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: $1,604 in Monterrey versus $1,092 in Los Cabos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,594 in Monterrey versus $1,769 in Los Cabos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,584 in Monterrey versus $2,447 in Los Cabos.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 47% more expensive than Los Cabos, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 20% above, Los Cabos is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.25 MX$228

$10.44 MX$180

26.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 MX$894

$39.35 MX$677

32.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.16 MX$175

$7.81 MX$134

30.09%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$63.7

$3.23 MX$55.6

14.55%

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

$1.44 MX$24.80

$1.25 MX$21.44

15.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.05 MX$18.00

$0.96 MX$16.44

9.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 MX$44.10

$2.44 MX$41.97

4.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.26 MX$73.4

$3.93 MX$67.6

8.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.63

$1.44 MX$24.79

11.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.55

$2.52 MX$43.34

7.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.12

$1.57 MX$27.07

19.11%

Eggs

$2.63 MX$45.17

$2.30 MX$39.58

14.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.14 MX$174

$7.85 MX$135

29.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.03 MX$155

$7.97 MX$137

13.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.37 MX$230

$10.77 MX$185

24.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 MX$54.8

$2.56 MX$44.09

24.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 MX$24.00

$1.41 MX$24.26

-1.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.47

$1.70 MX$29.26

17.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.96

$1.66 MX$28.63

25.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 MX$38.48

$1.86 MX$31.98

20.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.51 MX$43.22

$1.99 MX$34.27

26.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 MX$26.08

$1.26 MX$21.63

20.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.49

$0.97 MX$16.77

10.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.32 MX$74.4

$4.09 MX$70.4

5.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.78 MX$254

$11.03 MX$190

34.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 MX$30.48

$1.62 MX$27.92

9.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 MX$52.6

$2.87 MX$49.46

6.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 MX$13.87

$0.62 MX$10.58

30.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.93 MX$687

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.73 MX$29.81

$2.66 MX$45.84

-34.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 MX$17.19

$1.59 MX$27.40

-37.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.40 MX$179

$8.41 MX$145

23.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.06

$1.32 MX$22.72

1.52%

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

$26.9K MX$463.3K

$20.7K MX$357.0K

29.78%

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

$25.6K MX$441.3K

$22.6K MX$388.4K

13.61%

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

$120 MX$2,071

$56.4 MX$971

113.31%

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

$26.90 MX$463

$22.14 MX$381

21.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.12 MX$518

$28.05 MX$483

7.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 MX$652

$35.25 MX$607

7.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.69 MX$373

$16.01 MX$275

35.48%

Cinema Ticket

$5.94 MX$102

$4.75 MX$81.8

25.05%

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

$338 MX$5,822

$207 MX$3,558

63.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,935 MX$153.7K

$3,570 MX$61.4K

150.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.8 MX$1,011

$53.2 MX$915

10.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.17 MX$743

$39.16 MX$674

10.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 MX$1,886

$88.7 MX$1,525

23.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 MX$2,229

$79.6 MX$1,369

62.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$898 MX$15.4K

$503 MX$8,655

78.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$643 MX$11.1K

$404 MX$6,951

59.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 MX$27.7K

$931 MX$16.0K

73.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,405 MX$24.2K

$757 MX$13.0K

85.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,411 MX$75.9K

$1,973 MX$33.9K

123.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,937 MX$50.5K

$1,250 MX$21.5K

135.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,108 MX$19.1K

$855 MX$14.7K

29.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

11.48

0.61%

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

Last update for Monterrey: June 13, 2026

Last update for Los Cabos: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $898 in Monterrey and $503 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 $39.00 in Los Cabos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $249 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, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 47% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Monterrey pays 30% more on average, 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: $898 in Monterrey versus $503 in Los Cabos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Monterrey. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,604 per month in Monterrey versus $1,092 in Los Cabos – a 47% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,092 in Los Cabos versus $1,604 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 47% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.