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: $1,581 in Monterrey versus $1,073 in Piedras Negras.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,534 in Monterrey versus $1,675 in Piedras Negras.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,488 in Monterrey versus $2,277 in Piedras Negras.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 47% more expensive than in Piedras Negras, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 19% above, Piedras Negras is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.12 MX$229

$8.17 MX$142

60.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 MX$906

$24.21 MX$422

114.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.46 MX$182

$7.92 MX$138

32.07%

Cappuccino

$3.73 MX$65.1

$2.56 MX$44.62

45.70%

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

$1.40 MX$24.42

$1.27 MX$22.15

10.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.05 MX$18.32

$0.68 MX$11.88

54.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.69 MX$46.87

$1.29 MX$22.47

108.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 MX$75.5

$2.84 MX$49.46

52.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 MX$29.00

$1.69 MX$29.42

-1.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$46.11

$2.98 MX$51.9

-11.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.22

$1.70 MX$29.66

15.29%

Eggs

$2.62 MX$45.78

$3.68 MX$64.2

-28.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.49 MX$183

$9.38 MX$164

11.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.88 MX$155

$4.76 MX$83.1

86.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 MX$237

$13.09 MX$228

3.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$53.2

$2.69 MX$46.89

13.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 MX$25.56

$1.35 MX$23.51

8.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.51

$1.63 MX$28.42

25.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 MX$36.02

$2.24 MX$39.06

-7.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 MX$40.80

$2.22 MX$38.80

5.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.52 MX$43.87

$1.84 MX$32.08

36.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 MX$27.39

$1.20 MX$20.98

30.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.46

$1.12 MX$19.57

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.5

$4.07 MX$71.0

4.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.06 MX$245

$10.68 MX$186

31.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 MX$31.25

$1.56 MX$27.28

14.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$3.48 MX$60.7

-11.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 MX$14.30

$0.89 MX$15.58

-7.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.01 MX$698

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.75 MX$30.52

$4.48 MX$78.1

-60.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 MX$16.91

$1.61 MX$28.04

-39.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.63 MX$185

$8.42 MX$147

26.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 MX$23.84

$1.19 MX$20.82

15.13%

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

$26.3K MX$458.8K

$18.3K MX$318.3K

44.13%

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

$25.5K MX$444.9K

$23.7K MX$414.1K

7.43%

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

$123 MX$2,142

$56.2 MX$980

118.54%

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

$27.58 MX$481

$16.93 MX$295

62.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.78 MX$519

$25.93 MX$452

14.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.38 MX$669

$36.57 MX$638

4.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.94 MX$383

$16.03 MX$280

36.87%

Cinema Ticket

$5.86 MX$102

$4.76 MX$82.9

23.11%

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

$347 MX$6,052

$209 MX$3,646

65.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,938 MX$155.9K

$3,636 MX$63.4K

145.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.2 MX$1,014

$45.03 MX$785

29.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.19 MX$753

$40.37 MX$704

6.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$1,899

$89.9 MX$1,568

21.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 MX$2,204

$70.0 MX$1,221

80.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 MX$15.7K

$507 MX$8,849

77.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$661 MX$11.5K

$396 MX$6,909

66.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 MX$27.8K

$927 MX$16.2K

72.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,398 MX$24.4K

$753 MX$13.1K

85.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,267 MX$74.4K

$1,916 MX$33.4K

122.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,840 MX$49.5K

$1,235 MX$21.5K

129.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,135 MX$19.8K

$1,714 MX$29.9K

-33.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

11.48

0.61%

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

Last update for Monterrey: July 27, 2026

Last update for Piedras Negras: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $903 in Monterrey and $507 in Piedras Negras. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Piedras Negras pays 51% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $52.0 in Monterrey vs $24.00 in Piedras Negras for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $296 vs $263 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 47% in total monthly costs ($1,581 vs $1,073 including rent). Piedras Negras is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 51% 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: $903 in Monterrey versus $507 in Piedras Negras. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $347 in Monterrey versus $209 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 $24.00 versus $52.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,073 in Piedras Negras versus $1,581 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 47% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.