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: $1,618 in Monterrey versus $880 in Pachuca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Monterrey versus $1,451 in Pachuca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,552 in Monterrey versus $2,021 in Pachuca.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 84% more expensive than in Pachuca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 21% above, Pachuca is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.41 MX$235

$4.78 MX$83.8

180.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.7 MX$924

$24.88 MX$436

111.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.11 MX$177

$7.99 MX$140

26.53%

Cappuccino

$3.73 MX$65.4

$2.99 MX$52.5

24.75%

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

$1.44 MX$25.31

$1.08 MX$18.93

33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 MX$17.60

$0.80 MX$13.98

25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.67 MX$46.81

$1.63 MX$28.53

63.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.20 MX$73.6

$3.14 MX$55.1

33.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 MX$29.19

$1.43 MX$25.08

16.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.63

$2.81 MX$49.23

-3.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 MX$34.18

$1.85 MX$32.36

5.41%

Eggs

$2.66 MX$46.71

$2.52 MX$44.21

5.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.21 MX$179

$7.27 MX$128

40.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.91 MX$156

$4.48 MX$78.5

98.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.78 MX$242

$7.44 MX$130

85.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 MX$53.3

$1.95 MX$34.28

55.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 MX$24.60

$1.31 MX$22.92

6.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 MX$35.34

$1.41 MX$24.72

43.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 MX$36.37

$1.62 MX$28.46

27.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 MX$40.66

$1.46 MX$25.68

58.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.55 MX$44.78

$1.26 MX$22.03

102.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 MX$26.48

$0.86 MX$15.01

75.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.93

$0.95 MX$16.71

13.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 MX$74.5

$4.16 MX$73.0

2.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.28 MX$250

$8.78 MX$154

62.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 MX$31.32

$1.30 MX$22.85

37.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$2.44 MX$42.82

30.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 MX$13.54

$0.58 MX$10.20

32.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.89 MX$717

$26.71 MX$469

53.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.76 MX$30.81

$2.44 MX$42.86

-27.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 MX$17.39

$1.24 MX$21.80

-20.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.39 MX$182

$8.03 MX$141

29.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.55

$1.30 MX$22.78

3.08%

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

$26.6K MX$467.3K

$18.1K MX$318.2K

46.88%

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

$25.6K MX$448.3K

$21.2K MX$371.3K

20.75%

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

$121 MX$2,128

$51.5 MX$902

135.84%

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

$27.40 MX$481

$17.12 MX$300

60.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.75 MX$522

$23.16 MX$406

28.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.46 MX$657

$22.61 MX$397

65.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.78 MX$382

$10.51 MX$184

107.23%

Cinema Ticket

$5.75 MX$101

$4.60 MX$80.7

25.00%

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

$348 MX$6,098

$156 MX$2,742

122.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,983 MX$157.6K

$3,064 MX$53.8K

193.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 MX$1,037

$52.6 MX$923

12.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.88 MX$735

$39.77 MX$698

5.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 MX$1,880

$92.9 MX$1,629

15.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 MX$2,249

$75.1 MX$1,317

70.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$889 MX$15.6K

$391 MX$6,863

127.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$646 MX$11.3K

$256 MX$4,496

151.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,577 MX$27.7K

$737 MX$12.9K

113.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,378 MX$24.2K

$664 MX$11.6K

107.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,238 MX$74.3K

$758 MX$13.3K

458.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,757 MX$48.4K

$674 MX$11.8K

309.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,133 MX$19.9K

$671 MX$11.8K

68.68%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Pachuca: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $889 in Monterrey and $391 in Pachuca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 69% 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: $53.0 in Monterrey vs $25.00 in Pachuca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $296 vs $208 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 84% in total monthly costs ($1,618 vs $880 including rent). Pachuca is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 69% higher in Monterrey, 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: $889 in Monterrey versus $391 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 $53.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,618 per month in Monterrey versus $880 in Pachuca – a 84% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $880 in Pachuca versus $1,618 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 84% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.