Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Kingston, Canada

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,641 a month against $2,288 in Kingston, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Monterrey, Mexico
Kingston, Canada
Monterrey
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,641
/mo nomad
Kingston
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,288
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in Kingston

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

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Monterrey vs $2,288 in Kingston, rent included.

  • Monterrey $1,641
  • Kingston $2,288

A couple spends around $2,573 per month in Monterrey vs $3,162 in Kingston, rent included.

  • Monterrey $2,573
  • Kingston $3,162

A family of three spends $3,504 per month in Monterrey vs $4,035 in Kingston, rent included.

  • Monterrey $3,504
  • Kingston $4,035

Monterrey is about 28% cheaper than Kingston, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Monterrey and Kingston sit above the global median – Monterrey by 21%, Kingston by 69%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Monterrey
Kingston
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.37 MX$250
$15.42 CA$21.69
-13.29%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.95 MX$897
$64.9 CA$91.3
-26.12%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.79 MX$202
$10.67 CA$15.00
1.12%
Cappuccino
$3.77 MX$70.4
$3.42 CA$4.81
10.23%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.51 MX$28.26
$2.14 CA$3.00
-29.44%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.03 MX$19.25
$1.34 CA$1.89
-23.13%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.48 MX$46.41
$5.68 CA$7.99
-56.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.36 MX$81.5
$5.94 CA$8.35
-26.60%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Monterrey
Kingston
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.89 MX$35.43
$2.20 CA$3.10
-14.09%
White Bread (500g)
$2.85 MX$53.3
$2.59 CA$3.64
10.04%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.86 MX$34.71
$3.08 CA$4.33
-39.61%
Eggs
$2.47 MX$46.12
$2.95 CA$4.14
-16.27%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.81 MX$221
$10.55 CA$14.84
11.94%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.97 MX$168
$11.89 CA$16.72
-24.56%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.57 MX$235
$11.70 CA$16.45
7.44%
Apples (1kg)
$3.20 MX$59.8
$2.94 CA$4.14
8.84%
Banana (1kg)
$1.50 MX$28.12
$1.21 CA$1.71
23.97%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.12 MX$39.74
$3.64 CA$5.12
-41.76%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.33 MX$43.64
$3.83 CA$5.39
-39.16%
Potato (1kg)
$2.22 MX$41.58
$2.92 CA$4.10
-23.97%
Onion (1kg)
$2.58 MX$48.34
$2.44 CA$3.43
5.74%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.45 MX$27.04
$2.17 CA$3.05
-33.18%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.22 MX$22.85
$1.62 CA$2.28
-24.69%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.80 MX$89.7
$14.14 CA$19.88
-66.05%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.30 MX$249
$12.65 CA$17.79
5.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.93 MX$36.14
$2.36 CA$3.31
-18.22%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.86 MX$53.4
$2.94 CA$4.13
-2.72%
🚌 Getting Around
Monterrey
Kingston
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.80 MX$14.94
$2.52 CA$3.54
-68.25%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$30.94 MX$579
$57.5 CA$80.9
-46.19%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.83 MX$34.28
$3.24 CA$4.56
-43.52%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.06 MX$19.78
$1.62 CA$2.27
-34.57%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.82 MX$202
$31.10 CA$43.74
-65.21%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 MX$27.54
$1.15 CA$1.61
27.83%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.1K MX$450.4K
$27.8K CA$39.1K
-13.36%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K MX$440.2K
$21.3K CA$30.0K
10.26%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Monterrey
Kingston
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$115 MX$2,144
$130 CA$182
-11.51%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.37 MX$493
$38.57 CA$54.2
-31.63%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$25.70 MX$481
$62.9 CA$88.4
-59.13%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Monterrey
Kingston
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$30.53 MX$571
$26.77 CA$37.65
14.05%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.27 MX$398
$8.92 CA$12.55
138.45%
Cinema Ticket
$4.96 MX$92.8
$10.85 CA$15.26
-54.29%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Monterrey
Kingston
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$679 MX$12.7K
$522 CA$734
29.99%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.2K MX$265.3K
$12.2K CA$17.2K
16.05%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Monterrey
Kingston
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$72.2 MX$1,350
$53.9 CA$75.8
33.98%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.94 MX$784
$32.28 CA$45.39
29.93%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$107 MX$2,011
$81.1 CA$114
32.56%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 MX$2,219
$84.6 CA$119
40.28%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Monterrey
Kingston
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,018 MX$19.0K
$1,468 CA$2,064
-30.67%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$722 MX$13.5K
$1,227 CA$1,726
-41.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,966 MX$36.8K
$2,338 CA$3,288
-15.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,416 MX$26.5K
$1,646 CA$2,315
-14.01%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,203 MX$78.6K
$3,407 CA$4,792
23.35%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,782 MX$52.0K
$2,550 CA$3,586
9.09%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Monterrey
Kingston
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,096 MX$20.5K
$3,098 CA$4,356
-64.63%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.79
4.61
155.75%

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

Last update for Monterrey: November 2, 2026

Last update for Kingston: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Monterrey
$722
Kingston
$1.2K 70.1% $506
Groceries & Markets
Monterrey
$302
Kingston
$339 12.1% $37
Eating Out
Monterrey
$216
Kingston
$251 16.1% $35
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Monterrey
$167
Kingston
$231 38.6% $64
Clothing & Footwear
Monterrey
$153
Kingston
$113 26% $40
Getting Around
Monterrey
$41
Kingston
$79 91.2% $38
Sport & Entertainment
Monterrey
$40
Kingston
$48 19.9% $8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,018 in Monterrey versus $1,468 in Kingston. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Kingston are about 2.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Monterrey versus $65 in Kingston. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $302 vs $339 – making Monterrey the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Monterrey
🇨🇦 Kingston
🕒 Local time
20:58 8:58 PM
21:58 9:58 PM
1 h ahead of Monterrey
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,142,994
123,363
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 18.7 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 20.9 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.711 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.636 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Monterrey Kingston 2,970 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Monterrey
  • Kingston

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 Kingston: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Monterrey and in Kingston compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,641 in Monterrey, $2,288 in Kingston – Monterrey comes out roughly 28% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.
What salary covers living expenses in Monterrey compared to Kingston?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,461 per month in Monterrey and $3,432 in Kingston. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Monterrey and Kingston?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Monterrey, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,018 there versus $1,468 in Kingston.
Which city is more expensive overall: Monterrey or Kingston?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,641 in Monterrey and $2,288 in Kingston. That makes Monterrey about 28% cheaper.
How do commuting costs compare in Monterrey and in Kingston?
Public transport costs about 46% less in Monterrey. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
How far does $3,000 go in Monterrey compared to Kingston?
$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,641 in Monterrey and $2,288 in Kingston, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
How does quality of life compare between Monterrey and Kingston?
It depends on your priorities. Monterrey has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,641 in Monterrey to $2,288 in Kingston. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How do I decide between Monterrey and Kingston?
If budget matters most, go with Monterrey. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Kingston makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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