Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Jackson, MS

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,608 a month against $2,445 in Jackson, MS, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Monterrey
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,608
/mo nomad
Jackson, MS
🇺🇸 United States
$2,445
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in Jackson, MS

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 Jackson, MS actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,608 per month in Monterrey vs $2,445 in Jackson, MS, rent included.

  • Monterrey $1,608
  • Jackson, MS $2,445

A couple spends around $2,521 per month in Monterrey vs $3,524 in Jackson, MS, rent included.

  • Monterrey $2,521
  • Jackson, MS $3,524

A family of three spends $3,433 per month in Monterrey vs $4,603 in Jackson, MS, rent included.

  • Monterrey $3,433
  • Jackson, MS $4,603

Monterrey is about 34% cheaper than Jackson, MS, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Monterrey and Jackson, MS sit above the global median – Monterrey by 19%, Jackson, MS by 81%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Monterrey
Jackson, MS
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.85 MX$256
$17.22 $17.22
-19.57%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$49.70 MX$918
$60.0 $60.0
-17.14%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.05 MX$204
$9.29 $9.29
18.95%
Cappuccino
$4.09 MX$75.6
$4.12 $4.12
-0.73%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68 MX$30.97
$1.64 $1.64
2.44%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.03 MX$18.98
$1.65 $1.65
-37.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.40 MX$44.28
$4.11 $4.11
-41.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.35 MX$80.3
$4.05 $4.05
7.41%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Monterrey
Jackson, MS
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.92 MX$35.55
$0.98 $0.98
95.92%
White Bread (500g)
$2.94 MX$54.2
$3.08 $3.08
-4.55%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.88 MX$34.66
$4.16 $4.16
-54.81%
Eggs
$2.55 MX$47.06
$3.77 $3.77
-32.36%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.84 MX$219
$8.11 $8.11
45.99%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.36 MX$173
$11.22 $11.22
-16.58%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.10 MX$242
$7.12 $7.12
83.99%
Apples (1kg)
$3.38 MX$62.5
$5.50 $5.50
-38.55%
Banana (1kg)
$1.52 MX$28.13
$1.08 $1.08
40.74%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.19 MX$40.51
$1.45 $1.45
51.03%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.36 MX$43.63
$4.80 $4.80
-50.83%
Potato (1kg)
$2.26 MX$41.76
$3.23 $3.23
-30.03%
Onion (1kg)
$2.73 MX$50.5
$1.94 $1.94
40.72%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.52 MX$28.17
$1.52 $1.52
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 MX$22.90
$2.18 $2.18
-43.12%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.75 MX$87.8
$7.70 $7.70
-38.31%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.66 MX$252
$13.16 $13.16
3.80%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.89 MX$34.95
$1.70 $1.70
11.18%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.99 MX$55.2
$1.65 $1.65
81.21%
🚌 Getting Around
Monterrey
Jackson, MS
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.85 MX$15.78
$4.11 $4.11
-79.32%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$30.95 MX$572
$123 $123
-74.83%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.68 MX$30.98
$2.01 $2.01
-16.42%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.13 MX$20.87
$1.35 $1.35
-16.30%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.15 MX$206
$19.04 $19.04
-41.44%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.56 MX$28.91
$0.99 $0.99
57.58%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.4K MX$395.8K
$35.1K $35.1K
-38.90%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.1K MX$463.2K
$26.6K $26.6K
-5.71%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Monterrey
Jackson, MS
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$119 MX$2,206
$184 $184
-34.97%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.21 MX$484
$69.1 $69.1
-62.06%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$26.78 MX$495
$74.2 $74.2
-63.92%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Monterrey
Jackson, MS
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$31.03 MX$573
$64.3 $64.3
-51.70%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.43 MX$396
$16.27 $16.27
31.71%
Cinema Ticket
$5.29 MX$97.7
$12.94 $12.94
-59.12%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Monterrey
Jackson, MS
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$691 MX$12.8K
$599 $599
15.42%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.5K MX$212.1K
$25.1K $25.1K
-54.24%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Monterrey
Jackson, MS
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$72.3 MX$1,335
$47.45 $47.45
52.27%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.72 MX$789
$22.91 $22.91
86.47%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$110 MX$2,024
$83.2 $83.2
31.60%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$117 MX$2,158
$117 $117
-0.16%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Monterrey
Jackson, MS
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$970 MX$17.9K
$955 $955
1.48%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$664 MX$12.3K
$1,179 $1,179
-43.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,857 MX$34.3K
$2,258 $2,258
-17.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,287 MX$23.8K
$1,885 $1,885
-31.69%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,162 MX$76.9K
$1,568 $1,568
165.37%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,349 MX$43.4K
$1,571 $1,571
49.56%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Monterrey
Jackson, MS
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,146 MX$21.2K
$2,764 $2,764
-58.52%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.79
6.18
90.78%

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

Last update for Monterrey: October 10, 2026

Last update for Jackson, MS: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Monterrey
$664
Jackson, MS
$1.2K 77.6% $515
Groceries & Markets
Monterrey
$310
Jackson, MS
$322 3.6% $11
Eating Out
Monterrey
$225
Jackson, MS
$257 14.4% $32
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Monterrey
$172
Jackson, MS
$327 89.6% $155
Clothing & Footwear
Monterrey
$154
Jackson, MS
$122 20.7% $32
Getting Around
Monterrey
$42
Jackson, MS
$148 256% $106
Sport & Entertainment
Monterrey
$42
Jackson, MS
$90 117% $49

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $970 in Monterrey versus $955 in Jackson, MS. 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 141% higher in Jackson, MS, 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 $60.0 in Jackson, MS. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $310 vs $322 – making Monterrey the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Monterrey
🇺🇸 Jackson, MS
🕒 Local time
12:28 12:28 PM
13:28 1:28 PM
1 h ahead of Monterrey
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,142,994
153,701
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Monterrey Jackson, MS 1,230 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Monterrey
  • Jackson, MS

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 Jackson, MS: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Monterrey or Jackson, MS?
Jackson, MS costs about 52% more than Monterrey, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Monterrey and in Jackson, MS?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,412 per month in Monterrey and $3,667 in Jackson, MS. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Monterrey or Jackson, MS?
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.
How do childcare costs compare in Monterrey and in Jackson, MS?
Kindergarten costs $691 per month in Monterrey and $599 in Jackson, MS. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Monterrey or in Jackson, MS?
Groceries cost about 4% more in Jackson, MS, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Can you live on $3,000/month in Monterrey or in Jackson, MS?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Monterrey, where all-in costs run around $1,608, than in Jackson, MS at $2,445. In Monterrey it covers expenses comfortably, while in Jackson, MS it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Monterrey or Jackson, MS?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Monterrey costs $1,608 versus $2,445 in Jackson, MS. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Monterrey compared to Jackson, MS?
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.
Should I move to Monterrey or to Jackson, MS?
If budget matters most, go with Monterrey. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Jackson, MS makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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