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 $1,601 per month in Monterrey vs $1,124 in Miguel Hidalgo, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,585 per month in Monterrey vs $1,885 in Miguel Hidalgo, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,568 per month in Monterrey vs $2,646 in Miguel Hidalgo, rent included.

Monterrey costs about 42% more than Miguel Hidalgo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Monterrey sits 20% above the global median, while Miguel Hidalgo is 16% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.01 MX$226

$10.69 MX$185

21.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$932

$83.2 MX$1,442

-35.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.21 MX$177

$7.86 MX$136

29.90%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$63.8

$3.33 MX$57.8

10.51%

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

$1.46 MX$25.34

$1.23 MX$21.37

18.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 MX$17.31

$0.98 MX$17.00

2.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 MX$46.70

$2.32 MX$40.12

16.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$5.70 MX$98.8

-25.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 MX$28.86

$1.50 MX$25.94

11.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 MX$46.43

$2.50 MX$43.35

7.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.41

$1.57 MX$27.17

22.93%

Eggs

$2.63 MX$45.57

$2.39 MX$41.47

10.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.34 MX$179

$8.26 MX$143

25.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.22 MX$160

$8.90 MX$154

3.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.84 MX$240

$10.73 MX$186

28.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 MX$54.6

$2.58 MX$44.69

22.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 MX$24.06

$1.46 MX$25.35

-4.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.65

$1.73 MX$29.93

15.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$37.10

$1.60 MX$27.69

33.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.26

$1.86 MX$32.16

22.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 MX$44.08

$1.92 MX$33.29

32.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 MX$27.14

$1.21 MX$20.95

29.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.53

$1.03 MX$17.80

3.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 MX$73.6

$4.29 MX$74.4

-0.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.36 MX$249

$10.71 MX$186

34.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 MX$30.87

$1.60 MX$27.68

11.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 MX$54.5

$2.73 MX$47.28

15.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 MX$13.89

$0.66 MX$11.42

21.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.54 MX$703

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 MX$29.11

$2.65 MX$46.00

-36.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 MX$16.31

$1.59 MX$27.61

-40.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.76 MX$186

$8.20 MX$142

31.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 MX$23.72

$1.25 MX$21.71

9.60%

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

$26.7K MX$463.4K

$21.1K MX$366.0K

26.61%

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

$25.6K MX$443.3K

$22.3K MX$385.6K

14.96%

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

$122 MX$2,108

$29.30 MX$508

315.22%

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

$27.19 MX$471

$22.31 MX$387

21.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.82 MX$517

$30.75 MX$533

-3.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.49 MX$667

$44.80 MX$776

-14.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.46 MX$372

$16.15 MX$280

32.88%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 MX$103

$4.57 MX$79.3

29.54%

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

$346 MX$5,990

$207 MX$3,594

66.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,997 MX$155.9K

$3,640 MX$63.1K

147.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.4 MX$1,012

$72.7 MX$1,259

-19.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.55 MX$737

$40.35 MX$699

5.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$1,896

$91.2 MX$1,581

19.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 MX$2,235

$79.2 MX$1,373

62.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$913 MX$15.8K

$510 MX$8,830

79.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$647 MX$11.2K

$398 MX$6,905

62.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,565 MX$27.1K

$937 MX$16.2K

67.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,401 MX$24.3K

$766 MX$13.3K

82.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,371 MX$75.7K

$1,922 MX$33.3K

127.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,839 MX$49.2K

$1,277 MX$22.1K

122.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,104 MX$19.1K

$573 MX$9,924

92.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

11.48

0.61%

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

Last update for Monterrey: June 1, 2026

Last update for Miguel Hidalgo: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $913 in Monterrey versus $510 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 93% 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 $83.0 in Miguel Hidalgo. Groceries tell a different story – $298 in Monterrey vs $255 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 42%, 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 $2,402 per month in Monterrey and $1,686 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 $83.0 in Miguel Hidalgo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 17% 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 $1,124, than in Monterrey at $1,601. 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.