Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Marathon

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,641 a month against $2,266 in Marathon, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index
108

Cost of Living Index in Marathon
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Marathon Living Index

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Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,641

/mo nomad

Marathon

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,266

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in Marathon

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

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Monterrey vs $2,266 in Marathon, rent included.

Monterrey $1,641
Marathon $2,266

A couple spends around $2,573 per month in Monterrey vs $3,241 in Marathon, rent included.

Monterrey $2,573
Marathon $3,241

A family of three spends $3,504 per month in Monterrey vs $4,216 in Marathon, rent included.

Monterrey $3,504
Marathon $4,216

Monterrey is about 28% cheaper than Marathon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Monterrey and Marathon sit above the global median – Monterrey by 21%, Marathon by 68%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.37 MX$251

$17.53 CA$24.58

-23.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.95 MX$900

$65.0 CA$91.1

-26.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.79 MX$203

$10.53 CA$14.75

2.47%

Cappuccino

$3.77 MX$70.7

$3.60 CA$5.04

4.72%

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

$1.51 MX$28.37

$2.01 CA$2.81

-24.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 MX$19.33

$1.64 CA$2.30

-37.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 MX$46.60

$5.03 CA$7.04

-50.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 MX$81.8

$5.66 CA$7.93

-22.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 MX$35.58

$2.03 CA$2.85

-6.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.85 MX$53.5

$2.62 CA$3.67

8.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 MX$34.86

$3.46 CA$4.85

-46.24%

Eggs

$2.47 MX$46.31

$3.52 CA$4.93

-29.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.81 MX$222

$10.01 CA$14.03

17.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.97 MX$168

$11.40 CA$15.98

-21.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$236

$14.64 CA$20.53

-14.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.20 MX$60.0

$3.89 CA$5.45

-17.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$28.23

$1.36 CA$1.90

10.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.90

$3.72 CA$5.22

-43.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 MX$43.82

$3.93 CA$5.50

-40.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 MX$41.75

$2.43 CA$3.41

-8.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.58 MX$48.54

$2.27 CA$3.18

13.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MX$27.15

$2.36 CA$3.31

-38.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MX$22.94

$1.60 CA$2.25

-23.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.80 MX$90.1

$14.29 CA$20.04

-66.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.30 MX$250

$12.80 CA$17.95

3.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 MX$36.28

$2.75 CA$3.85

-29.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 MX$53.6

$3.05 CA$4.28

-6.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 MX$15.00

$2.27 CA$3.18

-64.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.94 MX$581

$62.9 CA$88.1

-50.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.83 MX$34.42

$2.99 CA$4.19

-38.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 MX$19.86

$1.44 CA$2.01

-26.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.82 MX$203

$23.17 CA$32.48

-53.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.65

$1.17 CA$1.64

25.64%

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

$24.1K MX$452.3K

$27.6K CA$38.6K

-12.61%

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

$23.5K MX$442.0K

$21.5K CA$30.1K

9.67%

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

$115 MX$2,152

$136 CA$190

-15.63%

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

$26.37 MX$495

$39.37 CA$55.2

-33.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.70 MX$483

$54.5 CA$76.4

-52.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.53 MX$573

$37.66 CA$52.8

-18.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.27 MX$400

$18.38 CA$25.76

15.72%

Cinema Ticket

$4.96 MX$93.1

$10.71 CA$15.02

-53.69%

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

$679 MX$12.7K

$648 CA$909

4.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.2K MX$266.4K

$13.3K CA$18.7K

6.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.2 MX$1,356

$56.0 CA$78.5

28.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.94 MX$788

$39.00 CA$54.7

7.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 MX$2,019

$84.8 CA$119

26.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 MX$2,228

$105 CA$147

13.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,018 MX$19.1K

$1,307 CA$1,832

-22.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$722 MX$13.6K

$1,148 CA$1,609

-37.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 MX$36.9K

$2,007 CA$2,813

-2.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,416 MX$26.6K

$1,686 CA$2,363

-16.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,203 MX$78.9K

$4,395 CA$6,161

-4.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,782 MX$52.2K

$3,557 CA$4,987

-21.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,096 MX$20.6K

$1,803 CA$2,527

-39.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.79

4.68

151.92%

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

Last update for Monterrey: November 2, 2026

Last update for Marathon: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Monterrey

$722 44%

Marathon

$1.1K 50.6% 59% $426

Groceries & Markets

Monterrey

$302 18.4%

Marathon

$353 15.6% 17% $51

Eating Out

Monterrey

$216 13.2%

Marathon

$266 11.7% 23.3% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monterrey

$167 10.2%

Marathon

$230 10.1% 37.8% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Monterrey

$153 9.3%

Marathon

$128 5.7% 16.4% $25

Getting Around

Monterrey

$41 2.5%

Marathon

$82 3.6% 99.1% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Monterrey

$40 2.5%

Marathon

$59 2.6% 46.1% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,018 in Monterrey versus $1,307 in Marathon. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 65% higher in Marathon. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Monterrey versus $65 in Marathon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $302 vs $353 – making Monterrey the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🇨🇦 Marathon

🕒 Local time

20:30 8:30 PM

21:30 9:30 PM

1 h ahead of Monterrey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,142,994

3,300

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.74 EUR

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.635 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.78 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 21.08 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.635 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Monterrey Marathon 2,830 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Monterrey
Marathon

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 Marathon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Marathon is pricier by about 38%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,461 per month in Monterrey and $3,399 in Marathon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Monterrey, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,018 there versus $1,307 in Marathon.

Kindergarten costs $679 per month in Monterrey and $648 in Marathon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 17% more in Marathon, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,641 in Monterrey and $2,266 in Marathon, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Monterrey has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,641 in Monterrey to $2,266 in Marathon. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Monterrey. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Marathon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.