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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,715 per month in Monterrey vs $990 in Mexicali, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,683 per month in Monterrey vs $1,623 in Mexicali, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,652 per month in Monterrey vs $2,256 in Mexicali, rent included.

Monterrey costs about 73% more than Mexicali, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Monterrey sits 25% above the global median, while Mexicali is 28% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.60 MX$246

$12.43 MX$210

17.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$904

$37.44 MX$632

43.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.95 MX$202

$7.03 MX$119

69.99%

Cappuccino

$4.29 MX$72.4

$3.61 MX$60.9

18.84%

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

$1.73 MX$29.15

$1.49 MX$25.13

16.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 MX$17.95

$1.16 MX$19.54

-8.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$49.84

$3.60 MX$60.8

-18.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.73 MX$79.8

$4.49 MX$75.8

5.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 MX$33.70

$1.30 MX$22.00

53.85%

White Bread (500g)

$3.15 MX$53.1

$2.57 MX$43.45

22.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$34.86

$1.59 MX$26.85

30.19%

Eggs

$2.78 MX$46.99

$2.99 MX$50.4

-7.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.18 MX$222

$2.57 MX$43.44

412.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$6.28 MX$106

60.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 MX$236

$7.19 MX$121

94.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.49 MX$58.9

$1.74 MX$29.30

100.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 MX$27.64

$1.50 MX$25.29

9.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 MX$38.41

$1.50 MX$25.29

52.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.60 MX$43.85

$1.74 MX$29.41

49.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 MX$42.75

$1.49 MX$25.20

69.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 MX$48.03

$1.48 MX$24.99

92.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 MX$26.30

$1.51 MX$25.55

3.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 MX$21.74

$0.91 MX$15.42

41.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.21 MX$87.9

$4.25 MX$71.7

22.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.84 MX$250

$8.66 MX$146

71.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 MX$33.96

$2.11 MX$35.54

-4.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 MX$52.9

$4.21 MX$71.0

-25.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 MX$15.13

$1.07 MX$17.99

-15.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.72 MX$569

$37.11 MX$626

-9.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 MX$31.28

$3.14 MX$52.9

-41.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 MX$20.14

$2.41 MX$40.63

-50.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.82 MX$199

$20.43 MX$345

-42.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.67 MX$28.26

$1.50 MX$25.40

11.33%

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

$22.6K MX$381.0K

$22.7K MX$382.5K

-0.39%

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

$27.1K MX$457.6K

$26.1K MX$440.1K

3.97%

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

$128 MX$2,161

$51.5 MX$869

148.62%

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

$28.03 MX$473

$23.99 MX$405

16.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.47 MX$481

$31.52 MX$532

-9.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.66 MX$551

$39.95 MX$674

-18.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.24 MX$392

$17.79 MX$300

30.64%

Cinema Ticket

$5.58 MX$94.2

$4.50 MX$76.0

24.00%

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

$734 MX$12.4K

$217 MX$3,668

237.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K MX$204.5K

$4,992 MX$84.2K

142.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.5 MX$1,342

$37.19 MX$628

113.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.39 MX$783

$35.92 MX$606

29.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 MX$2,024

$82.6 MX$1,394

45.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 MX$2,252

$41.00 MX$692

225.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 MX$17.8K

$1,067 MX$18.0K

-1.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$739 MX$12.5K

$297 MX$5,010

148.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 MX$34.1K

$1,489 MX$25.1K

35.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,358 MX$22.9K

$599 MX$10.1K

126.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,486 MX$75.7K

$2,852 MX$48.1K

57.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,663 MX$44.9K

$1,562 MX$26.4K

70.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,153 MX$19.5K

$914 MX$15.4K

26.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.56

12.07

-4.23%

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

Last update for Monterrey: August 31, 2026

Last update for Mexicali: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,052 in Monterrey versus $1,067 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 26% 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 $37.00 in Mexicali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $333 vs $211 – 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: $1,715 in Monterrey, $990 in Mexicali – roughly 73% apart. Monterrey costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,572 per month in Monterrey and $1,484 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 58% 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 $37.00 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 $990, than in Monterrey at $1,715. 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 $990 in Mexicali to $1,715 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.