Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Naperville, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,599 a month against $2,821 in Naperville, IL, rent and utilities included – about $14,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Monterrey
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,599
/mo nomad
Naperville, IL
🇺🇸 United States
$2,821
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in Naperville, IL

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 Naperville, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,599 in Monterrey versus $2,821 in Naperville, IL.

  • Monterrey $1,599
  • Naperville, IL $2,821

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,493 in Monterrey versus $3,974 in Naperville, IL.

  • Monterrey $2,493
  • Naperville, IL $3,974

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,387 in Monterrey versus $5,127 in Naperville, IL.

  • Monterrey $3,387
  • Naperville, IL $5,127

Living in Monterrey costs roughly 43% less than in Naperville, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Monterrey 18% above, Naperville, IL 108% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Monterrey
Naperville, IL
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.80 MX$255
$14.01 $14.01
-1.50%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.99 MX$887
$74.9 $74.9
-35.89%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.65 MX$197
$11.98 $11.98
-11.10%
Cappuccino
$3.99 MX$73.7
$5.27 $5.27
-24.29%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.66 MX$30.76
$2.88 $2.88
-42.36%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.99 MX$18.21
$2.29 $2.29
-56.77%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.36 MX$43.64
$6.13 $6.13
-61.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.43 MX$81.8
$8.45 $8.45
-47.57%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Monterrey
Naperville, IL
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.82 MX$33.58
$0.78 $0.78
133.33%
White Bread (500g)
$2.83 MX$52.4
$2.85 $2.85
-0.70%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.92 MX$35.44
$2.95 $2.95
-34.92%
Eggs
$2.48 MX$45.78
$3.52 $3.52
-29.55%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.74 MX$217
$7.74 $7.74
51.68%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.10 MX$168
$11.46 $11.46
-20.59%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.53 MX$232
$10.49 $10.49
19.45%
Apples (1kg)
$3.34 MX$61.6
$5.49 $5.49
-39.16%
Banana (1kg)
$1.57 MX$29.10
$1.66 $1.66
-5.42%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.16 MX$39.86
$3.47 $3.47
-37.75%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.47 MX$45.65
$5.37 $5.37
-54.00%
Potato (1kg)
$2.31 MX$42.64
$1.70 $1.70
35.88%
Onion (1kg)
$2.68 MX$49.47
$3.35 $3.35
-20.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.46 MX$26.90
$1.69 $1.69
-13.61%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.19 MX$22.07
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.75 MX$87.8
$12.21 $12.21
-61.10%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.58 MX$251
$8.21 $8.21
65.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.92 MX$35.52
$1.76 $1.76
9.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.88 MX$53.2
$3.99 $3.99
-27.82%
🚌 Getting Around
Monterrey
Naperville, IL
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.79 MX$14.66
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$31.36 MX$579
$130 $130
-75.86%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.59 MX$29.44
$5.61 $5.61
-71.66%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.06 MX$19.58
$2.91 $2.91
-63.57%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.80 MX$200
$17.46 $17.46
-38.14%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.55 MX$28.59
$1.08 $1.08
43.52%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.2K MX$446.4K
$24.4K $24.4K
-1.10%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.3K MX$449.4K
$25.8K $25.8K
-5.68%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Monterrey
Naperville, IL
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$117 MX$2,159
$173 $173
-32.51%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.38 MX$488
$52.4 $52.4
-49.67%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$26.04 MX$481
$51.6 $51.6
-49.53%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Monterrey
Naperville, IL
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$30.26 MX$559
$70.7 $70.7
-57.19%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.25 MX$393
$15.09 $15.09
40.82%
Cinema Ticket
$5.23 MX$96.6
$11.99 $11.99
-56.38%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Monterrey
Naperville, IL
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$673 MX$12.4K
$1,477 $1,477
-54.47%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.1K MX$205.2K
$12.7K $12.7K
-12.45%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Monterrey
Naperville, IL
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$72.1 MX$1,332
$57.5 $57.5
25.27%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.38 MX$783
$24.78 $24.78
71.03%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$112 MX$2,066
$87.4 $87.4
27.96%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 MX$2,200
$50.6 $50.6
135.30%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Monterrey
Naperville, IL
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$949 MX$17.5K
$2,037 $2,037
-53.40%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$666 MX$12.3K
$1,616 $1,616
-58.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,821 MX$33.7K
$3,308 $3,308
-44.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,271 MX$23.5K
$2,429 $2,429
-47.67%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,050 MX$74.8K
$2,253 $2,253
79.80%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,348 MX$43.4K
$2,241 $2,241
4.74%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Monterrey
Naperville, IL
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,155 MX$21.3K
$6,526 $6,526
-82.30%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.79
6.43
83.36%

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

Last update for Monterrey: October 18, 2026

Last update for Naperville, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Monterrey
$666
Naperville, IL
$1.6K 143% $950
Groceries & Markets
Monterrey
$304
Naperville, IL
$304 * 0.1% $0.4
Eating Out
Monterrey
$221
Naperville, IL
$280 26.2% $58
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Monterrey
$169
Naperville, IL
$277 63.7% $108
Clothing & Footwear
Monterrey
$155
Naperville, IL
$99 36.2% $56
Getting Around
Monterrey
$41
Naperville, IL
$150 * 262% $109
Sport & Entertainment
Monterrey
$41
Naperville, IL
$95 133% $54

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $949 in Monterrey and $2,037 in Naperville, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Naperville, IL pays 465% 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: $48.00 in Monterrey vs $75.0 in Naperville, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $304 vs $304 per month, with Monterrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Monterrey
🇺🇸 Naperville, IL
🕒 Local time
16:56 4:56 PM
17:56 5:56 PM
1 h ahead of Monterrey
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,142,994
149,540
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Monterrey Naperville, IL 2,110 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Monterrey
  • Naperville, IL

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 Naperville, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Monterrey and in Naperville, IL?
Monterrey and Naperville, IL differ by about 76% in total monthly costs ($1,599 vs $2,821 including rent). Monterrey is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 465% lower in Naperville, IL. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Monterrey and in Naperville, IL?
Rent for a central apartment: $949 in Monterrey versus $2,037 in Naperville, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Monterrey – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $75.0 in Naperville, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Monterrey or Naperville, IL?
All in, you'll spend $1,599 per month in Monterrey versus $2,821 in Naperville, IL – a 76% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,599 in Monterrey versus $2,821 in Naperville, IL, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Monterrey but tight or insufficient in Naperville, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Monterrey the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Monterrey and Naperville, IL?
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.
Is Monterrey or Naperville, IL safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Monterrey and Naperville, IL are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Monterrey or Naperville, IL?
Expats usually find Monterrey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 76% less than in Naperville, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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