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: $1,790 in Monterrey versus $1,251 in Oaxaca de Juarez.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,785 in Monterrey versus $1,910 in Oaxaca de Juarez.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,780 in Monterrey versus $2,568 in Oaxaca de Juarez.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 43% more expensive than in Oaxaca de Juarez, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 31% above, Oaxaca de Juarez is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.74 MX$250

$7.02 MX$119

109.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$884

$35.43 MX$600

47.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.81 MX$200

$8.78 MX$149

34.51%

Cappuccino

$4.27 MX$72.4

$2.86 MX$48.43

49.30%

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

$1.58 MX$26.80

$1.58 MX$26.78

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$18.90

$0.90 MX$15.22

24.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.02 MX$51.1

$2.68 MX$45.50

12.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.70 MX$79.7

$4.06 MX$68.9

15.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 MX$34.87

$1.49 MX$25.20

38.26%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.7

$3.28 MX$55.7

-3.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 MX$34.71

$1.16 MX$19.60

76.72%

Eggs

$2.78 MX$47.17

$1.79 MX$30.32

55.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.93 MX$219

$7.06 MX$120

83.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.08 MX$171

$6.15 MX$104

63.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.37 MX$243

$11.84 MX$201

21.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.70 MX$62.8

$2.28 MX$38.72

62.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 MX$28.16

$1.27 MX$21.46

30.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 MX$40.19

$2.01 MX$34.10

17.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 MX$43.13

$0.60 MX$10.18

325.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 MX$41.99

$2.17 MX$36.70

14.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 MX$44.75

$2.16 MX$36.52

22.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 MX$27.78

$1.14 MX$19.25

43.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.55

$1.00 MX$17.03

33.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 MX$83.9

$4.49 MX$76.1

10.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.66 MX$248

$10.24 MX$174

43.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 MX$34.50

$1.49 MX$25.21

36.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 MX$53.3

$2.81 MX$47.66

11.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 MX$15.32

$0.61 MX$10.34

47.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.40 MX$566

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 MX$31.64

$4.00 MX$67.7

-53.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.16 MX$19.61

$2.00 MX$33.95

-42.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.62 MX$197

$11.71 MX$198

-0.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 MX$27.19

$1.47 MX$24.97

8.84%

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

$22.4K MX$379.0K

$22.3K MX$377.1K

0.48%

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

$27.3K MX$462.8K

$25.9K MX$439.2K

5.39%

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

$132 MX$2,241

$66.6 MX$1,128

98.74%

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

$29.16 MX$494

$11.71 MX$198

149.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.32 MX$497

$25.41 MX$431

15.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.76 MX$606

$46.17 MX$782

-22.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.05 MX$391

Cinema Ticket

$5.50 MX$93.2

$5.91 MX$100

-6.94%

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

$730 MX$12.4K

$448 MX$7,592

62.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K MX$207.8K

$21.3K MX$361.6K

-42.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.8 MX$1,319

$50.8 MX$861

53.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.40 MX$820

$64.6 MX$1,095

-25.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 MX$2,069

$110 MX$1,858

11.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$151 MX$2,563

$104 MX$1,767

45.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 MX$17.3K

$750 MX$12.7K

36.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 MX$12.1K

$516 MX$8,749

38.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,954 MX$33.1K

$1,309 MX$22.2K

49.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,359 MX$23.0K

$933 MX$15.8K

45.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,350 MX$73.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,868 MX$48.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,147 MX$19.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.47

10.96

4.65%

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

Last update for Monterrey: August 17, 2026

Last update for Oaxaca de Juarez: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,021 in Monterrey and $750 in Oaxaca de Juarez. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Monterrey vs $35.00 in Oaxaca de Juarez for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $238 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 43% in total monthly costs ($1,790 vs $1,251 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 $2,685 in Monterrey and $1,876 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: $1,021 in Monterrey versus $750 in Oaxaca de Juarez. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $730 in Monterrey versus $448 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 $35.00 versus $52.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,251 in Oaxaca de Juarez versus $1,790 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 43% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.