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: $1,604 in Monterrey versus $1,153 in Manzanillo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,594 in Monterrey versus $1,788 in Manzanillo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,584 in Monterrey versus $2,424 in Manzanillo.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 39% more expensive than Manzanillo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 20% above, Manzanillo is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.25 MX$228

$10.55 MX$181

25.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 MX$894

$35.21 MX$606

47.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.16 MX$175

$11.27 MX$194

-9.85%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$63.7

$3.00 MX$51.5

23.33%

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

$1.44 MX$24.80

$1.20 MX$20.64

20.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.05 MX$18.00

$1.25 MX$21.49

-16.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 MX$44.10

$2.14 MX$36.85

19.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.26 MX$73.4

$3.79 MX$65.3

12.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.63

$1.34 MX$23.00

20.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.55

$2.54 MX$43.66

6.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.12

$1.37 MX$23.57

36.50%

Eggs

$2.63 MX$45.17

$2.04 MX$35.18

28.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.14 MX$174

$6.71 MX$116

51.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.03 MX$155

$5.15 MX$88.6

75.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.37 MX$230

$9.34 MX$161

43.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 MX$54.8

$2.45 MX$42.17

30.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 MX$24.00

$1.44 MX$24.75

-3.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.47

$1.54 MX$26.49

29.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.96

$1.63 MX$28.03

28.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 MX$38.48

$2.47 MX$42.53

-9.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.51 MX$43.22

$2.81 MX$48.30

-10.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 MX$26.08

$1.98 MX$34.12

-23.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.49

$1.19 MX$20.47

-10.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.32 MX$74.4

$4.94 MX$85.1

-12.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.78 MX$254

$7.02 MX$121

110.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 MX$30.48

$2.54 MX$43.74

-30.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 MX$52.6

$2.43 MX$41.81

25.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 MX$13.87

$0.56 MX$9.56

44.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.93 MX$687

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.73 MX$29.81

$2.45 MX$42.12

-29.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 MX$17.19

$1.61 MX$27.73

-37.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.40 MX$179

$8.48 MX$146

22.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.06

$1.29 MX$22.13

3.88%

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

$26.9K MX$463.3K

$20.7K MX$355.9K

30.17%

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

$25.6K MX$441.3K

$23.0K MX$395.6K

11.57%

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

$120 MX$2,071

$123 MX$2,122

-2.38%

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

$26.90 MX$463

$16.16 MX$278

66.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.12 MX$518

$24.70 MX$425

21.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 MX$652

$29.57 MX$509

28.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.69 MX$373

$15.62 MX$269

38.86%

Cinema Ticket

$5.94 MX$102

$3.98 MX$68.5

49.25%

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

$338 MX$5,822

$53.6 MX$922

531.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,935 MX$153.7K

$3,526 MX$60.7K

153.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.8 MX$1,011

$48.35 MX$832

21.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.17 MX$743

$28.89 MX$497

49.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 MX$1,886

$123 MX$2,118

-10.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 MX$2,229

$128 MX$2,209

0.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$898 MX$15.4K

$693 MX$11.9K

29.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$643 MX$11.1K

$407 MX$7,010

57.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 MX$27.7K

$932 MX$16.0K

73.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,405 MX$24.2K

$748 MX$12.9K

87.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,411 MX$75.9K

$1,767 MX$30.4K

149.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,937 MX$50.5K

$1,148 MX$19.8K

155.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,108 MX$19.1K

$402 MX$6,916

175.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

11.07

4.34%

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

Last update for Monterrey: June 13, 2026

Last update for Manzanillo: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $898 in Monterrey and $693 in Manzanillo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 176% 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: $52.0 in Monterrey vs $35.00 in Manzanillo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $228 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 39% in total monthly costs ($1,604 vs $1,153 including rent). Manzanillo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Monterrey pays 176% 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: $898 in Monterrey versus $693 in Manzanillo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Monterrey. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,604 per month in Monterrey versus $1,153 in Manzanillo – a 39% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,153 in Manzanillo versus $1,604 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 39% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.