Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Manta

For one person, living is cheaper in Manta: $678 a month against $1,608 in Monterrey, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 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
33

Cost of Living Index in Manta
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Manta Living Index

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Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Manta

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$678

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in Manta

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Monterrey versus $678 in Manta.

Monterrey $1,608
Manta $678

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,521 in Monterrey versus $1,157 in Manta.

Monterrey $2,521
Manta $1,157

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,433 in Monterrey versus $1,636 in Manta.

Monterrey $3,433
Manta $1,636

Living in Monterrey is roughly 137% more expensive than in Manta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 19% above, Manta is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.85 MX$256

$2.96 $2.96

367.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.70 MX$918

$52.2 $52.2

-4.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.05 MX$204

$5.39 $5.39

105.01%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$75.6

$2.92 $2.92

40.07%

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

$1.68 MX$30.97

$0.52 $0.52

223.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 MX$18.98

$0.38 $0.38

171.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 MX$44.28

$2.97 $2.97

-19.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 MX$80.3

$3.72 $3.72

16.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 MX$35.55

$1.03 $1.03

86.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 MX$54.2

$1.91 $1.91

53.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$34.66

$0.98 $0.98

91.84%

Eggs

$2.55 MX$47.06

$2.13 $2.13

19.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.84 MX$219

$2.98 $2.98

297.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 MX$173

$2.98 $2.98

214.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 MX$242

$6.83 $6.83

91.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 MX$62.5

$0.97 $0.97

248.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 MX$28.13

$0.78 $0.78

94.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.51

$0.71 $0.71

208.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$43.63

$0.78 $0.78

202.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$41.76

$0.52 $0.52

334.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.73 MX$50.5

$0.48 $0.48

468.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 MX$28.17

$0.69 $0.69

120.29%

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

$4.08 $4.08

16.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.66 MX$252

$6.89 $6.89

98.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 MX$34.95

$1.03 $1.03

83.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 MX$55.2

$2.20 $2.20

35.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 MX$15.78

$0.50 $0.50

70.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.95 MX$572

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 MX$30.98

$1.70 $1.70

-1.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 MX$20.87

$1.74 $1.74

-35.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.15 MX$206

$9.27 $9.27

20.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 MX$28.91

$0.72 $0.72

116.67%

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

$21.4K MX$395.8K

$20.7K $20.7K

3.64%

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

$25.1K MX$463.2K

$30.8K $30.8K

-18.61%

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

$119 MX$2,206

$97.1 $97.1

22.92%

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

$26.21 MX$484

$11.13 $11.13

135.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.78 MX$495

$25.84 $25.84

3.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.03 MX$573

$20.23 $20.23

53.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.43 MX$396

$34.58 $34.58

-38.03%

Cinema Ticket

$5.29 MX$97.7

$4.89 $4.89

8.18%

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

$691 MX$12.8K

$369 $369

87.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K MX$212.1K

$5,783 $5,783

98.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.3 MX$1,335

$55.2 $55.2

30.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.72 MX$789

$40.87 $40.87

4.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 MX$2,024

$101 $101

8.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,158

$61.8 $61.8

88.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$970 MX$17.9K

$303 $303

219.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$664 MX$12.3K

$141 $141

369.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,857 MX$34.3K

$917 $917

102.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 MX$23.8K

$334 $334

285.22%

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

$474 $474

142.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.79

10.05

17.31%

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

Last update for Monterrey: October 10, 2026

Last update for Manta: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Monterrey

$664 41.3%

Manta

$141 20.9% 78.7% $522

Groceries & Markets

Monterrey

$310 19.3%

Manta

$143 21.1% 53.9% $167

Eating Out

Monterrey

$225 14%

Manta

$101 14.9% 55.1% $124

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monterrey

$172 10.7%

Manta

$134 19.8% 22.2% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Monterrey

$154 9.6%

Manta

$116 17.2% 24.2% $37

Getting Around

Monterrey

$42 2.6%

Manta

$12 * 1.8% 70.3% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Monterrey

$42 2.6%

Manta

$30 4.4% 27.9% $12

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 $970 in Monterrey and $303 in Manta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 142% 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 $52.0 in Manta. Groceries flip the comparison at $310 vs $143, with Manta cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🇪🇨 Manta

🕒 Local time

21:22 9:22 PM

22:22 10:22 PM

1 h ahead of Monterrey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,142,994

217,553

💱 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 Manta 3,630 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Monterrey
Manta

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 Manta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manta is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 137% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 142% 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 $303 in Manta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $691 in Monterrey versus $369 in Manta. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Manta – a meal for two runs $52.0 versus $50.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $678 in Manta versus $1,608 in Monterrey, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Manta but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes Manta the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Manta 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 Manta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 137% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.