Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Pachuca Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Pachuca

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,601 in Monterrey versus $876 in Pachuca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Monterrey versus $1,437 in Pachuca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,568 in Monterrey versus $1,997 in Pachuca.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 83% more expensive than Pachuca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 20% above, Pachuca is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.01 MX$225

$4.79 MX$82.9

171.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$930

$24.63 MX$426

118.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.21 MX$177

$7.75 MX$134

31.74%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$63.7

$2.85 MX$49.31

29.12%

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

$1.46 MX$25.30

$1.14 MX$19.76

28.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 MX$17.28

$0.76 MX$13.19

31.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 MX$46.62

$1.55 MX$26.82

74.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$3.24 MX$56.0

31.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 MX$28.81

$1.43 MX$24.75

16.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 MX$46.35

$2.88 MX$49.84

-6.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.35

$1.83 MX$31.58

5.46%

Eggs

$2.63 MX$45.49

$2.51 MX$43.49

4.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.34 MX$179

$7.25 MX$125

42.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.22 MX$159

$4.44 MX$76.7

107.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.84 MX$239

$7.42 MX$128

86.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 MX$54.5

$1.93 MX$33.39

63.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 MX$24.01

$1.26 MX$21.73

10.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.59

$1.46 MX$25.31

36.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$37.03

$1.62 MX$28.09

32.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.19

$1.46 MX$25.32

55.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 MX$44.00

$1.25 MX$21.70

103.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 MX$27.09

$0.89 MX$15.43

76.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.49

$0.98 MX$16.98

9.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 MX$73.5

$4.24 MX$73.4

0.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.36 MX$248

$8.60 MX$149

66.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 MX$30.81

$1.29 MX$22.35

37.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 MX$54.4

$2.51 MX$43.38

25.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 MX$13.87

$0.58 MX$10.05

37.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.54 MX$701

$26.08 MX$451

55.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 MX$29.06

$2.55 MX$44.10

-34.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 MX$16.28

$1.24 MX$21.45

-24.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.76 MX$186

$7.92 MX$137

35.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 MX$23.68

$1.32 MX$22.77

3.79%

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

$26.7K MX$462.6K

$18.5K MX$319.8K

44.62%

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

$25.6K MX$442.5K

$21.1K MX$365.1K

21.20%

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

$122 MX$2,104

$52.2 MX$902

133.24%

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

$27.19 MX$470

$17.38 MX$301

56.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.82 MX$516

$22.62 MX$391

31.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.49 MX$666

$23.36 MX$404

64.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.46 MX$371

$10.41 MX$180

106.15%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 MX$102

$4.60 MX$79.5

28.70%

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

$346 MX$5,979

$161 MX$2,790

114.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,997 MX$155.6K

$3,066 MX$53.0K

193.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.4 MX$1,010

$53.2 MX$920

9.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.55 MX$736

$40.42 MX$699

5.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$1,892

$94.4 MX$1,633

15.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 MX$2,231

$75.1 MX$1,299

71.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$913 MX$15.8K

$385 MX$6,651

137.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$647 MX$11.2K

$266 MX$4,599

143.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,565 MX$27.1K

$726 MX$12.6K

115.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,401 MX$24.2K

$668 MX$11.5K

109.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,371 MX$75.6K

$770 MX$13.3K

467.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,839 MX$49.1K

$676 MX$11.7K

319.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,104 MX$19.1K

$695 MX$12.0K

58.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

10.75

7.44%

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

Last update for Monterrey: June 1, 2026

Last update for Pachuca: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $913 in Monterrey and $385 in Pachuca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 59% 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: $54.0 in Monterrey vs $25.00 in Pachuca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $209 per month, with Pachuca 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 Pachuca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey and Pachuca differ by about 83% in total monthly costs ($1,601 vs $876 including rent). Pachuca is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Monterrey pays 59% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $913 in Monterrey versus $385 in Pachuca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Pachuca – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $54.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,601 per month in Monterrey versus $876 in Pachuca – a 83% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $876 in Pachuca versus $1,601 in Monterrey, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Pachuca but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes Pachuca 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 Pachuca 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 Pachuca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 83% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.