Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Mankato, MN

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,599 a month against $2,094 in Mankato, MN, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Monterrey
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,599
/mo nomad
Mankato, MN
🇺🇸 United States
$2,094
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in Mankato, MN

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,599 in Monterrey versus $2,094 in Mankato, MN.

  • Monterrey $1,599
  • Mankato, MN $2,094

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,493 in Monterrey versus $3,125 in Mankato, MN.

  • Monterrey $2,493
  • Mankato, MN $3,125

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,387 in Monterrey versus $4,157 in Mankato, MN.

  • Monterrey $3,387
  • Mankato, MN $4,157

Living in Monterrey costs roughly 24% less than in Mankato, MN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Monterrey 18% above, Mankato, MN 55% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Monterrey
Mankato, MN
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.80 MX$255
$20.07 $20.07
-31.24%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.99 MX$887
$71.1 $71.1
-32.48%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.65 MX$197
$10.14 $10.14
5.03%
Cappuccino
$3.99 MX$73.7
$5.02 $5.02
-20.52%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.66 MX$30.76
$2.12 $2.12
-21.70%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.99 MX$18.21
$1.64 $1.64
-39.63%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.36 MX$43.64
$4.96 $4.96
-52.42%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.43 MX$81.8
$5.60 $5.60
-20.89%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Monterrey
Mankato, MN
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.82 MX$33.58
$0.93 $0.93
95.70%
White Bread (500g)
$2.83 MX$52.4
$2.93 $2.93
-3.41%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.92 MX$35.44
$3.32 $3.32
-42.17%
Eggs
$2.48 MX$45.78
$3.37 $3.37
-26.41%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.74 MX$217
$8.40 $8.40
39.76%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.10 MX$168
$16.35 $16.35
-44.34%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.53 MX$232
$16.97 $16.97
-26.16%
Apples (1kg)
$3.34 MX$61.6
$7.69 $7.69
-56.57%
Banana (1kg)
$1.57 MX$29.10
$2.30 $2.30
-31.74%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.16 MX$39.86
$6.43 $6.43
-66.41%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.47 MX$45.65
$3.85 $3.85
-35.84%
Potato (1kg)
$2.31 MX$42.64
$4.08 $4.08
-43.38%
Onion (1kg)
$2.68 MX$49.47
$3.83 $3.83
-30.03%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.46 MX$26.90
$2.59 $2.59
-43.63%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.19 MX$22.07
$2.05 $2.05
-41.95%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.75 MX$87.8
$10.12 $10.12
-53.06%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.58 MX$251
$14.97 $14.97
-9.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.92 MX$35.52
$1.71 $1.71
12.28%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.88 MX$53.2
$4.15 $4.15
-30.60%
🚌 Getting Around
Monterrey
Mankato, MN
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.79 MX$14.66
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$31.36 MX$579
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.59 MX$29.44
$1.96 $1.96
-18.88%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.06 MX$19.58
$1.27 $1.27
-16.54%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.80 MX$200
$20.35 $20.35
-46.93%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.55 MX$28.59
$0.87 $0.87
78.16%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.2K MX$446.4K
$27.1K $27.1K
-10.83%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.3K MX$449.4K
$25.6K $25.6K
-4.94%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Monterrey
Mankato, MN
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$117 MX$2,159
$190 $190
-38.67%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.38 MX$488
$52.3 $52.3
-49.60%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$26.04 MX$481
$77.6 $77.6
-66.46%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Monterrey
Mankato, MN
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$30.26 MX$559
$39.45 $39.45
-23.30%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.25 MX$393
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.23 MX$96.6
$9.92 $9.92
-47.28%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Monterrey
Mankato, MN
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$673 MX$12.4K
$1,362 $1,362
-50.60%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.1K MX$205.2K
$12.0K $12.0K
-7.54%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Monterrey
Mankato, MN
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$72.1 MX$1,332
$67.0 $67.0
7.61%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.38 MX$783
$35.63 $35.63
18.94%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$112 MX$2,066
$77.9 $77.9
43.54%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 MX$2,200
$75.8 $75.8
57.15%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Monterrey
Mankato, MN
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$949 MX$17.5K
$1,014 $1,014
-6.39%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$666 MX$12.3K
$866 $866
-23.08%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,821 MX$33.7K
$2,183 $2,183
-16.57%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,271 MX$23.5K
$1,440 $1,440
-11.73%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,050 MX$74.8K
$1,644 $1,644
146.35%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,348 MX$43.4K
$1,646 $1,646
42.61%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Monterrey
Mankato, MN
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,155 MX$21.3K
$4,364 $4,364
-73.53%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.79
6.57
79.45%

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

Last update for Monterrey: October 18, 2026

Last update for Mankato, MN: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Monterrey
$666
Mankato, MN
$866 30% $200
Groceries & Markets
Monterrey
$304
Mankato, MN
$422 38.6% $118
Eating Out
Monterrey
$221
Mankato, MN
$302 36.5% $81
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Monterrey
$169
Mankato, MN
$320 89.3% $151
Clothing & Footwear
Monterrey
$155
Mankato, MN
$115 25.8% $40
Getting Around
Monterrey
$41
Mankato, MN
$8.3 * 79.9% $33
Sport & Entertainment
Monterrey
$41
Mankato, MN
$59 45.6% $19

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $949 in Monterrey and $1,014 in Mankato, MN. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mankato, MN pays 278% 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: $48.00 in Monterrey vs $71.0 in Mankato, MN for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $304 vs $422 per month, with Monterrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Monterrey
🇺🇸 Mankato, MN
🕒 Local time
13:14 1:14 PM
14:14 2:14 PM
1 h ahead of Monterrey
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,142,994
39,309
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Monterrey Mankato, MN 2,130 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Monterrey
  • Mankato, MN

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 Mankato, MN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Monterrey and in Mankato, MN?
Monterrey and Mankato, MN differ by about 31% in total monthly costs ($1,599 vs $2,094 including rent). Monterrey is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 278% lower in Mankato, MN. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Monterrey and in Mankato, MN?
Rent for a central apartment: $949 in Monterrey versus $1,014 in Mankato, MN. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Mankato, MN. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: Monterrey or Mankato, MN?
All in, you'll spend $1,599 per month in Monterrey versus $2,094 in Mankato, MN – a 31% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,599 in Monterrey versus $2,094 in Mankato, MN, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Monterrey but tight or insufficient in Mankato, MN. The gap between the two cities makes Monterrey the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Monterrey and Mankato, MN?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Monterrey or Mankato, MN safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Monterrey and Mankato, MN are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Monterrey or Mankato, MN?
Expats usually find Monterrey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Mankato, MN. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Monterrey vs other spots: cost of living compared

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