Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Mazatlan Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Mazatlan

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,595 per month in Monterrey vs $1,635 in Mazatlan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,536 per month in Monterrey vs $2,259 in Mazatlan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,477 per month in Monterrey vs $2,882 in Mazatlan, rent included.

Monterrey is about 2% cheaper than Mazatlan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Monterrey and Mazatlan sit above the global median – Monterrey by 19%, Mazatlan by 22%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.02 MX$228

$10.49 MX$184

24.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.6 MX$938

$45.40 MX$795

18.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.17 MX$178

$8.44 MX$148

20.50%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$3.39 MX$59.3

10.62%

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

$1.44 MX$25.24

$1.38 MX$24.17

4.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.16

$1.03 MX$18.03

0.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 MX$45.11

$1.99 MX$34.87

29.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 MX$71.9

$2.57 MX$44.89

59.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 MX$29.31

$1.47 MX$25.65

13.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.63 MX$46.07

$2.55 MX$44.67

3.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.81

$2.09 MX$36.55

-7.66%

Eggs

$2.60 MX$45.51

$2.32 MX$40.59

12.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.47 MX$183

$7.70 MX$135

35.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.07 MX$159

$6.51 MX$114

39.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.42 MX$235

$7.37 MX$129

82.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 MX$55.2

$2.69 MX$47.12

17.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 MX$24.58

$1.62 MX$28.32

-13.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.60

$1.77 MX$31.02

18.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.56

$0.74 MX$13.00

182.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 MX$40.64

$2.18 MX$38.15

6.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.53 MX$44.35

$2.55 MX$44.56

-0.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$27.16

$1.26 MX$22.11

23.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.50

$1.08 MX$18.84

2.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 MX$74.4

$4.07 MX$71.2

4.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.83 MX$207

$16.08 MX$281

-26.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 MX$31.46

$1.99 MX$34.89

-9.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 MX$54.5

$3.12 MX$54.6

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 MX$13.16

$0.66 MX$11.58

13.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.49 MX$691

$39.44 MX$690

0.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.76 MX$30.78

$3.34 MX$58.5

-47.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 MX$17.35

$1.83 MX$32.05

-45.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.60 MX$186

$8.16 MX$143

29.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.88

$1.30 MX$22.75

0.77%

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

$26.6K MX$465.7K

$21.3K MX$372.4K

25.07%

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

$25.7K MX$450.3K

$22.3K MX$390.9K

15.19%

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

$124 MX$2,164

$56.0 MX$980

120.83%

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

$27.80 MX$486

$21.20 MX$371

31.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.57 MX$517

$41.41 MX$725

-28.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.39 MX$672

$42.74 MX$748

-10.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.87 MX$383

$16.01 MX$280

36.60%

Cinema Ticket

$5.95 MX$104

$4.05 MX$70.9

46.91%

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

$337 MX$5,896

$83.3 MX$1,457

304.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,908 MX$155.9K

$1,899 MX$33.2K

369.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,020

$60.5 MX$1,059

-3.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.99 MX$735

$26.06 MX$456

61.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$1,897

$105 MX$1,835

3.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 MX$2,207

$78.0 MX$1,365

61.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$911 MX$15.9K

$869 MX$15.2K

4.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$660 MX$11.5K

$874 MX$15.3K

-24.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,570 MX$27.5K

$1,404 MX$24.6K

11.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,426 MX$25.0K

$1,077 MX$18.8K

32.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,178 MX$73.1K

$1,633 MX$28.6K

155.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,845 MX$49.8K

$1,087 MX$19.0K

161.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,113 MX$19.5K

$551 MX$9,641

101.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

11.33

1.94%

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

Last update for Monterrey: April 27, 2026

Last update for Mazatlan: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $911 in Monterrey versus $869 in Mazatlan. 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 102% higher in Monterrey, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54.0 in Monterrey versus $45.00 in Mazatlan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 vs $248 – making Mazatlan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Mazatlan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,595 in Monterrey, $1,635 in Mazatlan – roughly 3% apart. Mazatlan costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,392 per month in Monterrey and $2,452 in Mazatlan. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 0% less in Monterrey. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $337 per month in Monterrey and $83.3 in Mazatlan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Monterrey, where all-in costs run around $1,595, than in Mazatlan at $1,635. In Monterrey it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mazatlan it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Mazatlan has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,595 in Monterrey to $1,635 in Mazatlan. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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