Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Machala

For one person, living is cheaper in Machala: $654 a month against $1,608 in Monterrey, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 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
32

Cost of Living Index in Machala
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Machala Living Index

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Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Machala

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$654

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in Machala

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Monterrey versus $654 in Machala.

Monterrey $1,608
Machala $654

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,521 in Monterrey versus $1,045 in Machala.

Monterrey $2,521
Machala $1,045

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,433 in Monterrey versus $1,436 in Machala.

Monterrey $3,433
Machala $1,436

Living in Monterrey is roughly 146% more expensive than in Machala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 19% above, Machala is 52% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.85 MX$256

$2.69 $2.69

414.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.70 MX$918

$25.09 $25.09

98.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.05 MX$204

$5.21 $5.21

112.09%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$75.6

$2.70 $2.70

51.48%

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

$1.68 MX$30.97

$0.84 $0.84

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 MX$18.98

$0.75 $0.75

37.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 MX$44.28

$1.94 $1.94

23.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 MX$80.3

$3.80 $3.80

14.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 MX$35.55

$1.10 $1.10

74.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 MX$54.2

$1.05 $1.05

180.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$34.66

$0.96 $0.96

95.83%

Eggs

$2.55 MX$47.06

$1.50 $1.50

70.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.84 MX$219

$3.34 $3.34

254.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 MX$173

$4.12 $4.12

127.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 MX$242

$4.80 $4.80

172.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 MX$62.5

$1.54 $1.54

119.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 MX$28.13

$0.64 $0.64

137.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.51

$0.74 $0.74

195.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$43.63

$0.53 $0.53

345.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$41.76

$0.38 $0.38

494.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.73 MX$50.5

$0.49 $0.49

457.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 MX$28.17

$0.37 $0.37

310.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$22.90

$0.99 $0.99

25.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.75 MX$87.8

$4.39 $4.39

8.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.66 MX$252

$7.59 $7.59

79.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 MX$34.95

$1.51 $1.51

25.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 MX$55.2

$2.11 $2.11

41.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 MX$15.78

$0.33 $0.33

157.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.95 MX$572

$22.38 $22.38

38.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 MX$30.98

$1.47 $1.47

14.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 MX$20.87

$1.80 $1.80

-37.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.15 MX$206

$7.98 $7.98

39.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 MX$28.91

$0.59 $0.59

164.41%

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

$21.4K MX$395.8K

$18.1K $18.1K

18.30%

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

$25.1K MX$463.2K

$21.9K $21.9K

14.59%

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

$119 MX$2,206

$50.8 $50.8

134.88%

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

$26.21 MX$484

$15.01 $15.01

74.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.78 MX$495

$26.60 $26.60

0.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.03 MX$573

$43.11 $43.11

-28.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.43 MX$396

$30.17 $30.17

-28.97%

Cinema Ticket

$5.29 MX$97.7

$4.91 $4.91

7.74%

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

$691 MX$12.8K

$133 $133

418.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K MX$212.1K

$5,667 $5,667

102.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.3 MX$1,335

$65.9 $65.9

9.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.72 MX$789

$39.72 $39.72

7.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 MX$2,024

$79.8 $79.8

37.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,158

$67.6 $67.6

72.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$970 MX$17.9K

$193 $193

401.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$664 MX$12.3K

$132 $132

403.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,857 MX$34.3K

$349 $349

432.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 MX$23.8K

$265 $265

385.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,162 MX$76.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,349 MX$43.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,146 MX$21.2K

$458 $458

150.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.79

135.80%

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

Last update for Monterrey: October 10, 2026

Last update for Machala: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Monterrey

$664 41.3%

Machala

$132 20.2% 80.1% $532

Groceries & Markets

Monterrey

$310 19.3%

Machala

$136 20.7% 56.3% $175

Eating Out

Monterrey

$225 14%

Machala

$93 14.3% 58.5% $131

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monterrey

$172 10.7%

Machala

$92 14.1% 46.4% $80

Clothing & Footwear

Monterrey

$154 9.6%

Machala

$114 17.4% 25.9% $40

Getting Around

Monterrey

$42 2.6%

Machala

$34 5.2% 18% $7.5

Sport & Entertainment

Monterrey

$42 2.6%

Machala

$53 8.1% 27.2% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $970 in Monterrey and $193 in Machala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 151% 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: $50.0 in Monterrey vs $25.00 in Machala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $310 vs $136 per month, with Machala cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🇪🇨 Machala

🕒 Local time

23:53 11:53 PM

00:53 12:53 AM

1 h ahead of Monterrey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,142,994

231,260

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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 Machala 3,890 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Monterrey
Machala

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 Machala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Machala is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 146% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 151% 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: $970 in Monterrey versus $193 in Machala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Machala – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $50.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,608 per month in Monterrey versus $654 in Machala – a 146% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $654 in Machala versus $1,608 in Monterrey, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Machala but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes Machala the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Machala 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 Machala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 146% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.