Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Isla Mujeres Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Isla Mujeres

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,601 in Monterrey versus $1,099 in Isla Mujeres.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Monterrey versus $1,775 in Isla Mujeres.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,568 in Monterrey versus $2,452 in Isla Mujeres.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 46% more expensive than Isla Mujeres, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 20% above, Isla Mujeres is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.01 MX$227

$10.64 MX$186

22.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$939

$38.90 MX$679

38.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.21 MX$178

$7.85 MX$137

30.06%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$64.3

$3.25 MX$56.8

13.23%

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

$1.46 MX$25.54

$1.29 MX$22.59

13.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 MX$17.45

$0.96 MX$16.72

4.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 MX$47.07

$2.23 MX$39.02

21.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 MX$74.6

$4.00 MX$69.8

6.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 MX$29.09

$1.44 MX$25.11

15.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 MX$46.80

$2.59 MX$45.31

3.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.67

$1.61 MX$28.16

19.88%

Eggs

$2.63 MX$45.93

$2.39 MX$41.69

10.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.34 MX$181

$7.94 MX$139

30.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.22 MX$161

$7.90 MX$138

16.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.84 MX$242

$10.68 MX$186

29.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 MX$55.0

$2.71 MX$47.34

16.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 MX$24.24

$1.39 MX$24.28

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.92

$1.77 MX$30.95

12.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$37.39

$1.70 MX$29.74

25.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.57

$1.84 MX$32.20

23.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 MX$44.43

$2.02 MX$35.27

25.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 MX$27.35

$1.20 MX$21.03

30.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.67

$1.02 MX$17.86

4.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 MX$74.2

$4.08 MX$71.3

4.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.36 MX$251

$10.95 MX$191

31.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 MX$31.11

$1.60 MX$27.87

11.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 MX$54.9

$2.76 MX$48.24

13.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 MX$14.00

$0.62 MX$10.76

29.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.54 MX$708

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 MX$29.34

$2.64 MX$46.06

-36.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 MX$16.44

$1.54 MX$26.83

-38.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.76 MX$188

$8.24 MX$144

30.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 MX$23.91

$1.30 MX$22.75

5.38%

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

$26.7K MX$467.1K

$21.0K MX$366.0K

27.61%

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

$25.6K MX$446.8K

$22.7K MX$396.6K

12.65%

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

$122 MX$2,125

$55.9 MX$976

117.79%

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

$27.19 MX$475

$21.95 MX$383

23.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.82 MX$521

$27.75 MX$485

7.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.49 MX$672

$36.94 MX$645

4.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.46 MX$375

$16.11 MX$281

33.21%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 MX$103

$4.50 MX$78.6

31.56%

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

$346 MX$6,037

$209 MX$3,653

65.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,997 MX$157.1K

$3,540 MX$61.8K

154.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.4 MX$1,020

$52.5 MX$916

11.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.55 MX$743

$39.57 MX$691

7.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$1,910

$90.4 MX$1,579

21.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 MX$2,253

$78.0 MX$1,363

65.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$913 MX$15.9K

$504 MX$8,806

81.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$647 MX$11.3K

$404 MX$7,055

60.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,565 MX$27.3K

$946 MX$16.5K

65.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,401 MX$24.5K

$758 MX$13.2K

85.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,371 MX$76.3K

$1,784 MX$31.2K

145.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,839 MX$49.6K

$1,186 MX$20.7K

139.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,104 MX$19.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

11.48

0.61%

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

Last update for Monterrey: June 1, 2026

Last update for Isla Mujeres: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $913 in Monterrey and $504 in Isla Mujeres. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Monterrey vs $39.00 in Isla Mujeres for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $251 per month, with Isla Mujeres cheaper across the board.

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 Isla Mujeres: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey and Isla Mujeres differ by about 46% in total monthly costs ($1,601 vs $1,099 including rent). Isla Mujeres is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,402 in Monterrey and $1,648 in Isla Mujeres to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $913 in Monterrey versus $504 in Isla Mujeres. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Monterrey. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,601 per month in Monterrey versus $1,099 in Isla Mujeres – a 46% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,099 in Isla Mujeres versus $1,601 in Monterrey, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Isla Mujeres but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes Isla Mujeres the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Monterrey and Isla Mujeres 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 Isla Mujeres gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.