Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Negril

For one person, living is cheaper in Negril: $927 a month against $1,647 in Monterrey, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Monterrey, Mexico
Negril, Jamaica
Monterrey
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,647
/mo nomad
Negril
🇯🇲 Jamaica
$927
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in Negril

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,647 in Monterrey versus $927 in Negril.

  • Monterrey $1,647
  • Negril $927

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,591 in Monterrey versus $1,478 in Negril.

  • Monterrey $2,591
  • Negril $1,478

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,536 in Monterrey versus $2,029 in Negril.

  • Monterrey $3,536
  • Negril $2,029

Living in Monterrey is roughly 78% more expensive than in Negril, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 21% above, Negril is 32% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Monterrey
Negril
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.45 MX$251
$9.68 JMD 1,526
38.95%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$48.43 MX$903
$49.26 JMD 7,767
-1.68%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.90 MX$203
$8.05 JMD 1,269
35.40%
Cappuccino
$3.82 MX$71.2
$2.05 JMD 323
86.34%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.67 MX$31.06
$1.15 JMD 181
45.22%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.98 MX$18.32
$0.74 JMD 117
32.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.35 MX$43.81
$2.16 JMD 341
8.80%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.41 MX$82.2
$3.19 JMD 503
38.24%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Monterrey
Negril
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.80 MX$33.58
$4.02 JMD 634
-55.22%
White Bread (500g)
$2.79 MX$52.1
$3.37 JMD 532
-17.21%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.82 MX$34.02
$1.58 JMD 249
15.19%
Eggs
$2.51 MX$46.84
$3.51 JMD 554
-28.49%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.09 MX$225
$11.25 JMD 1,773
7.47%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.41 MX$175
$6.33 JMD 998
48.66%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.71 MX$237
$10.19 JMD 1,606
24.73%
Apples (1kg)
$3.21 MX$59.8
$6.06 JMD 956
-47.03%
Banana (1kg)
$1.50 MX$27.92
$3.96 JMD 624
-62.12%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.14 MX$39.97
$7.47 JMD 1,177
-71.35%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.32 MX$43.28
$2.99 JMD 471
-22.41%
Potato (1kg)
$2.20 MX$41.04
$3.15 JMD 497
-30.16%
Onion (1kg)
$2.60 MX$48.43
$2.58 JMD 406
0.78%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.44 MX$26.85
$2.99 JMD 472
-51.84%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.17 MX$21.88
$1.44 JMD 227
-18.75%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.79 MX$89.3
$9.33 JMD 1,471
-48.66%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.22 MX$247
$11.27 JMD 1,776
17.30%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.94 MX$36.21
$2.92 JMD 460
-33.56%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.89 MX$53.8
$3.94 JMD 622
-26.65%
🚌 Getting Around
Monterrey
Negril
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.87 MX$16.26
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$31.14 MX$581
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.66 MX$30.88
$1.22 JMD 193
36.07%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.09 MX$20.39
$3.23 JMD 509
-66.25%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.67 MX$199
$6.36 JMD 1,002
67.77%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 MX$27.47
$1.47 JMD 232
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.2K MX$451.9K
$43.7K JMD 6.9M
-44.53%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.6K MX$439.1K
$32.6K JMD 5.1M
-27.79%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Monterrey
Negril
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$118 MX$2,197
$166 JMD 26.2K
-29.11%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.55 MX$476
$29.95 JMD 4,722
-14.69%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$26.43 MX$493
$51.9 JMD 8,179
-49.05%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Monterrey
Negril
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$30.77 MX$574
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.07 MX$393
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.09 MX$94.9
$13.26 JMD 2,090
-61.61%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Monterrey
Negril
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$694 MX$12.9K
$362 JMD 57.0K
91.86%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K MX$211.0K
$8,121 JMD 1.3M
39.39%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Monterrey
Negril
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$72.5 MX$1,351
$23.75 JMD 3,745
205.09%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.51 MX$774
$30.90 JMD 4,873
34.34%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$110 MX$2,046
$76.9 JMD 12.1K
42.65%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$115 MX$2,143
$104 JMD 16.4K
10.85%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Monterrey
Negril
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,056 MX$19.7K
$1,005 JMD 158.5K
5.07%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$721 MX$13.4K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,999 MX$37.3K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,435 MX$26.7K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,219 MX$78.7K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,731 MX$50.9K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Monterrey
Negril
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,149 MX$21.4K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.79
9.45
24.76%

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

Last update for Monterrey: October 25, 2026

Last update for Negril: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Monterrey
$721
Negril
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Monterrey
$303
Negril
$378 24.5% $74
Eating Out
Monterrey
$217
Negril
$151 30.6% $66
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Monterrey
$170
Negril
$248 46.1% $78
Clothing & Footwear
Monterrey
$152
Negril
$106 30.5% $47
Getting Around
Monterrey
$42
Negril
$17 * 58.5% $24
Sport & Entertainment
Monterrey
$41
Negril
$27 * 35.3% $14

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 $1,056 in Monterrey and $1,005 in Negril. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48 in Monterrey vs $49 in Negril for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $378 per month, with Monterrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Monterrey
🇯🇲 Negril
🕒 Local time
12:35 12:35 PM
13:35 1:35 PM
1 h ahead of Monterrey
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,142,994
13,779
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

JMD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Jamaican Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.34 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.7 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Monterrey Negril 2,410 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Monterrey
  • Negril

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 Negril: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Monterrey and in Negril?
Monterrey and Negril differ by about 78% in total monthly costs ($1,647 vs $927 including rent). Negril is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Monterrey compared to Negril?
You’d need roughly $2,470 in Monterrey and $1,390 in Negril to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do apartment prices compare in Monterrey and in Negril?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,056 in Monterrey versus $1,005 in Negril. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Monterrey and Negril?
Childcare runs $694 in Monterrey versus $362 in Negril. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city is more expensive overall: Monterrey or Negril?
All in, you’ll spend $1,647 per month in Monterrey versus $927 in Negril – a 78% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
At $927 in Negril versus $1,647 in Monterrey, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Negril but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes Negril the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Where should families live: Monterrey or Negril?
For families, Negril is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Monterrey, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

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