Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Plano, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,599 a month against $2,597 in Plano, TX, rent and utilities included – about $12,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Plano, TX
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Plano, TX Living Index

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Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,599

/mo nomad

Plano, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,597

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in Plano, TX

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Monterrey and in Plano, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,599 in Monterrey versus $2,597 in Plano, TX.

Monterrey $1,599
Plano, TX $2,597

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,493 in Monterrey versus $4,016 in Plano, TX.

Monterrey $2,493
Plano, TX $4,016

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,387 in Monterrey versus $5,435 in Plano, TX.

Monterrey $3,387
Plano, TX $5,435

Living in Monterrey costs roughly 38% less than in Plano, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Monterrey 18% above, Plano, TX 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.80 MX$255

$19.95 $19.95

-30.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.99 MX$887

$77.1 $77.1

-37.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$197

$10.19 $10.19

4.51%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$73.7

$5.51 $5.51

-27.59%

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

$1.66 MX$30.76

$2.66 $2.66

-37.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 MX$18.21

$2.35 $2.35

-57.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 MX$43.64

$6.80 $6.80

-65.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 MX$81.8

$7.65 $7.65

-42.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 MX$33.58

$0.95 $0.95

91.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.83 MX$52.4

$3.22 $3.22

-12.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.44

$4.83 $4.83

-60.25%

Eggs

$2.48 MX$45.78

$4.81 $4.81

-48.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.74 MX$217

$13.31 $13.31

-11.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.10 MX$168

$11.29 $11.29

-19.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.53 MX$232

$18.73 $18.73

-33.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.34 MX$61.6

$4.58 $4.58

-27.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$29.10

$1.55 $1.55

1.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.16 MX$39.86

$2.79 $2.79

-22.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 MX$45.65

$3.03 $3.03

-18.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$42.64

$2.32 $2.32

-0.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.68 MX$49.47

$2.51 $2.51

6.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$26.90

$1.92 $1.92

-23.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$22.07

$2.83 $2.83

-57.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.75 MX$87.8

$10.21 $10.21

-53.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.58 MX$251

$15.91 $15.91

-14.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 MX$35.52

$1.71 $1.71

12.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$53.2

$3.22 $3.22

-10.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 MX$14.66

$4.61 $4.61

-82.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.36 MX$579

$106 $106

-70.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.59 MX$29.44

$2.91 $2.91

-45.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 MX$19.58

$1.73 $1.73

-38.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.80 MX$200

$14.92 $14.92

-27.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$28.59

$0.92 $0.92

68.48%

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

$24.2K MX$446.4K

$27.1K $27.1K

-10.95%

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

$24.3K MX$449.4K

$25.9K $25.9K

-5.97%

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

$117 MX$2,159

$194 $194

-39.70%

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

$26.38 MX$488

$47.18 $47.18

-44.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.04 MX$481

$54.7 $54.7

-52.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.26 MX$559

$91.8 $91.8

-67.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.25 MX$393

$3.93 $3.93

440.71%

Cinema Ticket

$5.23 MX$96.6

$15.01 $15.01

-65.16%

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

$673 MX$12.4K

$1,312 $1,312

-48.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K MX$205.2K

$24.3K $24.3K

-54.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.1 MX$1,332

$58.5 $58.5

23.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.38 MX$783

$37.94 $37.94

11.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$2,066

$87.2 $87.2

28.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 MX$2,200

$68.3 $68.3

74.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$949 MX$17.5K

$1,550 $1,550

-38.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$666 MX$12.3K

$1,212 $1,212

-45.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,821 MX$33.7K

$2,748 $2,748

-33.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 MX$23.5K

$2,374 $2,374

-46.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,050 MX$74.8K

$2,365 $2,365

71.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,348 MX$43.4K

$2,423 $2,423

-3.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,155 MX$21.3K

$5,756 $5,756

-79.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.79

6.51

81.11%

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

Last update for Monterrey: October 18, 2026

Last update for Plano, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Monterrey

$666 41.7%

Plano, TX

$1.2K 46.7% 81.9% $546

Groceries & Markets

Monterrey

$304 19%

Plano, TX

$392 15.1% 28.7% $87

Eating Out

Monterrey

$221 13.9%

Plano, TX

$326 12.5% 47% $104

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monterrey

$169 10.6%

Plano, TX

$296 11.4% 74.6% $126

Clothing & Footwear

Monterrey

$155 9.7%

Plano, TX

$113 4.4% 27% $42

Getting Around

Monterrey

$41 2.6%

Plano, TX

$136 5.3% 229% $95

Sport & Entertainment

Monterrey

$41 2.6%

Plano, TX

$122 4.7% 199% $81

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $949 in Monterrey and $1,550 in Plano, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Plano, TX pays 398% 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: $48.00 in Monterrey vs $77.0 in Plano, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $304 vs $392 per month, with Monterrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🇺🇸 Plano, TX

🕒 Local time

19:29 7:29 PM

20:29 8:29 PM

1 h ahead of Monterrey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,142,994

288,253

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Monterrey Plano, TX 890 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Monterrey
Plano, TX

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Plano, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey and Plano, TX differ by about 62% in total monthly costs ($1,599 vs $2,597 including rent). Monterrey is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 398% lower in Plano, TX. 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: $949 in Monterrey versus $1,550 in Plano, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Monterrey – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $77.0 in Plano, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,599 per month in Monterrey versus $2,597 in Plano, TX – a 62% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,599 in Monterrey versus $2,597 in Plano, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Monterrey but tight or insufficient in Plano, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Monterrey 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 Monterrey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Plano, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.