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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,618 per month in Monterrey vs $1,067 in Mexicali, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,585 per month in Monterrey vs $1,615 in Mexicali, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,552 per month in Monterrey vs $2,164 in Mexicali, rent included.

Monterrey costs about 52% more than Mexicali, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.41 MX$234

$11.98 MX$209

11.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.7 MX$917

$32.06 MX$558

64.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.11 MX$176

$6.43 MX$112

57.23%

Cappuccino

$3.73 MX$64.9

$2.66 MX$46.38

40.23%

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

$1.44 MX$25.12

$1.15 MX$20.03

25.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 MX$17.48

$0.91 MX$15.79

9.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.67 MX$46.47

$1.35 MX$23.48

97.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.20 MX$73.1

$4.00 MX$69.7

5.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 MX$28.98

$1.16 MX$20.25

43.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.28

$2.31 MX$40.30

17.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 MX$33.93

$1.46 MX$25.49

33.56%

Eggs

$2.66 MX$46.37

$2.59 MX$45.15

2.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.21 MX$178

$2.33 MX$40.59

338.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.91 MX$155

$5.91 MX$103

50.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.78 MX$240

$6.30 MX$110

118.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 MX$52.9

$1.55 MX$26.96

96.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 MX$24.42

$1.30 MX$22.72

7.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 MX$35.09

$1.35 MX$23.54

49.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 MX$36.10

$1.63 MX$28.30

26.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 MX$40.36

$1.28 MX$22.33

81.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.55 MX$44.45

$1.29 MX$22.55

97.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 MX$26.29

$1.11 MX$19.29

36.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.80

$0.77 MX$13.35

40.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 MX$73.9

$3.88 MX$67.6

9.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.28 MX$249

$8.50 MX$148

68.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 MX$31.09

$1.92 MX$33.36

-6.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 MX$55.3

$3.25 MX$56.6

-2.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 MX$13.44

$1.02 MX$17.81

-24.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.89 MX$712

$34.46 MX$600

18.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.76 MX$30.58

$2.83 MX$49.21

-37.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 MX$17.27

$1.54 MX$26.85

-35.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.39 MX$181

$3.25 MX$56.6

219.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.37

$1.30 MX$22.70

3.08%

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

$26.6K MX$463.9K

$23.6K MX$410.7K

12.97%

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

$25.6K MX$445.0K

$20.8K MX$362.5K

22.78%

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

$121 MX$2,113

$55.7 MX$970

117.73%

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

$27.40 MX$477

$22.48 MX$391

21.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.75 MX$518

$31.78 MX$553

-6.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.46 MX$652

$37.69 MX$656

-0.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.78 MX$379

$15.71 MX$273

38.64%

Cinema Ticket

$5.75 MX$100

$3.92 MX$68.2

46.68%

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

$348 MX$6,054

$207 MX$3,597

68.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,983 MX$156.4K

$2,769 MX$48.2K

224.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 MX$1,029

$26.83 MX$467

120.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.88 MX$729

$31.52 MX$549

32.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 MX$1,867

$74.3 MX$1,294

44.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 MX$2,232

$69.6 MX$1,211

84.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$889 MX$15.5K

$645 MX$11.2K

37.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$646 MX$11.2K

$391 MX$6,809

65.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,577 MX$27.5K

$1,176 MX$20.5K

34.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,378 MX$24.0K

$650 MX$11.3K

111.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,238 MX$73.8K

$2,735 MX$47.6K

54.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,757 MX$48.0K

$1,521 MX$26.5K

81.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,133 MX$19.7K

$911 MX$15.9K

24.32%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Mexicali: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $889 in Monterrey versus $645 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 24% 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 $53.0 in Monterrey versus $32.00 in Mexicali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $296 vs $189 – 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: $1,618 in Monterrey, $1,067 in Mexicali – roughly 52% apart. Monterrey costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,428 per month in Monterrey and $1,601 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 $53.0 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 $1,067, than in Monterrey at $1,618. 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 $1,067 in Mexicali to $1,618 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.