Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Manzanillo Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Manzanillo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,692 in Monterrey versus $1,315 in Manzanillo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,638 in Monterrey versus $2,334 in Manzanillo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,583 in Monterrey versus $3,353 in Manzanillo.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 29% more expensive than in Manzanillo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 24% above, Manzanillo is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.54 MX$250

$11.56 MX$199

25.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.7 MX$907

$35.59 MX$613

48.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.44 MX$197

$11.71 MX$202

-2.31%

Cappuccino

$4.29 MX$73.9

$3.62 MX$62.3

18.51%

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

$1.72 MX$29.57

$1.35 MX$23.18

27.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.06

$1.32 MX$22.76

-15.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$50.9

$2.58 MX$44.49

14.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.78 MX$82.3

$4.71 MX$81.1

1.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 MX$35.21

$1.48 MX$25.57

37.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.09 MX$53.2

$2.84 MX$48.83

8.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.83

$1.53 MX$26.40

28.10%

Eggs

$2.65 MX$45.56

$2.27 MX$39.05

16.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.69 MX$219

$7.03 MX$121

80.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.80 MX$169

$5.84 MX$101

67.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 MX$233

$11.40 MX$196

18.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.45 MX$59.5

$3.00 MX$51.7

15.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.23

$1.63 MX$28.05

0.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.47

$1.62 MX$27.83

37.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 MX$44.01

$1.63 MX$28.03

57.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.40 MX$41.32

$2.71 MX$46.65

-11.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 MX$49.53

$1.86 MX$32.11

54.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 MX$27.46

$2.29 MX$39.48

-30.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 MX$23.03

$1.41 MX$24.35

-4.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 MX$89.2

$6.19 MX$107

-16.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.68 MX$253

$11.53 MX$199

27.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 MX$35.02

$2.47 MX$42.47

-17.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 MX$54.6

$2.66 MX$45.86

19.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 MX$15.85

$0.82 MX$14.07

12.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.50 MX$577

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 MX$33.15

$2.67 MX$45.95

-28.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 MX$20.44

$2.73 MX$46.95

-56.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.75 MX$202

$11.82 MX$204

-0.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 MX$27.13

$1.53 MX$26.28

3.27%

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

$22.2K MX$382.7K

$22.2K MX$382.1K

0.16%

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

$26.2K MX$451.0K

$25.9K MX$446.8K

0.94%

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

$124 MX$2,127

$69.6 MX$1,198

77.53%

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

$28.25 MX$487

$21.67 MX$373

30.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.93 MX$481

$34.28 MX$590

-18.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.96 MX$568

$69.2 MX$1,192

-52.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.09 MX$398

$35.61 MX$613

-35.16%

Cinema Ticket

$5.52 MX$95.1

$4.64 MX$79.9

18.97%

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

$730 MX$12.6K

$208 MX$3,580

251.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K MX$203.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.3 MX$1,383

$46.15 MX$795

74.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.45 MX$783

$30.86 MX$531

47.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 MX$2,057

$83.3 MX$1,434

43.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 MX$2,244

$143 MX$2,470

-9.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,047 MX$18.0K

$709 MX$12.2K

47.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$728 MX$12.5K

$486 MX$8,370

49.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 MX$34.0K

$1,664 MX$28.6K

18.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,385 MX$23.8K

$1,450 MX$25.0K

-4.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,432 MX$76.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 MX$45.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,168 MX$20.1K

$396 MX$6,818

195.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.56

11.3

2.30%

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

Last update for Monterrey: September 12, 2026

Last update for Manzanillo: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,047 in Monterrey and $709 in Manzanillo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 195% 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: $53.0 in Monterrey vs $36.00 in Manzanillo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $261 per month, with Manzanillo 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 Manzanillo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey and Manzanillo differ by about 29% in total monthly costs ($1,692 vs $1,315 including rent). Manzanillo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 195% 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: $1,047 in Monterrey versus $709 in Manzanillo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Monterrey. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,692 per month in Monterrey versus $1,315 in Manzanillo – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,315 in Manzanillo versus $1,692 in Monterrey, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Manzanillo but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes Manzanillo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Manzanillo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.