Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Piedras Negras Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Piedras Negras

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,692 in Monterrey versus $1,214 in Piedras Negras.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,638 in Monterrey versus $1,938 in Piedras Negras.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,583 in Monterrey versus $2,662 in Piedras Negras.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 39% more expensive than in Piedras Negras, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 24% above, Piedras Negras is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.54 MX$250

$11.89 MX$204

22.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.7 MX$904

$46.61 MX$800

13.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.44 MX$196

$8.82 MX$151

29.71%

Cappuccino

$4.29 MX$73.7

$3.81 MX$65.4

12.60%

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

$1.72 MX$29.48

$1.50 MX$25.72

14.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.00

$1.07 MX$18.34

3.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$50.7

$2.88 MX$49.36

2.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.78 MX$82.1

$4.33 MX$74.3

10.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 MX$35.10

$1.77 MX$30.38

15.25%

White Bread (500g)

$3.09 MX$53.0

$2.87 MX$49.21

7.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.72

$1.74 MX$29.94

12.64%

Eggs

$2.65 MX$45.42

$2.60 MX$44.64

1.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.69 MX$218

$8.74 MX$150

45.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.80 MX$168

$8.83 MX$151

10.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 MX$232

$12.31 MX$211

9.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.45 MX$59.3

$2.97 MX$50.9

16.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.14

$1.67 MX$28.72

-1.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.35

$2.09 MX$35.80

6.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 MX$43.87

$1.92 MX$32.94

33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.40 MX$41.19

$2.14 MX$36.68

12.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 MX$49.38

$1.95 MX$33.48

47.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 MX$27.37

$1.50 MX$25.81

6.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 MX$22.96

$1.19 MX$20.51

12.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 MX$88.9

$4.72 MX$81.0

9.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.68 MX$252

$11.41 MX$196

28.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 MX$34.91

$1.99 MX$34.12

2.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 MX$54.4

$3.42 MX$58.7

-7.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 MX$15.80

$0.71 MX$12.25

29.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.50 MX$575

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 MX$33.04

$2.83 MX$48.64

-32.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 MX$20.38

$2.00 MX$34.39

-40.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.75 MX$202

$11.84 MX$203

-0.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 MX$27.05

$1.43 MX$24.53

10.49%

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

$22.2K MX$381.5K

$22.4K MX$384.3K

-0.72%

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

$26.2K MX$449.6K

$25.8K MX$443.1K

1.47%

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

$124 MX$2,120

$69.6 MX$1,194

77.48%

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

$28.25 MX$485

$24.19 MX$415

16.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.93 MX$479

$31.11 MX$534

-10.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.96 MX$566

$37.02 MX$635

-10.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.09 MX$396

$21.73 MX$373

6.26%

Cinema Ticket

$5.52 MX$94.8

$5.58 MX$95.7

-1.08%

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

$730 MX$12.5K

$244 MX$4,191

199.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K MX$202.8K

$4,309 MX$74.0K

174.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.3 MX$1,379

$58.0 MX$995

38.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.45 MX$780

$44.60 MX$766

1.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 MX$2,051

$109 MX$1,866

9.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 MX$2,237

$90.8 MX$1,558

43.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,047 MX$18.0K

$652 MX$11.2K

60.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$728 MX$12.5K

$420 MX$7,205

73.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 MX$33.9K

$1,130 MX$19.4K

74.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,385 MX$23.8K

$821 MX$14.1K

68.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,432 MX$76.1K

$1,989 MX$34.1K

122.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 MX$45.0K

$1,237 MX$21.2K

111.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,168 MX$20.1K

$1,751 MX$30.1K

-33.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.56

11.3

2.30%

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

Last update for Monterrey: September 12, 2026

Last update for Piedras Negras: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,047 in Monterrey and $652 in Piedras Negras. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Piedras Negras pays 50% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $53.0 in Monterrey vs $47.00 in Piedras Negras for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $284 per month, with Piedras Negras 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 Piedras Negras: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey and Piedras Negras differ by about 39% in total monthly costs ($1,692 vs $1,214 including rent). Piedras Negras is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 50% lower in Piedras Negras. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,047 in Monterrey versus $652 in Piedras Negras. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $730 in Monterrey versus $244 in Piedras Negras. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Piedras Negras – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $53.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,214 in Piedras Negras versus $1,692 in Monterrey, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Piedras Negras but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes Piedras Negras 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.

Expats usually find Piedras Negras gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.