Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Loja

For one person, living is cheaper in Loja: $676 a month against $1,608 in Monterrey, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 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
33

Cost of Living Index in Loja
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Loja Living Index

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Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Loja

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$676

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in Loja

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

A single person spends $1,608 per month in Monterrey vs $676 in Loja, rent included.

Monterrey $1,608
Loja $676

A couple spends around $2,521 per month in Monterrey vs $1,067 in Loja, rent included.

Monterrey $2,521
Loja $1,067

A family of three spends $3,433 per month in Monterrey vs $1,459 in Loja, rent included.

Monterrey $3,433
Loja $1,459

Monterrey costs about 138% more than Loja, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Monterrey sits 19% above the global median, while Loja is 50% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.85 MX$256

$3.08 $3.08

349.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.70 MX$918

$20.71 $20.71

139.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.05 MX$204

$5.44 $5.44

103.13%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$75.6

$2.22 $2.22

84.23%

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

$1.68 MX$30.97

$0.77 $0.77

118.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 MX$18.98

$0.45 $0.45

128.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 MX$44.28

$1.22 $1.22

96.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 MX$80.3

$3.17 $3.17

37.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 MX$35.55

$0.99 $0.99

93.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 MX$54.2

$1.51 $1.51

94.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$34.66

$1.32 $1.32

42.42%

Eggs

$2.55 MX$47.06

$1.92 $1.92

32.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.84 MX$219

$5.79 $5.79

104.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 MX$173

$4.15 $4.15

125.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 MX$242

$5.96 $5.96

119.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 MX$62.5

$1.69 $1.69

100.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 MX$28.13

$1.05 $1.05

44.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.51

$1.18 $1.18

85.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$43.63

$1.07 $1.07

120.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$41.76

$1.06 $1.06

113.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.73 MX$50.5

$1.07 $1.07

155.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 MX$28.17

$0.51 $0.51

198.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$22.90

$1.13 $1.13

9.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.75 MX$87.8

$5.23 $5.23

-9.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.66 MX$252

$6.86 $6.86

99.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 MX$34.95

$1.52 $1.52

24.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 MX$55.2

$3.05 $3.05

-1.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 MX$15.78

$0.31 $0.31

174.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.95 MX$572

$30.33 $30.33

2.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 MX$30.98

$1.27 $1.27

32.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 MX$20.87

$1.09 $1.09

3.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.15 MX$206

$9.88 $9.88

12.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 MX$28.91

$0.78 $0.78

100.00%

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

$21.4K MX$395.8K

$14.8K $14.8K

44.48%

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

$25.1K MX$463.2K

$28.7K $28.7K

-12.71%

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

$119 MX$2,206

$19.65 $19.65

507.58%

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

$26.21 MX$484

$11.63 $11.63

125.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.78 MX$495

$26.57 $26.57

0.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.03 MX$573

$30.27 $30.27

2.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.43 MX$396

$14.88 $14.88

44.02%

Cinema Ticket

$5.29 MX$97.7

$7.46 $7.46

-29.09%

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

$691 MX$12.8K

$183 $183

277.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K MX$212.1K

$2,017 $2,017

469.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.3 MX$1,335

$52.8 $52.8

36.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.72 MX$789

$47.03 $47.03

-9.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 MX$2,024

$79.1 $79.1

38.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,158

$71.2 $71.2

64.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$970 MX$17.9K

$237 $237

309.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$664 MX$12.3K

$170 $170

290.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,857 MX$34.3K

$389 $389

377.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 MX$23.8K

$310 $310

314.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,162 MX$76.9K

$554 $554

651.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,349 MX$43.4K

$323 $323

626.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,146 MX$21.2K

$496 $496

130.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.79

8.5

38.71%

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

Last update for Monterrey: October 10, 2026

Last update for Loja: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Monterrey

$664 41.3%

Loja

$170 25.2% 74.4% $494

Groceries & Markets

Monterrey

$310 19.3%

Loja

$167 24.7% 46.1% $143

Eating Out

Monterrey

$225 14%

Loja

$85 12.6% 62.2% $140

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monterrey

$172 10.7%

Loja

$58 8.6% 66.4% $115

Clothing & Footwear

Monterrey

$154 9.6%

Loja

$113 16.7% 26.7% $41

Getting Around

Monterrey

$42 2.6%

Loja

$38 5.7% 8.2% $3.4

Sport & Entertainment

Monterrey

$42 2.6%

Loja

$45 6.7% 8.6% $3.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $970 in Monterrey versus $237 in Loja. 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 131% higher in Monterrey, 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 $21.00 in Loja. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $310 vs $167 – making Loja the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🇪🇨 Loja

🕒 Local time

22:41 10:41 PM

23:41 11:41 PM

1 h ahead of Monterrey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,142,994

180,617

💱 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 19, 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Monterrey Loja 4,010 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Monterrey
Loja

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 Loja: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,608 in Monterrey, $676 in Loja – roughly 138% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,412 per month in Monterrey and $1,014 in Loja. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Loja, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 2% less in Loja. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $691 per month in Monterrey and $183 in Loja. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Loja, where all-in costs run around $676, than in Monterrey at $1,608. In Loja it covers expenses comfortably, while in Monterrey 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 $676 in Loja to $1,608 in Monterrey. 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 Loja. 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.