Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Montgomery, AL

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,608 a month against $2,354 in Montgomery, AL, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index
115

Cost of Living Index in Montgomery, AL
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Montgomery, AL Living Index

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Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Montgomery, AL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,354

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in Montgomery, AL

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 Montgomery, AL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Monterrey versus $2,354 in Montgomery, AL.

Monterrey $1,608
Montgomery, AL $2,354

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,521 in Monterrey versus $3,197 in Montgomery, AL.

Monterrey $2,521
Montgomery, AL $3,197

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,433 in Monterrey versus $4,039 in Montgomery, AL.

Monterrey $3,433
Montgomery, AL $4,039

Living in Monterrey costs roughly 32% less than in Montgomery, AL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Monterrey 19% above, Montgomery, AL 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.85 MX$256

$16.11 $16.11

-14.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.70 MX$918

$55.6 $55.6

-10.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.05 MX$204

$10.30 $10.30

7.28%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$75.6

$5.36 $5.36

-23.69%

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

$1.68 MX$30.97

$2.62 $2.62

-35.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 MX$18.98

$2.07 $2.07

-50.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 MX$44.28

$4.37 $4.37

-45.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 MX$80.3

$4.89 $4.89

-11.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 MX$35.55

$0.85 $0.85

125.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 MX$54.2

$3.59 $3.59

-18.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$34.66

$2.05 $2.05

-8.29%

Eggs

$2.55 MX$47.06

$3.14 $3.14

-18.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.84 MX$219

$7.96 $7.96

48.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 MX$173

$7.39 $7.39

26.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 MX$242

$14.27 $14.27

-8.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 MX$62.5

$3.98 $3.98

-15.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 MX$28.13

$1.28 $1.28

18.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.51

$1.96 $1.96

11.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$43.63

$4.16 $4.16

-43.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$41.76

$3.11 $3.11

-27.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.73 MX$50.5

$2.66 $2.66

2.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 MX$28.17

$2.09 $2.09

-27.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$22.90

$2.18 $2.18

-43.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.75 MX$87.8

$8.89 $8.89

-46.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.66 MX$252

$15.07 $15.07

-9.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 MX$34.95

$1.94 $1.94

-2.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 MX$55.2

$3.86 $3.86

-22.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 MX$15.78

$2.04 $2.04

-58.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.95 MX$572

$45.02 $45.02

-31.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 MX$30.98

$2.53 $2.53

-33.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 MX$20.87

$1.60 $1.60

-29.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.15 MX$206

$25.54 $25.54

-56.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 MX$28.91

$0.90 $0.90

73.33%

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

$21.4K MX$395.8K

$31.7K $31.7K

-32.50%

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

$25.1K MX$463.2K

$25.9K $25.9K

-3.39%

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

$119 MX$2,206

$309 $309

-61.39%

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

$26.21 MX$484

$50.7 $50.7

-48.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.78 MX$495

$72.5 $72.5

-63.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.03 MX$573

$37.83 $37.83

-17.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.43 MX$396

$28.52 $28.52

-24.86%

Cinema Ticket

$5.29 MX$97.7

$9.81 $9.81

-46.08%

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

$691 MX$12.8K

$1,380 $1,380

-49.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K MX$212.1K

$13.7K $13.7K

-16.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.3 MX$1,335

$48.94 $48.94

47.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.72 MX$789

$35.52 $35.52

20.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 MX$2,024

$86.2 $86.2

27.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,158

$96.5 $96.5

21.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$970 MX$17.9K

$1,287 $1,287

-24.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$664 MX$12.3K

$1,084 $1,084

-38.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,857 MX$34.3K

$1,589 $1,589

16.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 MX$23.8K

$1,455 $1,455

-11.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,162 MX$76.9K

$1,368 $1,368

204.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,349 MX$43.4K

$1,309 $1,309

79.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,146 MX$21.2K

$3,632 $3,632

-68.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.79

6.54

80.28%

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

Last update for Monterrey: October 10, 2026

Last update for Montgomery, AL: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Monterrey

$664 41.3%

Montgomery, AL

$1.1K 46% 63.4% $421

Groceries & Markets

Monterrey

$310 19.3%

Montgomery, AL

$322 13.7% 3.6% $11

Eating Out

Monterrey

$225 14%

Montgomery, AL

$274 11.7% 22.2% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monterrey

$172 10.7%

Montgomery, AL

$432 18.4% 151% $260

Clothing & Footwear

Monterrey

$154 9.6%

Montgomery, AL

$120 5.1% 21.7% $33

Getting Around

Monterrey

$42 2.6%

Montgomery, AL

$64 2.7% 53% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Monterrey

$42 2.6%

Montgomery, AL

$57 2.4% 38% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $970 in Monterrey and $1,287 in Montgomery, AL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montgomery, AL pays 217% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $50.0 in Monterrey vs $56.0 in Montgomery, AL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $310 vs $322 per month, with Monterrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🇺🇸 Montgomery, AL

🕒 Local time

10:51 10:51 AM

11:51 11:51 AM

1 h ahead of Monterrey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,142,994

200,603

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

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).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Monterrey Montgomery, AL 1,550 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Monterrey
Montgomery, AL

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 Montgomery, AL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey and Montgomery, AL differ by about 46% in total monthly costs ($1,608 vs $2,354 including rent). Monterrey is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 217% lower in Montgomery, AL. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $970 in Monterrey versus $1,287 in Montgomery, AL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Monterrey – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $56.0 in Montgomery, AL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,608 per month in Monterrey versus $2,354 in Montgomery, AL – a 46% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,608 in Monterrey versus $2,354 in Montgomery, AL, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Monterrey but tight or insufficient in Montgomery, AL. The gap between the two cities makes Monterrey the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Monterrey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Montgomery, AL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.