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: $1,581 in Monterrey versus $1,145 in Matamoros.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,534 in Monterrey versus $1,833 in Matamoros.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,488 in Monterrey versus $2,521 in Matamoros.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 38% more expensive than in 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

$13.12 MX$227

$10.68 MX$185

22.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 MX$899

$39.04 MX$676

33.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.46 MX$181

$7.70 MX$133

35.84%

Cappuccino

$3.73 MX$64.5

$3.37 MX$58.3

10.68%

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

$1.40 MX$24.23

$1.30 MX$22.43

7.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.05 MX$18.17

$0.91 MX$15.73

15.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.69 MX$46.49

$2.32 MX$40.11

15.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 MX$74.9

$3.99 MX$69.0

8.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 MX$28.77

$1.42 MX$24.58

16.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.74

$2.50 MX$43.23

5.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.94

$1.63 MX$28.16

20.25%

Eggs

$2.62 MX$45.41

$2.37 MX$41.05

10.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.49 MX$181

$7.92 MX$137

32.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.88 MX$154

$7.95 MX$138

11.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 MX$235

$10.65 MX$184

27.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$52.8

$2.58 MX$44.59

18.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 MX$25.36

$1.46 MX$25.28

0.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.22

$1.72 MX$29.78

18.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.73

$1.60 MX$27.65

29.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 MX$40.47

$1.91 MX$33.11

22.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.52 MX$43.52

$1.99 MX$34.41

26.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 MX$27.17

$1.20 MX$20.71

30.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$1.01 MX$17.48

10.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$4.29 MX$74.2

-0.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.06 MX$243

$10.50 MX$182

33.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 MX$31.00

$1.59 MX$27.53

12.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 MX$53.5

$2.73 MX$47.23

13.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 MX$14.19

$0.65 MX$11.30

26.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.01 MX$692

$32.19 MX$557

24.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.75 MX$30.28

$2.64 MX$45.66

-33.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 MX$16.78

$1.60 MX$27.67

-39.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.63 MX$184

$8.35 MX$144

27.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 MX$23.65

$1.33 MX$22.98

3.01%

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

$26.3K MX$455.2K

$21.1K MX$365.8K

24.44%

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

$25.5K MX$441.3K

$22.3K MX$385.7K

14.42%

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

$123 MX$2,125

$56.7 MX$981

116.62%

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

$27.58 MX$477

$22.32 MX$386

23.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.78 MX$515

$27.63 MX$478

7.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.38 MX$664

$35.54 MX$615

7.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.94 MX$380

$16.00 MX$277

37.13%

Cinema Ticket

$5.86 MX$101

$4.65 MX$80.5

26.02%

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

$347 MX$6,004

$209 MX$3,610

66.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,938 MX$154.6K

$3,121 MX$54.0K

186.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.2 MX$1,006

$53.9 MX$932

7.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.19 MX$747

$40.42 MX$699

6.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$1,884

$90.7 MX$1,569

20.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 MX$2,187

$78.3 MX$1,354

61.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 MX$15.6K

$501 MX$8,659

80.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$661 MX$11.4K

$401 MX$6,940

64.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 MX$27.6K

$936 MX$16.2K

70.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,398 MX$24.2K

$767 MX$13.3K

82.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,267 MX$73.8K

$1,906 MX$33.0K

123.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,840 MX$49.1K

$1,270 MX$22.0K

123.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,135 MX$19.6K

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Matamoros: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $903 in Monterrey and $501 in Matamoros. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Monterrey vs $39.00 in Matamoros for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $296 vs $248 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 38% 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 $2,371 in Monterrey and $1,717 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: $903 in Monterrey versus $501 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 $39.00 versus $52.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,581 per month in Monterrey versus $1,145 in Matamoros – a 38% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,145 in Matamoros versus $1,581 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 $1,145 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 38% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.