Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Matamoros Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Matamoros

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,595 in Monterrey versus $1,151 in Matamoros.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,536 in Monterrey versus $1,822 in Matamoros.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,477 in Monterrey versus $2,493 in Matamoros.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 19% above, Matamoros is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.02 MX$228

$10.55 MX$185

23.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.6 MX$938

$39.52 MX$692

35.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.17 MX$178

$7.76 MX$136

31.06%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$3.35 MX$58.7

11.94%

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

$1.44 MX$25.24

$1.28 MX$22.39

12.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.16

$0.92 MX$16.16

13.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 MX$45.11

$2.36 MX$41.35

9.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 MX$71.9

$3.82 MX$66.8

7.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 MX$29.31

$1.49 MX$26.13

12.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.63 MX$46.07

$2.60 MX$45.56

1.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.81

$1.60 MX$28.05

20.62%

Eggs

$2.60 MX$45.51

$2.32 MX$40.63

12.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.47 MX$183

$8.06 MX$141

29.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.07 MX$159

$7.85 MX$137

15.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.42 MX$235

$10.48 MX$183

28.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 MX$55.2

$2.63 MX$45.95

20.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 MX$24.58

$1.41 MX$24.66

-0.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.60

$1.80 MX$31.53

16.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.56

$1.66 MX$29.10

25.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 MX$40.64

$1.93 MX$33.81

20.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.53 MX$44.35

$1.95 MX$34.05

29.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$27.16

$1.25 MX$21.90

24.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.50

$1.01 MX$17.75

9.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 MX$74.4

$4.08 MX$71.5

4.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.83 MX$207

$12.17 MX$213

-2.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 MX$31.46

$1.61 MX$28.11

11.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 MX$54.5

$2.74 MX$47.96

13.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 MX$13.16

$0.61 MX$10.68

22.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.49 MX$691

$32.05 MX$561

23.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.76 MX$30.78

$2.55 MX$44.61

-30.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 MX$17.35

$1.61 MX$28.21

-38.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.60 MX$186

$8.48 MX$148

25.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.88

$1.26 MX$22.13

3.97%

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

$26.6K MX$465.7K

$21.1K MX$369.3K

26.11%

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

$25.7K MX$450.3K

$22.3K MX$390.1K

15.41%

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

$124 MX$2,164

$57.5 MX$1,006

115.06%

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

$27.80 MX$486

$21.86 MX$383

27.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.57 MX$517

$27.82 MX$487

6.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.39 MX$672

$35.63 MX$623

7.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.87 MX$383

$15.58 MX$273

40.37%

Cinema Ticket

$5.95 MX$104

$4.76 MX$83.3

25.00%

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

$337 MX$5,896

$209 MX$3,650

61.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,908 MX$155.9K

$3,104 MX$54.3K

187.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,020

$53.5 MX$936

9.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.99 MX$735

$40.42 MX$707

3.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$1,897

$91.2 MX$1,596

18.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 MX$2,207

$79.4 MX$1,389

58.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$911 MX$15.9K

$500 MX$8,743

82.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$660 MX$11.5K

$400 MX$7,006

64.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,570 MX$27.5K

$929 MX$16.3K

69.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,426 MX$25.0K

$772 MX$13.5K

84.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,178 MX$73.1K

$1,755 MX$30.7K

137.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,845 MX$49.8K

$1,283 MX$22.4K

121.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,113 MX$19.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

11.48

0.61%

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

Last update for Monterrey: April 27, 2026

Last update for Matamoros: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $911 in Monterrey and $500 in Matamoros. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Monterrey vs $40.00 in Matamoros for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $253 per month, with Matamoros 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 Matamoros: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Matamoros wins on cost – living expenses run 39% lower than in Monterrey. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Matamoros the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,392 in Monterrey and $1,727 in Matamoros to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $911 in Monterrey versus $500 in Matamoros. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Matamoros – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $54.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,595 per month in Monterrey versus $1,151 in Matamoros – a 39% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,151 in Matamoros versus $1,595 in Monterrey, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Matamoros but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes Matamoros the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Matamoros delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,151 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Matamoros hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Matamoros 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.