Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Jonesboro, AR

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,607 a month against $2,154 in Jonesboro, AR, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 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
103

Cost of Living Index in Jonesboro, AR
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Jonesboro, AR Living Index

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Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,607

/mo nomad

Jonesboro, AR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,154

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in Jonesboro, 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 Jonesboro, AR actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,607 in Monterrey versus $2,154 in Jonesboro, AR.

Monterrey $1,607
Jonesboro, AR $2,154

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,512 in Monterrey versus $2,995 in Jonesboro, AR.

Monterrey $2,512
Jonesboro, AR $2,995

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,417 in Monterrey versus $3,836 in Jonesboro, AR.

Monterrey $3,417
Jonesboro, AR $3,836

Living in Monterrey costs roughly 25% less than in Jonesboro, AR, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Monterrey 20% above, Jonesboro, AR 61% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.75 MX$253

$27.74 $27.74

-50.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.2 MX$923

$59.9 $59.9

-16.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.13 MX$205

$10.48 $10.48

6.20%

Cappuccino

$4.04 MX$74.3

$4.98 $4.98

-18.88%

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

$1.70 MX$31.33

$2.29 $2.29

-25.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 MX$18.19

$1.81 $1.81

-45.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 MX$44.27

$4.42 $4.42

-45.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 MX$82.5

$6.66 $6.66

-32.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 MX$35.36

$1.09 $1.09

76.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 MX$53.2

$3.40 $3.40

-15.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$35.72

$2.17 $2.17

-10.60%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$45.97

$3.71 $3.71

-32.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.30 MX$226

$8.69 $8.69

41.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.33 MX$172

$8.73 $8.73

6.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.07 MX$240

$11.27 $11.27

15.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 MX$62.2

$4.38 $4.38

-22.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$29.07

$1.14 $1.14

38.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$40.51

$3.00 $3.00

-26.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$44.96

$3.80 $3.80

-35.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$41.54

$1.64 $1.64

37.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.74 MX$50.4

$2.45 $2.45

11.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 MX$28.13

$1.77 $1.77

-13.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 MX$23.19

$1.99 $1.99

-36.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.84 MX$89.0

$8.09 $8.09

-40.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.59 MX$250

$13.38 $13.38

1.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 MX$35.06

$1.81 $1.81

5.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 MX$56.4

$3.88 $3.88

-21.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 MX$14.62

$1.11 $1.11

-27.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.77 MX$584

$30.35 $30.35

4.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 MX$29.82

$3.04 $3.04

-46.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 MX$20.20

$1.39 $1.39

-20.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.97 MX$202

$27.60 $27.60

-60.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$27.98

$0.86 $0.86

76.74%

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

$21.4K MX$393.0K

$32.2K $32.2K

-33.66%

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

$25.5K MX$468.3K

$26.5K $26.5K

-3.92%

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

$120 MX$2,201

$226 $226

-47.01%

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

$27.08 MX$498

$46.16 $46.16

-41.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.70 MX$491

$73.5 $73.5

-63.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.15 MX$573

$39.95 $39.95

-22.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.95 MX$404

$10.76 $10.76

104.00%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$94.5

$11.86 $11.86

-56.66%

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

$688 MX$12.6K

$758 $758

-9.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$210.1K

$8,352 $8,352

36.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.9 MX$1,323

$62.3 $62.3

15.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.30 MX$796

$37.27 $37.27

16.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$2,062

$77.3 $77.3

45.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,240

$106 $106

14.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$957 MX$17.6K

$1,131 $1,131

-15.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$670 MX$12.3K

$856 $856

-21.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 MX$34.7K

$1,387 $1,387

36.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,305 MX$24.0K

$1,169 $1,169

11.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,159 MX$76.5K

$1,558 $1,558

166.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,437 MX$44.8K

$1,547 $1,547

57.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,133 MX$20.8K

$3,335 $3,335

-66.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.79

6.36

85.38%

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

Last update for Monterrey: October 4, 2026

Last update for Jonesboro, AR: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Monterrey

$670 41.4%

Jonesboro, AR

$856 40.4% 27.7% $185

Groceries & Markets

Monterrey

$312 19.3%

Jonesboro, AR

$316 14.9% 1.1% $3.6

Eating Out

Monterrey

$224 13.8%

Jonesboro, AR

$365 17.2% 63.1% $141

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monterrey

$174 10.7%

Jonesboro, AR

$346 16.3% 99.2% $172

Clothing & Footwear

Monterrey

$157 9.7%

Jonesboro, AR

$127 6% 18.9% $30

Getting Around

Monterrey

$42 2.6%

Jonesboro, AR

$45 2.1% 6.5% $2.7

Sport & Entertainment

Monterrey

$41 2.6%

Jonesboro, AR

$64 3% 53.7% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $957 in Monterrey and $1,131 in Jonesboro, AR. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jonesboro, AR pays 194% 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 $60.0 in Jonesboro, AR for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $312 vs $316 per month, with Monterrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🇺🇸 Jonesboro, AR

🕒 Local time

02:48 2:48 AM

03:48 3:48 AM

1 h ahead of Monterrey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,142,994

78,576

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

Monterrey Jonesboro, AR 1,450 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Monterrey
Jonesboro, 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 Jonesboro, AR: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 34% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 194% lower in Jonesboro, AR. 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: $957 in Monterrey versus $1,131 in Jonesboro, AR. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,607 per month in Monterrey versus $2,154 in Jonesboro, AR – a 34% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Monterrey runs roughly 5% less than in Jonesboro, AR. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,607 in Monterrey versus $2,154 in Jonesboro, AR, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Monterrey but tight or insufficient in Jonesboro, AR. 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 Jonesboro, AR, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Monterrey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Jonesboro, AR. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.