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: $1,574 in Monterrey versus $1,106 in Los Cabos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,529 in Monterrey versus $1,747 in Los Cabos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,484 in Monterrey versus $2,389 in Los Cabos.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 42% more expensive than Los Cabos, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 17% above, Los Cabos is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.42 MX$230

$10.62 MX$182

26.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$924

$38.93 MX$668

38.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 MX$177

$7.98 MX$137

29.32%

Cappuccino

$3.58 MX$61.4

$3.38 MX$58.1

5.92%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$1.25 MX$21.40

14.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 MX$17.00

$0.90 MX$15.37

10.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 MX$44.41

$2.44 MX$41.91

6.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 MX$73.4

$3.89 MX$66.8

9.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 MX$28.69

$1.49 MX$25.52

12.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.30

$2.54 MX$43.63

3.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.15

$1.62 MX$27.86

15.43%

Eggs

$2.67 MX$45.90

$2.30 MX$39.56

16.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.49 MX$180

$8.16 MX$140

28.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.13 MX$157

$7.74 MX$133

17.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.85 MX$238

$10.73 MX$184

29.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 MX$52.3

$2.65 MX$45.55

14.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 MX$24.09

$1.43 MX$24.55

-2.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.41

$1.71 MX$29.32

23.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.33

$1.64 MX$28.21

25.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.25

$1.93 MX$33.10

15.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 MX$43.99

$1.93 MX$33.17

32.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 MX$26.22

$1.21 MX$20.76

26.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.45

$0.98 MX$16.82

9.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.13 MX$70.8

$4.28 MX$73.5

-3.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.34 MX$246

$10.90 MX$187

31.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 MX$30.68

$1.59 MX$27.37

12.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 MX$54.5

$2.78 MX$47.75

14.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 MX$13.16

$0.61 MX$10.51

26.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.85 MX$701

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.73 MX$29.77

$2.54 MX$43.68

-31.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 MX$16.44

$1.61 MX$27.59

-40.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.72 MX$184

$8.14 MX$140

31.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.36

$1.27 MX$21.87

7.09%

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

$26.5K MX$454.9K

$21.5K MX$368.8K

23.35%

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

$25.9K MX$443.8K

$22.4K MX$384.6K

15.39%

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

$123 MX$2,113

$56.3 MX$966

118.82%

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

$27.98 MX$480

$22.01 MX$378

27.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.71 MX$510

$28.40 MX$487

4.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.13 MX$637

$36.36 MX$624

2.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.88 MX$376

$15.88 MX$273

37.78%

Cinema Ticket

$5.71 MX$97.9

$4.53 MX$77.8

26.05%

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

$348 MX$5,972

$206 MX$3,543

68.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,997 MX$154.4K

$3,530 MX$60.6K

154.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 MX$1,028

$53.4 MX$917

12.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.22 MX$742

$39.34 MX$675

9.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$1,878

$89.7 MX$1,540

21.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 MX$2,228

$78.0 MX$1,339

66.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$894 MX$15.3K

$512 MX$8,790

74.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$656 MX$11.3K

$396 MX$6,794

65.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 MX$27.1K

$950 MX$16.3K

66.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,422 MX$24.4K

$769 MX$13.2K

84.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,316 MX$74.1K

$1,973 MX$33.9K

118.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,873 MX$49.3K

$1,269 MX$21.8K

126.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,101 MX$18.9K

$874 MX$15.0K

25.96%

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 8, 2026

Last update for Los Cabos: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $894 in Monterrey and $512 in Los Cabos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 26% 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: $54.0 in Monterrey vs $39.00 in Los Cabos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $250 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 42% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Monterrey pays 26% 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: $894 in Monterrey versus $512 in Los Cabos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Monterrey. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,574 per month in Monterrey versus $1,106 in Los Cabos – a 42% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,106 in Los Cabos versus $1,574 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 42% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.