Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Katy, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,599 a month against $2,431 in Katy, TX, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index
118

Cost of Living Index in Katy, TX
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Katy, TX Living Index

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Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,599

/mo nomad

Katy, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,431

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in Katy, TX

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 Katy, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,599 per month in Monterrey vs $2,431 in Katy, TX, rent included.

Monterrey $1,599
Katy, TX $2,431

A couple spends around $2,493 per month in Monterrey vs $3,672 in Katy, TX, rent included.

Monterrey $2,493
Katy, TX $3,672

A family of three spends $3,387 per month in Monterrey vs $4,913 in Katy, TX, rent included.

Monterrey $3,387
Katy, TX $4,913

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

Both Monterrey and Katy, TX sit above the global median – Monterrey by 18%, Katy, TX by 79%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.80 MX$255

$16.86 $16.86

-18.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.99 MX$887

$60.5 $60.5

-20.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$197

$8.79 $8.79

21.16%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$73.7

$3.58 $3.58

11.45%

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

$1.66 MX$30.76

$2.05 $2.05

-19.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 MX$18.21

$2.06 $2.06

-51.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 MX$43.64

$3.94 $3.94

-40.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 MX$81.8

$5.46 $5.46

-18.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 MX$33.58

$0.91 $0.91

100.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.83 MX$52.4

$3.66 $3.66

-22.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.44

$2.98 $2.98

-35.57%

Eggs

$2.48 MX$45.78

$3.08 $3.08

-19.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.74 MX$217

$12.77 $12.77

-8.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.10 MX$168

$9.27 $9.27

-1.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.53 MX$232

$16.07 $16.07

-22.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.34 MX$61.6

$3.77 $3.77

-11.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$29.10

$1.23 $1.23

27.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.16 MX$39.86

$2.97 $2.97

-27.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 MX$45.65

$3.15 $3.15

-21.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$42.64

$2.10 $2.10

10.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.68 MX$49.47

$2.35 $2.35

14.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$26.90

$1.77 $1.77

-17.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$22.07

$1.24 $1.24

-4.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.75 MX$87.8

$9.77 $9.77

-51.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.58 MX$251

$12.36 $12.36

9.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 MX$35.52

$1.75 $1.75

9.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$53.2

$1.63 $1.63

76.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 MX$14.66

$4.59 $4.59

-82.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.36 MX$579

$91.0 $91.0

-65.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.59 MX$29.44

$2.80 $2.80

-43.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 MX$19.58

$1.58 $1.58

-32.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.80 MX$200

$34.39 $34.39

-68.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$28.59

$0.82 $0.82

89.02%

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

$24.2K MX$446.4K

$32.5K $32.5K

-25.68%

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

$24.3K MX$449.4K

$24.6K $24.6K

-0.95%

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

$117 MX$2,159

$226 $226

-48.38%

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

$26.38 MX$488

$57.4 $57.4

-54.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.04 MX$481

$70.7 $70.7

-63.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.26 MX$559

$30.38 $30.38

-0.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.25 MX$393

$25.12 $25.12

-15.41%

Cinema Ticket

$5.23 MX$96.6

$11.93 $11.93

-56.16%

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

$673 MX$12.4K

$1,004 $1,004

-32.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K MX$205.2K

$19.3K $19.3K

-42.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.1 MX$1,332

$52.6 $52.6

36.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.38 MX$783

$43.11 $43.11

-1.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$2,066

$86.8 $86.8

28.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 MX$2,200

$104 $104

14.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$949 MX$17.5K

$1,594 $1,594

-40.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$666 MX$12.3K

$1,196 $1,196

-44.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,821 MX$33.7K

$2,601 $2,601

-29.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 MX$23.5K

$2,268 $2,268

-43.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,050 MX$74.8K

$2,028 $2,028

99.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,348 MX$43.4K

$1,693 $1,693

38.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,155 MX$21.3K

$5,760 $5,760

-79.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.79

6.41

83.93%

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

Last update for Monterrey: October 18, 2026

Last update for Katy, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Monterrey

$666 41.7%

Katy, TX

$1.2K 49.2% 79.5% $530

Groceries & Markets

Monterrey

$304 19%

Katy, TX

$326 13.4% 7.1% $22

Eating Out

Monterrey

$221 13.9%

Katy, TX

$251 10.3% 13.5% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monterrey

$169 10.6%

Katy, TX

$354 14.6% 109% $185

Clothing & Footwear

Monterrey

$155 9.7%

Katy, TX

$129 5.3% 17.1% $27

Getting Around

Monterrey

$41 2.6%

Katy, TX

$120 4.9% 190% $79

Sport & Entertainment

Monterrey

$41 2.6%

Katy, TX

$54 2.2% 33.3% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $949 in Monterrey versus $1,594 in Katy, TX. 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 399% higher in Katy, TX, 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 $48.00 in Monterrey versus $61.0 in Katy, TX. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $304 vs $326 – making Monterrey the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🇺🇸 Katy, TX

🕒 Local time

18:08 6:08 PM

19:08 7:08 PM

1 h ahead of Monterrey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,142,994

14,102

💱 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 21, 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 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Monterrey Katy, TX 640 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Monterrey
Katy, TX

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 Katy, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Katy, TX 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,399 per month in Monterrey and $3,646 in Katy, TX. 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.

Groceries cost about 7% more in Katy, TX, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Monterrey and $61.0 in Katy, TX. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Monterrey, where all-in costs run around $1,599, than in Katy, TX at $2,431. In Monterrey it covers expenses comfortably, while in Katy, TX it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Monterrey costs $1,599 versus $2,431 in Katy, TX. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Katy, TX makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.