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: $1,595 in Monterrey versus $1,093 in Los Cabos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,536 in Monterrey versus $1,760 in Los Cabos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,477 in Monterrey versus $2,427 in Los Cabos.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 46% more expensive than Los Cabos, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 19% above, Los Cabos is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.02 MX$227

$10.62 MX$185

22.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.6 MX$932

$39.18 MX$682

36.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.17 MX$177

$8.06 MX$140

26.18%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.2

$3.29 MX$57.2

13.98%

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

$1.44 MX$25.09

$1.23 MX$21.44

17.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.06

$0.99 MX$17.17

5.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 MX$44.86

$2.41 MX$41.95

7.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 MX$71.5

$3.89 MX$67.6

5.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 MX$29.14

$1.50 MX$26.08

11.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.63 MX$45.81

$2.60 MX$45.24

1.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.62

$1.63 MX$28.38

18.40%

Eggs

$2.60 MX$45.25

$2.36 MX$41.13

10.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.47 MX$182

$7.89 MX$137

32.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.07 MX$158

$7.66 MX$133

18.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.42 MX$234

$10.55 MX$184

27.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 MX$54.9

$2.61 MX$45.33

21.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 MX$24.44

$1.38 MX$24.00

1.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.39

$1.80 MX$31.29

16.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.35

$1.64 MX$28.58

27.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 MX$40.40

$1.92 MX$33.49

20.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.53 MX$44.09

$1.94 MX$33.71

30.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$27.00

$1.19 MX$20.77

30.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.39

$1.01 MX$17.66

9.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 MX$74.0

$4.26 MX$74.2

-0.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.83 MX$206

$11.01 MX$192

7.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 MX$31.28

$1.59 MX$27.75

13.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 MX$54.2

$2.76 MX$47.94

13.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 MX$13.09

$0.61 MX$10.62

22.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.49 MX$687

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.76 MX$30.61

$2.61 MX$45.33

-32.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 MX$17.25

$1.59 MX$27.75

-37.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.60 MX$185

$8.21 MX$143

29.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.75

$1.32 MX$22.93

-0.76%

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

$26.6K MX$463.1K

$21.5K MX$374.2K

23.76%

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

$25.7K MX$447.7K

$22.2K MX$385.7K

16.07%

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

$124 MX$2,151

$56.0 MX$975

120.63%

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

$27.80 MX$484

$22.04 MX$383

26.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.57 MX$514

$27.65 MX$481

6.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.39 MX$668

$35.87 MX$624

7.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.87 MX$380

$15.92 MX$277

37.37%

Cinema Ticket

$5.95 MX$103

$4.52 MX$78.7

31.64%

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

$337 MX$5,863

$205 MX$3,572

64.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,908 MX$155.0K

$3,627 MX$63.1K

145.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,014

$52.4 MX$912

11.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.99 MX$731

$40.06 MX$697

4.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$1,886

$91.2 MX$1,588

18.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 MX$2,195

$80.0 MX$1,391

57.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$911 MX$15.8K

$504 MX$8,775

80.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$660 MX$11.5K

$394 MX$6,857

67.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,570 MX$27.3K

$949 MX$16.5K

65.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,426 MX$24.8K

$762 MX$13.3K

87.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,178 MX$72.7K

$1,992 MX$34.7K

109.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,845 MX$49.5K

$1,288 MX$22.4K

120.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,113 MX$19.4K

$854 MX$14.9K

30.25%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Los Cabos: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $911 in Monterrey and $504 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: $54.0 in Monterrey vs $39.00 in Los Cabos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 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, Sport & Entertainment. The 46% 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: $911 in Monterrey versus $504 in Los Cabos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Monterrey. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,595 per month in Monterrey versus $1,093 in Los Cabos – a 46% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,093 in Los Cabos versus $1,595 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 46% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.