Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Los Cabos Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Los Cabos

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,790 in Monterrey versus $1,479 in Los Cabos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,785 in Monterrey versus $2,400 in Los Cabos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,780 in Monterrey versus $3,320 in Los Cabos.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 21% more expensive than in Los Cabos, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Monterrey 31% above, Los Cabos 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.74 MX$250

$23.64 MX$401

-37.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$884

$46.22 MX$783

12.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.81 MX$200

$14.18 MX$240

-16.71%

Cappuccino

$4.27 MX$72.4

$5.54 MX$93.9

-22.92%

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

$1.58 MX$26.80

$2.47 MX$41.83

-36.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$18.90

$2.11 MX$35.82

-46.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.02 MX$51.1

$5.19 MX$87.9

-41.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.70 MX$79.7

$8.91 MX$151

-47.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 MX$34.87

$1.70 MX$28.75

21.18%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.7

$3.12 MX$52.9

1.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 MX$34.71

$2.57 MX$43.56

-20.23%

Eggs

$2.78 MX$47.17

$2.58 MX$43.65

7.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.93 MX$219

$9.70 MX$164

33.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.08 MX$171

$10.41 MX$176

-3.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.37 MX$243

$18.83 MX$319

-23.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.70 MX$62.8

$4.52 MX$76.5

-18.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 MX$28.16

$1.89 MX$32.04

-12.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 MX$40.19

$3.05 MX$51.6

-22.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 MX$43.13

$2.60 MX$44.01

-1.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 MX$41.99

$2.39 MX$40.56

3.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 MX$44.75

$2.71 MX$45.91

-2.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 MX$27.78

$1.34 MX$22.69

22.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.55

$0.88 MX$14.84

51.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 MX$83.9

$4.90 MX$83.0

1.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.66 MX$248

$10.96 MX$186

33.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 MX$34.50

$1.72 MX$29.17

18.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 MX$53.3

$3.42 MX$58.0

-8.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 MX$15.32

$1.45 MX$24.49

-37.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.40 MX$566

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 MX$31.64

$2.61 MX$44.28

-28.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.16 MX$19.61

$2.12 MX$35.87

-45.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.62 MX$197

$13.23 MX$224

-12.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 MX$27.19

$1.48 MX$25.06

8.11%

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

$22.4K MX$379.0K

$22.7K MX$385.4K

-1.68%

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

$27.3K MX$462.8K

$26.0K MX$440.1K

5.17%

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

$132 MX$2,241

$63.3 MX$1,072

109.04%

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

$29.16 MX$494

$29.66 MX$503

-1.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.32 MX$497

$26.54 MX$450

10.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.76 MX$606

$37.00 MX$627

-3.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.05 MX$391

$20.72 MX$351

11.25%

Cinema Ticket

$5.50 MX$93.2

$4.79 MX$81.2

14.82%

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

$730 MX$12.4K

$260 MX$4,414

180.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K MX$207.8K

$4,948 MX$83.9K

147.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.8 MX$1,319

$102 MX$1,724

-23.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.40 MX$820

$45.55 MX$772

6.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 MX$2,069

$134 MX$2,270

-8.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$151 MX$2,563

$92.2 MX$1,563

64.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 MX$17.3K

$656 MX$11.1K

55.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 MX$12.1K

$439 MX$7,442

62.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,954 MX$33.1K

$1,149 MX$19.5K

70.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,359 MX$23.0K

$839 MX$14.2K

62.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,350 MX$73.7K

$1,925 MX$32.6K

125.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,868 MX$48.6K

$1,279 MX$21.7K

124.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,147 MX$19.4K

$884 MX$15.0K

29.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.47

11.3

1.50%

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

Last update for Monterrey: August 17, 2026

Last update for Los Cabos: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,021 in Monterrey and $656 in Los Cabos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 30% 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: $52.0 in Monterrey vs $46.00 in Los Cabos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $331 per month, with Los Cabos cheaper across the board.

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 Los Cabos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Los Cabos is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 30% higher in Monterrey, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,021 in Monterrey versus $656 in Los Cabos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Monterrey. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,790 per month in Monterrey versus $1,479 in Los Cabos – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,479 in Los Cabos versus $1,790 in Monterrey, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Los Cabos but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes Los Cabos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Los Cabos is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Monterrey, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Los Cabos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.