Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Mexicali Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Mexicali

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,601 per month in Monterrey vs $1,061 in Mexicali, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,585 per month in Monterrey vs $1,587 in Mexicali, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,568 per month in Monterrey vs $2,113 in Mexicali, rent included.

Monterrey costs about 51% more than Mexicali, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Monterrey sits 20% above the global median, while Mexicali is 21% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.01 MX$226

$12.09 MX$209

7.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$932

$32.15 MX$557

67.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.21 MX$177

$6.26 MX$108

63.10%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$63.8

$2.56 MX$44.38

43.75%

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

$1.46 MX$25.34

$1.11 MX$19.25

31.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 MX$17.31

$0.92 MX$16.00

8.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 MX$46.70

$1.36 MX$23.49

98.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$3.90 MX$67.6

9.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 MX$28.86

$1.22 MX$21.12

36.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 MX$46.43

$2.28 MX$39.58

17.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.41

$1.49 MX$25.74

29.53%

Eggs

$2.63 MX$45.57

$2.62 MX$45.32

0.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.34 MX$179

$2.32 MX$40.19

345.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.22 MX$160

$5.69 MX$98.6

62.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.84 MX$240

$6.43 MX$111

115.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 MX$54.6

$1.62 MX$28.13

94.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 MX$24.06

$1.28 MX$22.24

8.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.65

$1.34 MX$23.24

49.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$37.10

$1.61 MX$27.83

32.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.26

$1.30 MX$22.52

74.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 MX$44.08

$1.35 MX$23.42

88.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 MX$27.14

$1.07 MX$18.53

46.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.53

$0.83 MX$14.31

28.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 MX$73.6

$4.00 MX$69.4

6.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.36 MX$249

$8.56 MX$148

67.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 MX$30.87

$1.93 MX$33.39

-7.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 MX$54.5

$3.33 MX$57.6

-5.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 MX$13.89

$1.01 MX$17.55

-20.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.54 MX$703

$33.81 MX$586

19.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 MX$29.11

$2.73 MX$47.27

-38.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 MX$16.31

$1.54 MX$26.64

-38.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.76 MX$186

$3.23 MX$56.1

233.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 MX$23.72

$1.30 MX$22.59

5.38%

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

$26.7K MX$463.4K

$23.5K MX$408.0K

13.58%

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

$25.6K MX$443.3K

$20.3K MX$351.0K

26.29%

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

$122 MX$2,108

$55.8 MX$967

118.11%

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

$27.19 MX$471

$22.22 MX$385

22.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.82 MX$517

$31.18 MX$540

-4.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.49 MX$667

$38.44 MX$666

0.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.46 MX$372

$16.10 MX$279

33.29%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 MX$103

$4.07 MX$70.5

45.45%

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

$346 MX$5,990

$202 MX$3,509

70.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,997 MX$155.9K

$2,780 MX$48.2K

223.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.4 MX$1,012

$26.97 MX$467

116.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.55 MX$737

$31.12 MX$539

36.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$1,896

$73.4 MX$1,272

49.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 MX$2,235

$69.5 MX$1,205

85.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$913 MX$15.8K

$634 MX$11.0K

44.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$647 MX$11.2K

$394 MX$6,826

64.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,565 MX$27.1K

$1,190 MX$20.6K

31.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,401 MX$24.3K

$673 MX$11.7K

108.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,371 MX$75.7K

$2,771 MX$48.0K

57.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,839 MX$49.2K

$1,518 MX$26.3K

87.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,104 MX$19.1K

$900 MX$15.6K

22.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

11.5

0.43%

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

Last update for Monterrey: June 1, 2026

Last update for Mexicali: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $913 in Monterrey versus $634 in Mexicali. 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 23% higher in Monterrey, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54.0 in Monterrey versus $32.00 in Mexicali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 vs $190 – making Mexicali 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 Mexicali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,601 in Monterrey, $1,061 in Mexicali – roughly 51% apart. Monterrey costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,402 per month in Monterrey and $1,591 in Mexicali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mexicali, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 57% more in Monterrey, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54.0 in Monterrey and $32.00 in Mexicali. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mexicali, where all-in costs run around $1,061, than in Monterrey at $1,601. In Mexicali it covers expenses comfortably, while in Monterrey it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Monterrey has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,061 in Mexicali to $1,601 in Monterrey. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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