495

$81.9 $81.9

-67.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.03 MX$573

$48.68 $48.68

-36.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.43 MX$396

$19.82 $19.82

8.12%

Cinema Ticket

$5.29 MX$97.7

$13.74 $13.74

-61.50%

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

$691 MX$12.8K

$1,285 $1,285

-46.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K MX$212.1K

$23.7K $23.7K

-51.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.3 MX$1,335

$64.3 $64.3

12.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.72 MX$789

$50.1 $50.1

-14.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 MX$2,024

$101 $101

8.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,158

$113 $113

3.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$970 MX$17.9K

$1,179 $1,179

-17.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$664 MX$12.3K

$1,096 $1,096

-39.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,857 MX$34.3K

$2,297 $2,297

-19.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 MX$23.8K

$1,671 $1,671

-22.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,162 MX$76.9K

$3,825 $3,825

8.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,349 MX$43.4K

$1,963 $1,963

19.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,146 MX$21.2K

$3,701 $3,701

-69.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.79

6.45

82.79%

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

Last update for Monterrey: October 10, 2026

Last update for Iowa City, IA: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Monterrey

$664 41.3%

Iowa City, IA

$1.1K 46.3% 65.1% $432

Groceries & Markets

Monterrey

$310 19.3%

Iowa City, IA

$350 14.8% 12.8% $40

Eating Out

Monterrey

$225 14%

Iowa City, IA

$267 11.3% 19% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monterrey

$172 10.7%

Iowa City, IA

$401 16.9% 133% $228

Clothing & Footwear

Monterrey

$154 9.6%

Iowa City, IA

$148 6.2% 3.9% $6.1

Getting Around

Monterrey

$42 2.6%

Iowa City, IA

$30 * 1.3% 28.3% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Monterrey

$42 2.6%

Iowa City, IA

$76 3.2% 83% $35

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 $1,179 in Iowa City, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Iowa City, IA pays 223% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $50.0 in Monterrey vs $68.0 in Iowa City, IA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $310 vs $350 per month, with Monterrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🇺🇸 Iowa City, IA

🕒 Local time

13:54 1:54 PM

14:54 2:54 PM

1 h ahead of Monterrey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,142,994

74,828

💱 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 Iowa City, IA 1,950 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Monterrey
Iowa City, IA

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 Iowa City, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 47% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 223% lower in Iowa City, IA. 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 $1,179 in Iowa City, IA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Monterrey runs roughly 94% less than in Iowa City, IA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $691 in Monterrey versus $1,285 in Iowa City, IA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,608 in Monterrey versus $2,368 in Iowa City, IA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Monterrey but tight or insufficient in Iowa City, IA. The gap between the two cities makes Monterrey the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Monterrey is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Iowa City, IA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Monterrey and Iowa City, IA are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Monterrey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Iowa City, IA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.