Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Miguel Hidalgo Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Miguel Hidalgo

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,715 per month in Monterrey vs $1,235 in Miguel Hidalgo, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,683 per month in Monterrey vs $2,081 in Miguel Hidalgo, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,652 per month in Monterrey vs $2,927 in Miguel Hidalgo, rent included.

Monterrey costs about 39% more than Miguel Hidalgo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Monterrey sits 25% above the global median, while Miguel Hidalgo is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.60 MX$246

$11.80 MX$199

23.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$904

$89.7 MX$1,513

-40.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.95 MX$202

$9.24 MX$156

29.33%

Cappuccino

$4.29 MX$72.4

$3.75 MX$63.3

14.40%

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

$1.73 MX$29.15

$1.48 MX$25.05

16.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 MX$17.95

$1.16 MX$19.52

-8.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$49.84

$2.45 MX$41.28

20.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.73 MX$79.8

$6.34 MX$107

-25.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 MX$33.70

$1.72 MX$29.08

16.28%

White Bread (500g)

$3.15 MX$53.1

$2.85 MX$48.09

10.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$34.86

$1.81 MX$30.54

14.36%

Eggs

$2.78 MX$46.99

$2.64 MX$44.61

5.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.18 MX$222

$8.84 MX$149

49.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$9.82 MX$166

2.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 MX$236

$12.29 MX$208

13.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.49 MX$58.9

$2.91 MX$49.06

19.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 MX$27.64

$1.63 MX$27.47

0.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 MX$38.41

$2.11 MX$35.63

8.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.60 MX$43.85

$1.98 MX$33.37

31.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 MX$42.75

$2.09 MX$35.29

21.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 MX$48.03

$1.99 MX$33.66

43.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 MX$26.30

$1.49 MX$25.12

4.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 MX$21.74

$1.17 MX$19.69

10.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.21 MX$87.9

$4.65 MX$78.5

12.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.84 MX$250

$11.25 MX$190

31.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 MX$33.96

$1.98 MX$33.50

1.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 MX$52.9

$3.36 MX$56.6

-6.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 MX$15.13

$0.74 MX$12.43

21.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.72 MX$569

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 MX$31.28

$2.68 MX$45.24

-30.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 MX$20.14

$2.41 MX$40.70

-50.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.82 MX$199

$12.03 MX$203

-1.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.67 MX$28.26

$1.55 MX$26.23

7.74%

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

$22.6K MX$381.0K

$22.9K MX$386.5K

-1.43%

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

$27.1K MX$457.6K

$26.0K MX$438.0K

4.48%

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

$128 MX$2,161

$32.70 MX$552

291.56%

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

$28.03 MX$473

$23.63 MX$399

18.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.47 MX$481

$34.46 MX$582

-17.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.66 MX$551

$49.30 MX$832

-33.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.24 MX$392

$21.20 MX$358

9.62%

Cinema Ticket

$5.58 MX$94.2

$5.65 MX$95.3

-1.24%

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

$734 MX$12.4K

$249 MX$4,203

194.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K MX$204.5K

$4,235 MX$71.5K

186.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.5 MX$1,342

$80.8 MX$1,363

-1.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.39 MX$783

$45.33 MX$765

2.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 MX$2,024

$100.0 MX$1,687

19.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 MX$2,252

$92.5 MX$1,561

44.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 MX$17.8K

$651 MX$11.0K

61.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$739 MX$12.5K

$413 MX$6,976

78.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 MX$34.1K

$1,102 MX$18.6K

83.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,358 MX$22.9K

$814 MX$13.7K

66.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,486 MX$75.7K

$1,980 MX$33.4K

126.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,663 MX$44.9K

$1,244 MX$21.0K

114.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,153 MX$19.5K

$591 MX$9,979

95.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.56

11.3

2.30%

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

Last update for Monterrey: August 31, 2026

Last update for Miguel Hidalgo: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,052 in Monterrey versus $651 in Miguel Hidalgo. 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 95% 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 $90.0 in Miguel Hidalgo. Groceries tell a different story – $333 in Monterrey vs $288 in Miguel Hidalgo – so Miguel Hidalgo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Miguel Hidalgo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Monterrey is pricier by about 39%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,572 per month in Monterrey and $1,852 in Miguel Hidalgo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54.0 in Monterrey and $90.0 in Miguel Hidalgo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 16% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Miguel Hidalgo, where all-in costs run around $1,235, than in Monterrey at $1,715. In Miguel Hidalgo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Monterrey it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Miguel Hidalgo – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Miguel Hidalgo. 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.