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: $1,746 in Monterrey versus $1,192 in Manzanillo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,703 in Monterrey versus $1,515 in Manzanillo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Monterrey versus $1,837 in Manzanillo.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 46% more expensive than in Manzanillo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 29% above, Manzanillo is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.55 MX$251

$11.48 MX$198

26.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.5 MX$905

$35.06 MX$605

49.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.67 MX$201

$11.44 MX$197

2.01%

Cappuccino

$4.06 MX$70.1

$3.62 MX$62.4

12.15%

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

$1.62 MX$27.92

$1.35 MX$23.35

20.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.63

$1.26 MX$21.70

-14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.84 MX$49.00

$2.62 MX$45.22

8.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.92 MX$84.9

$5.64 MX$97.3

-12.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.03 MX$35.08

$1.42 MX$24.48

42.96%

White Bread (500g)

$3.11 MX$53.7

$2.70 MX$46.61

15.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.36

$1.45 MX$24.95

37.24%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$47.12

$2.13 MX$36.75

28.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.61 MX$218

$7.15 MX$123

76.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.80 MX$169

$5.91 MX$102

65.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.49 MX$250

$10.25 MX$177

41.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.63 MX$62.6

$2.64 MX$45.50

37.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 MX$28.61

$1.57 MX$27.07

5.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 MX$40.24

$1.60 MX$27.66

45.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 MX$42.64

$1.76 MX$30.31

40.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.37 MX$40.87

$2.68 MX$46.21

-11.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.68 MX$46.30

$3.07 MX$52.9

-12.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 MX$27.05

$2.26 MX$39.08

-30.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 MX$22.72

$1.45 MX$25.01

-8.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.96 MX$85.6

$5.95 MX$103

-16.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.58 MX$252

$7.06 MX$122

106.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 MX$35.82

$2.39 MX$41.26

-12.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 MX$54.6

$2.76 MX$47.61

14.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 MX$15.27

$0.81 MX$13.91

9.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.70 MX$581

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 MX$33.13

$2.57 MX$44.31

-25.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 MX$19.50

$2.68 MX$46.23

-57.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.60 MX$200

$11.72 MX$202

-1.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 MX$27.41

$1.56 MX$26.94

1.92%

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

$22.5K MX$387.5K

$22.5K MX$388.0K

-0.14%

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

$26.6K MX$458.6K

$25.0K MX$431.7K

6.23%

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

$132 MX$2,282

$70.4 MX$1,215

87.80%

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

$28.97 MX$500

$22.90 MX$395

26.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.16 MX$486

$26.90 MX$464

4.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.82 MX$601

$68.6 MX$1,183

-49.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.80 MX$393

$34.66 MX$598

-34.22%

Cinema Ticket

$5.52 MX$95.3

$4.29 MX$74.0

28.67%

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

$710 MX$12.3K

$201 MX$3,476

252.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K MX$206.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.8 MX$1,290

$47.02 MX$811

58.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.29 MX$799

$30.58 MX$528

51.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 MX$2,078

$83.6 MX$1,442

44.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$148 MX$2,561

$142 MX$2,447

4.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 MX$17.6K

$701 MX$12.1K

45.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$720 MX$12.4K

$403 MX$6,959

78.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,968 MX$34.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,327 MX$22.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,377 MX$75.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,774 MX$47.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,111 MX$19.2K

$409 MX$7,060

171.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.47

11.3

1.50%

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

Last update for Monterrey: August 2, 2026

Last update for Manzanillo: August 3, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,021 in Monterrey and $701 in Manzanillo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 172% 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 $331 vs $247 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 46% in total monthly costs ($1,746 vs $1,192 including rent). Manzanillo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 172% 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: $1,021 in Monterrey versus $701 in Manzanillo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Monterrey. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,746 per month in Monterrey versus $1,192 in Manzanillo – a 46% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,192 in Manzanillo versus $1,746 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 46% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.