Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Libertyville, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,599 a month against $2,530 in Libertyville, IL, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Monterrey
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,599
/mo nomad
Libertyville, IL
🇺🇸 United States
$2,530
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in Libertyville, IL

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,599 in Monterrey versus $2,530 in Libertyville, IL.

  • Monterrey $1,599
  • Libertyville, IL $2,530

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,493 in Monterrey versus $3,759 in Libertyville, IL.

  • Monterrey $2,493
  • Libertyville, IL $3,759

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,387 in Monterrey versus $4,987 in Libertyville, IL.

  • Monterrey $3,387
  • Libertyville, IL $4,987

Living in Monterrey costs roughly 37% less than in Libertyville, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Monterrey 18% above, Libertyville, IL 87% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Monterrey
Libertyville, IL
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.80 MX$255
$15.12 $15.12
-8.73%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.99 MX$887
$55.2 $55.2
-13.01%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.65 MX$197
$10.12 $10.12
5.24%
Cappuccino
$3.99 MX$73.7
$4.45 $4.45
-10.34%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.66 MX$30.76
$2.27 $2.27
-26.87%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.99 MX$18.21
$2.31 $2.31
-57.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.36 MX$43.64
$4.39 $4.39
-46.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.43 MX$81.8
$6.09 $6.09
-27.26%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Monterrey
Libertyville, IL
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.82 MX$33.58
$0.77 $0.77
136.36%
White Bread (500g)
$2.83 MX$52.4
$3.08 $3.08
-8.12%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.92 MX$35.44
$4.50 $4.50
-57.33%
Eggs
$2.48 MX$45.78
$4.82 $4.82
-48.55%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.74 MX$217
$11.30 $11.30
3.89%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.10 MX$168
$9.58 $9.58
-5.01%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.53 MX$232
$21.81 $21.81
-42.55%
Apples (1kg)
$3.34 MX$61.6
$6.03 $6.03
-44.61%
Banana (1kg)
$1.57 MX$29.10
$1.13 $1.13
38.94%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.16 MX$39.86
$4.55 $4.55
-52.53%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.47 MX$45.65
$5.76 $5.76
-57.12%
Potato (1kg)
$2.31 MX$42.64
$3.62 $3.62
-36.19%
Onion (1kg)
$2.68 MX$49.47
$4.26 $4.26
-37.09%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.46 MX$26.90
$2.34 $2.34
-37.61%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.19 MX$22.07
$1.28 $1.28
-7.03%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.75 MX$87.8
$11.33 $11.33
-58.08%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.58 MX$251
$12.13 $12.13
11.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.92 MX$35.52
$2.05 $2.05
-6.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.88 MX$53.2
$3.48 $3.48
-17.24%
🚌 Getting Around
Monterrey
Libertyville, IL
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.79 MX$14.66
$1.74 $1.74
-54.60%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$31.36 MX$579
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.59 MX$29.44
$5.05 $5.05
-68.51%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.06 MX$19.58
$1.84 $1.84
-42.39%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.80 MX$200
$49.63 $49.63
-78.24%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.55 MX$28.59
$0.96 $0.96
61.46%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.2K MX$446.4K
$27.0K $27.0K
-10.48%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.3K MX$449.4K
$26.4K $26.4K
-7.88%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Monterrey
Libertyville, IL
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$117 MX$2,159
$234 $234
-50.18%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.38 MX$488
$51.7 $51.7
-48.94%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$26.04 MX$481
$59.2 $59.2
-56.01%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Monterrey
Libertyville, IL
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$30.26 MX$559
$37.44 $37.44
-19.18%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.25 MX$393
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.23 MX$96.6
$15.10 $15.10
-65.36%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Monterrey
Libertyville, IL
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$673 MX$12.4K
$1,323 $1,323
-49.17%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.1K MX$205.2K
$19.9K $19.9K
-44.25%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Monterrey
Libertyville, IL
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$72.1 MX$1,332
$52.3 $52.3
37.82%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.38 MX$783
$40.16 $40.16
5.53%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$112 MX$2,066
$110 $110
1.43%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 MX$2,200
$95.3 $95.3
24.98%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Monterrey
Libertyville, IL
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$949 MX$17.5K
$1,412 $1,412
-32.78%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$666 MX$12.3K
$1,312 $1,312
-49.23%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,821 MX$33.7K
$2,278 $2,278
-20.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,271 MX$23.5K
$2,401 $2,401
-47.05%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,050 MX$74.8K
$2,754 $2,754
47.10%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,348 MX$43.4K
$2,395 $2,395
-1.97%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Monterrey
Libertyville, IL
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,155 MX$21.3K
$4,437 $4,437
-73.96%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.79
6.53
80.55%

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

Last update for Monterrey: October 18, 2026

Last update for Libertyville, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Monterrey
$666
Libertyville, IL
$1.3K 97% $646
Groceries & Markets
Monterrey
$304
Libertyville, IL
$392 28.9% $88
Eating Out
Monterrey
$221
Libertyville, IL
$257 16.1% $36
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Monterrey
$169
Libertyville, IL
$345 104% $176
Clothing & Footwear
Monterrey
$155
Libertyville, IL
$134 13.7% $21
Getting Around
Monterrey
$41
Libertyville, IL
$21 * 48.8% $20
Sport & Entertainment
Monterrey
$41
Libertyville, IL
$68 66.1% $27

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $949 in Monterrey and $1,412 in Libertyville, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Libertyville, IL pays 284% 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: $48.00 in Monterrey vs $55.0 in Libertyville, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $304 vs $392 per month, with Monterrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Monterrey
🇺🇸 Libertyville, IL
🕒 Local time
09:06 9:06 AM
10:06 10:06 AM
1 h ahead of Monterrey
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,142,994
20,500
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Monterrey Libertyville, IL 2,160 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Monterrey
  • Libertyville, IL

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 Libertyville, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Monterrey or Libertyville, IL?
Monterrey wins on cost – living expenses run 58% lower than in Libertyville, IL. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Monterrey the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Monterrey or in Libertyville, IL?
On paper, salaries run 284% lower in Libertyville, IL. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Monterrey compared to Libertyville, IL?
Rent for a central apartment: $949 in Monterrey versus $1,412 in Libertyville, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Monterrey or in Libertyville, IL?
Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Libertyville, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How much does it cost to live in Monterrey compared to Libertyville, IL?
All in, you'll spend $1,599 per month in Monterrey versus $2,530 in Libertyville, IL – a 58% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Monterrey or in Libertyville, IL?
At $1,599 in Monterrey versus $2,530 in Libertyville, IL, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Monterrey but tight or insufficient in Libertyville, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Monterrey the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Monterrey or Libertyville, IL?
Both work as nomad bases, but Monterrey delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,599 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Monterrey hard to pass up.
How safe is Monterrey compared to Libertyville, IL?
Safety-wise, Monterrey and Libertyville, IL are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Monterrey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Libertyville, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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