Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Little Rock, AR

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,607 a month against $2,137 in Little Rock, AR, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index
104

Cost of Living Index in Little Rock, AR
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Little Rock, AR Living Index

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Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,607

/mo nomad

Little Rock, AR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,137

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in Little Rock, AR

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 Little Rock, AR actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,607 per month in Monterrey vs $2,137 in Little Rock, AR, rent included.

Monterrey $1,607
Little Rock, AR $2,137

A couple spends around $2,512 per month in Monterrey vs $3,103 in Little Rock, AR, rent included.

Monterrey $2,512
Little Rock, AR $3,103

A family of three spends $3,417 per month in Monterrey vs $4,069 in Little Rock, AR, rent included.

Monterrey $3,417
Little Rock, AR $4,069

Monterrey is about 25% cheaper than Little Rock, AR, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Monterrey and Little Rock, AR sit above the global median – Monterrey by 20%, Little Rock, AR by 59%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.75 MX$252

$17.18 $17.18

-19.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.2 MX$921

$73.9 $73.9

-32.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.13 MX$204

$10.84 $10.84

2.68%

Cappuccino

$4.04 MX$74.2

$5.15 $5.15

-21.55%

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

$1.70 MX$31.29

$2.94 $2.94

-42.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 MX$18.17

$2.43 $2.43

-59.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 MX$44.21

$5.54 $5.54

-56.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 MX$82.3

$6.41 $6.41

-30.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 MX$35.31

$1.10 $1.10

74.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 MX$53.1

$2.69 $2.69

7.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$35.67

$2.82 $2.82

-31.21%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$45.90

$3.39 $3.39

-26.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.30 MX$226

$10.15 $10.15

21.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.33 MX$171

$11.70 $11.70

-20.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.07 MX$240

$22.86 $22.86

-42.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 MX$62.1

$5.03 $5.03

-32.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$29.02

$1.47 $1.47

7.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$40.45

$4.42 $4.42

-50.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$44.89

$3.77 $3.77

-35.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$41.47

$2.72 $2.72

-16.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.74 MX$50.4

$2.57 $2.57

6.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 MX$28.09

$1.94 $1.94

-21.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 MX$23.16

$1.93 $1.93

-34.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.84 MX$88.9

$9.74 $9.74

-50.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.59 MX$249

$13.47 $13.47

0.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 MX$35.01

$1.77 $1.77

7.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 MX$56.3

$1.70 $1.70

80.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 MX$14.60

$1.36 $1.36

-41.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.77 MX$583

$35.95 $35.95

-11.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 MX$29.78

$2.54 $2.54

-36.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 MX$20.17

$1.48 $1.48

-25.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.97 MX$201

$24.22 $24.22

-54.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$27.93

$0.90 $0.90

68.89%

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

$21.4K MX$392.4K

$37.4K $37.4K

-42.85%

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

$25.5K MX$467.6K

$26.2K $26.2K

-2.73%

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

$120 MX$2,198

$218 $218

-44.99%

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

$27.08 MX$497

$59.9 $59.9

-54.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.70 MX$490

$68.3 $68.3

-60.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.15 MX$572

$29.12 $29.12

6.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.95 MX$403

$13.94 $13.94

57.46%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$94.4

$12.76 $12.76

-59.72%

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

$688 MX$12.6K

$1,014 $1,014

-32.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$209.8K

$18.9K $18.9K

-39.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.9 MX$1,321

$50.8 $50.8

41.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.30 MX$795

$39.52 $39.52

9.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$2,059

$83.8 $83.8

33.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,236

$147 $147

-17.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$957 MX$17.6K

$1,132 $1,132

-15.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$670 MX$12.3K

$874 $874

-23.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 MX$34.7K

$1,577 $1,577

19.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,305 MX$24.0K

$1,282 $1,282

1.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,159 MX$76.4K

$1,870 $1,870

122.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,437 MX$44.7K

$1,335 $1,335

82.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,133 MX$20.8K

$3,805 $3,805

-70.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.79

6.75

74.67%

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

Last update for Monterrey: October 4, 2026

Last update for Little Rock, AR: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Monterrey

$670 41.4%

Little Rock, AR

$874 40.9% 30.4% $204

Groceries & Markets

Monterrey

$312 19.3%

Little Rock, AR

$374 17.5% 19.7% $62

Eating Out

Monterrey

$224 13.8%

Little Rock, AR

$294 13.7% 31.3% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monterrey

$174 10.7%

Little Rock, AR

$346 16.2% 99.3% $172

Clothing & Footwear

Monterrey

$157 9.7%

Little Rock, AR

$145 6.8% 8% $13

Getting Around

Monterrey

$42 2.6%

Little Rock, AR

$51 2.4% 22% $9.3

Sport & Entertainment

Monterrey

$41 2.6%

Little Rock, AR

$55 2.6% 31.9% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $957 in Monterrey versus $1,132 in Little Rock, AR. 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 236% higher in Little Rock, AR, 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 $50.0 in Monterrey versus $74.0 in Little Rock, AR. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $312 vs $374 – making Monterrey the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🇺🇸 Little Rock, AR

🕒 Local time

05:39 5:39 AM

06:39 6:39 AM

1 h ahead of Monterrey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,142,994

202,591

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.57 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Monterrey Little Rock, AR 1,270 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Monterrey
Little Rock, AR

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 Little Rock, AR: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,607 in Monterrey, $2,137 in Little Rock, AR – roughly 33% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,411 per month in Monterrey and $3,205 in Little Rock, AR. 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.

Kindergarten costs $688 per month in Monterrey and $1,014 in Little Rock, AR. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 20% more in Little Rock, AR, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Monterrey, where all-in costs run around $1,607, than in Little Rock, AR at $2,137. In Monterrey it covers expenses comfortably, while in Little Rock, AR 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 $1,607 in Monterrey to $2,137 in Little Rock, AR. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Monterrey. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Little Rock, AR makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.