Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Oaxaca de Juarez Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Oaxaca de Juarez

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,595 in Monterrey versus $1,026 in Oaxaca de Juarez.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,536 in Monterrey versus $1,637 in Oaxaca de Juarez.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,477 in Monterrey versus $2,247 in Oaxaca de Juarez.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 55% more expensive than Oaxaca de Juarez, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 19% above, Oaxaca de Juarez is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.02 MX$227

$5.99 MX$104

117.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.6 MX$932

$26.09 MX$454

105.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.17 MX$177

$8.08 MX$141

25.87%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.2

$2.69 MX$46.82

39.41%

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

$1.44 MX$25.09

$1.22 MX$21.25

18.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.06

$0.68 MX$11.90

52.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 MX$44.86

$2.19 MX$38.08

17.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 MX$71.5

$3.43 MX$59.7

19.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 MX$29.14

$1.35 MX$23.47

23.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.63 MX$45.81

$2.65 MX$46.06

-0.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.62

$1.08 MX$18.78

78.70%

Eggs

$2.60 MX$45.25

$1.62 MX$28.12

60.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.47 MX$182

$6.48 MX$113

61.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.07 MX$158

$4.83 MX$84.0

87.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.42 MX$234

$11.05 MX$192

21.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 MX$54.9

$2.15 MX$37.38

46.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 MX$24.44

$1.17 MX$20.37

19.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.39

$1.72 MX$29.86

21.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.35

$0.51 MX$8.92

309.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 MX$40.40

$2.12 MX$36.88

9.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.53 MX$44.09

$1.88 MX$32.64

34.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$27.00

$1.05 MX$18.21

47.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.39

$0.72 MX$12.61

54.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 MX$74.0

$4.00 MX$69.6

6.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.83 MX$206

$10.22 MX$178

15.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 MX$31.28

$1.32 MX$22.90

36.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 MX$54.2

$2.72 MX$47.32

14.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 MX$13.09

$0.51 MX$8.81

47.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.49 MX$687

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.76 MX$30.61

$2.64 MX$46.00

-33.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 MX$17.25

$2.41 MX$41.87

-58.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.60 MX$185

$10.71 MX$186

-1.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.75

$1.29 MX$22.44

1.55%

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

$26.6K MX$463.1K

$22.3K MX$388.0K

19.34%

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

$25.7K MX$447.7K

$24.3K MX$423.5K

5.72%

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

$124 MX$2,151

$68.0 MX$1,183

81.80%

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

$27.80 MX$484

$10.47 MX$182

165.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.57 MX$514

$23.63 MX$411

25.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.39 MX$668

$32.31 MX$562

18.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.87 MX$380

$15.64 MX$272

39.83%

Cinema Ticket

$5.95 MX$103

$5.26 MX$91.5

13.12%

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

$337 MX$5,863

$363 MX$6,315

-7.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,908 MX$155.0K

$3,647 MX$63.5K

144.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,014

$39.42 MX$686

47.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.99 MX$731

$59.5 MX$1,035

-29.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$1,886

$67.2 MX$1,170

61.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 MX$2,195

$98.9 MX$1,721

27.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$911 MX$15.8K

$591 MX$10.3K

54.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$660 MX$11.5K

$416 MX$7,233

58.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,570 MX$27.3K

$1,060 MX$18.4K

48.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,426 MX$24.8K

$854 MX$14.9K

66.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,178 MX$72.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,845 MX$49.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,113 MX$19.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

11.25

2.67%

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

Last update for Monterrey: April 27, 2026

Last update for Oaxaca de Juarez: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $911 in Monterrey and $591 in Oaxaca de Juarez. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Monterrey vs $26.00 in Oaxaca de Juarez for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $210 per month, with Oaxaca de Juarez cheaper across the board.

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 Oaxaca de Juarez: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey and Oaxaca de Juarez differ by about 55% in total monthly costs ($1,595 vs $1,026 including rent). Oaxaca de Juarez is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,392 in Monterrey and $1,539 in Oaxaca de Juarez 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $911 in Monterrey versus $591 in Oaxaca de Juarez. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $337 in Monterrey versus $363 in Oaxaca de Juarez. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Oaxaca de Juarez – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $54.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,026 in Oaxaca de Juarez versus $1,595 in Monterrey, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Oaxaca de Juarez but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes Oaxaca de Juarez 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.

Safety-wise, Monterrey and Oaxaca de Juarez are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Oaxaca de Juarez gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.