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: $1,574 in Monterrey versus $1,068 in Piedras Negras.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,529 in Monterrey versus $1,647 in Piedras Negras.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,484 in Monterrey versus $2,226 in Piedras Negras.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 17% above, Piedras Negras is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.42 MX$230

$7.96 MX$137

68.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$924

$23.48 MX$403

129.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 MX$177

$7.71 MX$132

33.85%

Cappuccino

$3.58 MX$61.4

$2.54 MX$43.54

40.94%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$1.32 MX$22.59

8.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 MX$17.00

$0.68 MX$11.71

45.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 MX$44.41

$1.28 MX$22.03

102.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 MX$73.4

$2.85 MX$48.87

49.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 MX$28.69

$1.68 MX$28.86

-0.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.30

$2.98 MX$51.1

-11.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.15

$1.67 MX$28.66

11.98%

Eggs

$2.67 MX$45.90

$3.58 MX$61.5

-25.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.49 MX$180

$9.30 MX$160

12.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.13 MX$157

$4.53 MX$77.7

101.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.85 MX$238

$13.07 MX$224

5.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 MX$52.3

$2.68 MX$45.94

13.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 MX$24.09

$1.35 MX$23.14

3.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.41

$1.60 MX$27.51

32.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.33

$2.25 MX$38.63

-8.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.25

$2.22 MX$38.02

0.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 MX$43.99

$1.89 MX$32.41

35.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 MX$26.22

$1.22 MX$20.88

25.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.45

$1.15 MX$19.76

-6.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.13 MX$70.8

$4.26 MX$73.1

-3.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.34 MX$246

$10.95 MX$188

30.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 MX$30.68

$1.61 MX$27.60

11.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 MX$54.5

$3.53 MX$60.5

-9.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 MX$13.16

$0.95 MX$16.22

-18.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.85 MX$701

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.73 MX$29.77

$4.35 MX$74.6

-60.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 MX$16.44

$1.61 MX$27.64

-40.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.72 MX$184

$8.41 MX$144

27.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.36

$1.20 MX$20.63

13.33%

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

$26.5K MX$454.9K

$18.5K MX$318.1K

43.01%

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

$25.9K MX$443.8K

$23.4K MX$402.2K

10.33%

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

$123 MX$2,113

$55.4 MX$951

122.10%

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

$27.98 MX$480

$17.05 MX$293

64.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.71 MX$510

$25.85 MX$444

14.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.13 MX$637

$35.77 MX$614

3.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.88 MX$376

$16.00 MX$275

36.75%

Cinema Ticket

$5.71 MX$97.9

$4.76 MX$81.7

19.96%

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

$348 MX$5,972

$210 MX$3,600

65.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,997 MX$154.4K

$3,528 MX$60.6K

155.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 MX$1,028

$45.84 MX$787

30.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.22 MX$742

$40.05 MX$687

7.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$1,878

$89.0 MX$1,528

22.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 MX$2,228

$70.1 MX$1,204

85.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$894 MX$15.3K

$507 MX$8,694

76.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$656 MX$11.3K

$389 MX$6,679

68.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 MX$27.1K

$934 MX$16.0K

68.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,422 MX$24.4K

$757 MX$13.0K

87.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,316 MX$74.1K

$1,976 MX$33.9K

118.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,873 MX$49.3K

$1,278 MX$21.9K

124.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,101 MX$18.9K

$1,743 MX$29.9K

-36.81%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Piedras Negras: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $894 in Monterrey and $507 in Piedras Negras. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Piedras Negras pays 58% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $54.0 in Monterrey vs $23.00 in Piedras Negras for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 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 ($1,574 vs $1,068 including rent). Piedras Negras is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Piedras Negras earns 58% less. 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: $894 in Monterrey versus $507 in Piedras Negras. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $348 in Monterrey versus $210 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 $23.00 versus $54.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,068 in Piedras Negras versus $1,574 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.