Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and La Crosse, WI

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,599 a month against $2,200 in La Crosse, WI, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 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
106

Cost of Living Index in La Crosse, WI
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La Crosse, WI Living Index

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Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,599

/mo nomad

La Crosse, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,200

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in La Crosse, WI

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 La Crosse, WI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,599 per month in Monterrey vs $2,200 in La Crosse, WI, rent included.

Monterrey $1,599
La Crosse, WI $2,200

A couple spends around $2,493 per month in Monterrey vs $3,364 in La Crosse, WI, rent included.

Monterrey $2,493
La Crosse, WI $3,364

A family of three spends $3,387 per month in Monterrey vs $4,528 in La Crosse, WI, rent included.

Monterrey $3,387
La Crosse, WI $4,528

Monterrey is about 27% cheaper than La Crosse, WI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Monterrey and La Crosse, WI sit above the global median – Monterrey by 18%, La Crosse, WI by 62%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.80 MX$255

$14.80 $14.80

-6.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.99 MX$887

$70.6 $70.6

-31.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$197

$11.19 $11.19

-4.83%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$73.7

$5.77 $5.77

-30.85%

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

$1.66 MX$30.76

$2.13 $2.13

-22.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 MX$18.21

$1.18 $1.18

-16.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 MX$43.64

$4.60 $4.60

-48.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 MX$81.8

$5.97 $5.97

-25.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 MX$33.58

$0.68 $0.68

167.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.83 MX$52.4

$2.43 $2.43

16.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.44

$4.72 $4.72

-59.32%

Eggs

$2.48 MX$45.78

$2.47 $2.47

0.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.74 MX$217

$10.08 $10.08

16.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.10 MX$168

$10.71 $10.71

-15.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.53 MX$232

$16.63 $16.63

-24.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.34 MX$61.6

$5.02 $5.02

-33.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$29.10

$1.10 $1.10

42.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.16 MX$39.86

$3.05 $3.05

-29.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 MX$45.65

$5.21 $5.21

-52.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$42.64

$2.05 $2.05

12.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.68 MX$49.47

$2.28 $2.28

17.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$26.90

$1.95 $1.95

-25.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$22.07

$1.80 $1.80

-33.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.75 MX$87.8

$9.83 $9.83

-51.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.58 MX$251

$10.94 $10.94

24.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 MX$35.52

$1.83 $1.83

4.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$53.2

$1.97 $1.97

46.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 MX$14.66

$0.97 $0.97

-18.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.36 MX$579

$35.06 $35.06

-10.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.59 MX$29.44

$3.41 $3.41

-53.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 MX$19.58

$1.89 $1.89

-43.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.80 MX$200

$44.31 $44.31

-75.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$28.59

$0.88 $0.88

76.14%

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

$24.2K MX$446.4K

$32.9K $32.9K

-26.52%

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

$24.3K MX$449.4K

$24.7K $24.7K

-1.71%

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

$117 MX$2,159

$204 $204

-42.86%

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

$26.38 MX$488

$54.7 $54.7

-51.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.04 MX$481

$66.7 $66.7

-60.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.26 MX$559

$39.29 $39.29

-22.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.25 MX$393

$4.03 $4.03

427.30%

Cinema Ticket

$5.23 MX$96.6

$11.84 $11.84

-55.83%

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

$673 MX$12.4K

$892 $892

-24.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K MX$205.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.1 MX$1,332

$63.6 $63.6

13.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.38 MX$783

$63.8 $63.8

-33.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$2,066

$78.9 $78.9

41.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 MX$2,200

$122 $122

-2.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$949 MX$17.5K

$771 $771

23.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$666 MX$12.3K

$1,003 $1,003

-33.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,821 MX$33.7K

$2,226 $2,226

-18.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 MX$23.5K

$1,913 $1,913

-33.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,050 MX$74.8K

$2,011 $2,011

101.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,348 MX$43.4K

$1,969 $1,969

19.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,155 MX$21.3K

$4,043 $4,043

-71.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.79

6.63

77.83%

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

Last update for Monterrey: October 18, 2026

Last update for La Crosse, WI: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Monterrey

$666 41.7%

La Crosse, WI

$1K 45.6% 50.6% $337

Groceries & Markets

Monterrey

$304 19%

La Crosse, WI

$339 15.4% 11.2% $34

Eating Out

Monterrey

$221 13.9%

La Crosse, WI

$269 12.3% 21.7% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monterrey

$169 10.6%

La Crosse, WI

$326 14.8% 92.5% $157

Clothing & Footwear

Monterrey

$155 9.7%

La Crosse, WI

$148 6.7% 5% $7.8

Getting Around

Monterrey

$41 2.6%

La Crosse, WI

$52 2.4% 25.1% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Monterrey

$41 2.6%

La Crosse, WI

$63 2.9% 54.7% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $949 in Monterrey versus $771 in La Crosse, WI. 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 250% higher in La Crosse, WI, 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 $71.0 in La Crosse, WI. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $304 vs $339 – making Monterrey the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🇺🇸 La Crosse, WI

🕒 Local time

05:34 5:34 AM

06:34 6:34 AM

1 h ahead of Monterrey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,142,994

52,680

💱 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 20, 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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Monterrey La Crosse, WI 2,180 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Monterrey
La Crosse, WI

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 La Crosse, WI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,599 in Monterrey, $2,200 in La Crosse, WI – roughly 38% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,399 per month in Monterrey and $3,299 in La Crosse, WI. 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 11% more in La Crosse, WI, 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 $71.0 in La Crosse, WI. 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 La Crosse, WI at $2,200. In Monterrey it covers expenses comfortably, while in La Crosse, WI it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Monterrey has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,599 in Monterrey to $2,200 in La Crosse, WI. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, La Crosse, WI makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.