Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Midland, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,608 a month against $2,137 in Midland, TX, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Monterrey
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,608
/mo nomad
Midland, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,137
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in Midland, TX

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Monterrey and in Midland, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,608 per month in Monterrey vs $2,137 in Midland, TX, rent included.

  • Monterrey $1,608
  • Midland, TX $2,137

A couple spends around $2,521 per month in Monterrey vs $2,947 in Midland, TX, rent included.

  • Monterrey $2,521
  • Midland, TX $2,947

A family of three spends $3,433 per month in Monterrey vs $3,758 in Midland, TX, rent included.

  • Monterrey $3,433
  • Midland, TX $3,758

Monterrey is about 25% cheaper than Midland, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Monterrey and Midland, TX sit above the global median – Monterrey by 19%, Midland, TX by 58%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Monterrey
Midland, TX
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.85 MX$256
$16.07 $16.07
-13.81%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$49.70 MX$918
$55.7 $55.7
-10.69%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.05 MX$204
$9.85 $9.85
12.18%
Cappuccino
$4.09 MX$75.6
$5.16 $5.16
-20.74%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68 MX$30.97
$4.66 $4.66
-63.95%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.03 MX$18.98
$4.36 $4.36
-76.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.40 MX$44.28
$10.07 $10.07
-76.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.35 MX$80.3
$12.20 $12.20
-64.34%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Monterrey
Midland, TX
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.92 MX$35.55
$0.82 $0.82
134.15%
White Bread (500g)
$2.94 MX$54.2
$3.38 $3.38
-13.02%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.88 MX$34.66
$4.39 $4.39
-57.18%
Eggs
$2.55 MX$47.06
$2.94 $2.94
-13.27%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.84 MX$219
$11.20 $11.20
5.71%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.36 MX$173
-
-
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.10 MX$242
-
-
Apples (1kg)
$3.38 MX$62.5
-
-
Banana (1kg)
$1.52 MX$28.13
$1.08 $1.08
40.74%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.19 MX$40.51
-
-
Tomato (1kg)
$2.36 MX$43.63
-
-
Potato (1kg)
$2.26 MX$41.76
-
-
Onion (1kg)
$2.73 MX$50.5
-
-
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.52 MX$28.17
$1.76 $1.76
-13.64%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 MX$22.90
$2.02 $2.02
-38.61%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.75 MX$87.8
$12.20 $12.20
-61.07%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.66 MX$252
$14.76 $14.76
-7.45%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.89 MX$34.95
$1.72 $1.72
9.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.99 MX$55.2
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Monterrey
Midland, TX
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.85 MX$15.78
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$30.95 MX$572
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.68 MX$30.98
-
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.13 MX$20.87
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.15 MX$206
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.56 MX$28.91
$0.88 $0.88
77.27%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.4K MX$395.8K
-
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.1K MX$463.2K
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Monterrey
Midland, TX
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$119 MX$2,206
-
-
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.21 MX$484
$53.3 $53.3
-50.83%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$26.78 MX$495
$71.4 $71.4
-62.49%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Monterrey
Midland, TX
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$31.03 MX$573
$10.04 $10.04
209.06%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.43 MX$396
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.29 MX$97.7
$12.67 $12.67
-58.25%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Monterrey
Midland, TX
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$691 MX$12.8K
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.5K MX$212.1K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Monterrey
Midland, TX
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$72.3 MX$1,335
$79.4 $79.4
-8.97%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.72 MX$789
$29.46 $29.46
45.01%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$110 MX$2,024
$152 $152
-27.79%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$117 MX$2,158
$150 $150
-22.41%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Monterrey
Midland, TX
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$970 MX$17.9K
$1,530 $1,530
-36.64%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$664 MX$12.3K
$1,280 $1,280
-48.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,857 MX$34.3K
$2,095 $2,095
-11.38%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,287 MX$23.8K
$1,806 $1,806
-28.71%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,162 MX$76.9K
$2,029 $2,029
105.10%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,349 MX$43.4K
$2,029 $2,029
15.79%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Monterrey
Midland, TX
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,146 MX$21.2K
$5,648 $5,648
-79.70%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.79
6.92
70.38%

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

Last update for Monterrey: October 10, 2026

Last update for Midland, TX: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Monterrey
$664
Midland, TX
$1.3K 92.9% $617
Groceries & Markets
Monterrey
$310
Midland, TX
$181 * 41.8% $130
Eating Out
Monterrey
$225
Midland, TX
$331 47.3% $106
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Monterrey
$172
Midland, TX
$125 * 27.7% $48
Clothing & Footwear
Monterrey
$154
Midland, TX
$185 20.4% $31
Getting Around
Monterrey
$42
Midland, TX
- * 100%
Sport & Entertainment
Monterrey
$42
Midland, TX
$35 15% $6.2

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $970 in Monterrey versus $1,530 in Midland, TX. 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 393% higher in Midland, TX, 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 $50.0 in Monterrey versus $56.0 in Midland, TX. Groceries tell a different story – $310 in Monterrey vs $181 in Midland, TX – so Midland, TX wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Monterrey
🇺🇸 Midland, TX
🕒 Local time
10:55 10:55 AM
11:55 11:55 AM
1 h ahead of Monterrey
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,142,994
132,524
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Monterrey Midland, TX 720 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Monterrey
  • Midland, TX

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Midland, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Monterrey or Midland, TX?
Midland, TX costs about 33% more than Monterrey, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Monterrey and in Midland, TX?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,412 per month in Monterrey and $3,206 in Midland, TX. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Monterrey or Midland, TX?
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.
How much does it cost to live in Monterrey compared to Midland, TX?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,608 in Monterrey and $2,137 in Midland, TX. That's a gap of about 33%.
Are groceries more expensive in Monterrey or in Midland, TX?
Interestingly, groceries are about 72% cheaper in Midland, TX – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
Can you live on $3,000/month in Monterrey or in Midland, TX?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Monterrey, where all-in costs run around $1,608, than in Midland, TX at $2,137. In Monterrey it covers expenses comfortably, while in Midland, TX it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Monterrey or Midland, TX?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Monterrey costs $1,608 versus $2,137 in Midland, TX. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
Should I move to Monterrey or to Midland, TX?
If budget matters most, go with Monterrey. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Midland, TX makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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