Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Las Tablas

For one person, living is cheaper in Las Tablas: $458 a month against $1,608 in Monterrey, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index

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Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Las Tablas

🇵🇦 Panama

$458

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in Las Tablas

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

A single person spends $1,608 per month in Monterrey vs $458 in Las Tablas, rent included.

Monterrey $1,608
Las Tablas $458

A couple spends around $2,521 per month in Monterrey vs $680 in Las Tablas, rent included.

Monterrey $2,521
Las Tablas $680

A family of three spends $3,433 per month in Monterrey vs $902 in Las Tablas, rent included.

Monterrey $3,433
Las Tablas $902

Monterrey costs about 251% more than Las Tablas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Monterrey sits 19% above the global median, while Las Tablas is 66% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.85 MX$256

$9.99 PAB 9.99

38.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.70 MX$918

$29.72 PAB 29.72

67.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.05 MX$204

$8.34 PAB 8.34

32.49%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$75.6

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

$1.68 MX$30.97

$0.99 PAB 0.99

69.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 MX$18.98

$1.03 PAB 1.03

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 MX$44.28

$1.24 PAB 1.24

93.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 MX$80.3

$2.69 PAB 2.69

61.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 MX$35.55

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 MX$54.2

$1.93 PAB 1.93

52.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$34.66

Eggs

$2.55 MX$47.06

$2.11 PAB 2.11

20.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.84 MX$219

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 MX$173

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 MX$242

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 MX$62.5

$4.34 PAB 4.34

-22.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 MX$28.13

$1.26 PAB 1.26

20.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.51

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$43.63

$1.55 PAB 1.55

52.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$41.76

Onion (1kg)

$2.73 MX$50.5

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 MX$28.17

$1.24 PAB 1.24

22.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$22.90

$1.03 PAB 1.03

20.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.75 MX$87.8

Wine (Bottle)

$13.66 MX$252

$5.68 PAB 5.68

140.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 MX$34.95

$1.31 PAB 1.31

44.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 MX$55.2

$1.72 PAB 1.72

73.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 MX$15.78

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.95 MX$572

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 MX$30.98

$0.99 PAB 0.99

69.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 MX$20.87

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.15 MX$206

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 MX$28.91

$0.89 PAB 0.89

75.28%

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

$21.4K MX$395.8K

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

$25.1K MX$463.2K

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

$119 MX$2,206

$149 PAB 149

-19.83%

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

$26.21 MX$484

$22.86 PAB 22.86

14.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.78 MX$495

$37.04 PAB 37.04

-27.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.03 MX$573

$19.94 PAB 19.94

55.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.43 MX$396

Cinema Ticket

$5.29 MX$97.7

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

$691 MX$12.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K MX$212.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.3 MX$1,335

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.72 MX$789

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 MX$2,024

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,158

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$970 MX$17.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$664 MX$12.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,857 MX$34.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 MX$23.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,162 MX$76.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,349 MX$43.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,146 MX$21.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.79

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

Last update for Monterrey: October 10, 2026

Last update for Las Tablas: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Monterrey

$664 41.3%

Las Tablas

–

Groceries & Markets

Monterrey

$310 19.3%

Las Tablas

–

Eating Out

Monterrey

$225 14%

Las Tablas

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monterrey

$172 10.7%

Las Tablas

–

Clothing & Footwear

Monterrey

$154 9.6%

Las Tablas

–

Getting Around

Monterrey

$42 2.6%

Las Tablas

–

Sport & Entertainment

Monterrey

$42 2.6%

Las Tablas

–

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Monterrey versus $30.00 in Las Tablas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $310 vs $103 – making Las Tablas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🇵🇦 Las Tablas

🕒 Local time

06:35 6:35 AM

07:35 7:35 AM

1 h ahead of Monterrey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,142,994

8,939

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PAB, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

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).

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.89 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Monterrey Las Tablas 2,910 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Monterrey
Las Tablas

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 Las Tablas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey costs about 251% more than Las Tablas, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,412 per month in Monterrey and $687 in Las Tablas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,608 in Monterrey and $458 in Las Tablas. That's a gap of about 251%.

Groceries cost about 200% more in Monterrey, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Las Tablas, where all-in costs run around $458, than in Monterrey at $1,608. In Las Tablas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Monterrey it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Las Tablas costs $458 versus $1,608 in Monterrey. 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 Las Tablas. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Monterrey makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.