Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Puerto Escondido Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Puerto Escondido

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,574 in Monterrey versus $1,138 in Puerto Escondido.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,529 in Monterrey versus $1,779 in Puerto Escondido.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,484 in Monterrey versus $2,420 in Puerto Escondido.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 38% more expensive than Puerto Escondido, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 17% above, Puerto Escondido is 15% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.42 MX$230

$9.30 MX$160

44.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$924

$39.25 MX$674

37.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 MX$177

$7.85 MX$135

31.46%

Cappuccino

$3.58 MX$61.4

$3.27 MX$56.1

9.48%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$1.27 MX$21.82

12.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 MX$17.00

$0.97 MX$16.69

2.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 MX$44.41

$2.57 MX$44.17

0.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 MX$73.4

$3.83 MX$65.7

11.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 MX$28.69

$1.45 MX$24.80

15.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.30

$2.75 MX$47.12

-4.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.15

$1.07 MX$18.44

74.77%

Eggs

$2.67 MX$45.90

$1.92 MX$32.97

39.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.49 MX$180

$8.05 MX$138

30.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.13 MX$157

$7.96 MX$137

14.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.85 MX$238

$11.51 MX$198

20.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 MX$52.3

$2.57 MX$44.15

18.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 MX$24.09

$1.04 MX$17.81

34.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.41

$1.77 MX$30.42

19.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.33

$1.76 MX$30.14

17.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.25

$2.15 MX$36.84

3.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 MX$43.99

$2.68 MX$46.08

-4.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 MX$26.22

$1.20 MX$20.67

27.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.45

$1.02 MX$17.48

4.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.13 MX$70.8

$4.94 MX$84.8

-16.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.34 MX$246

$10.64 MX$183

34.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 MX$30.68

$2.21 MX$37.85

-19.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 MX$54.5

$2.86 MX$49.16

11.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 MX$13.16

$0.73 MX$12.60

5.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.85 MX$701

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.73 MX$29.77

$2.52 MX$43.27

-31.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 MX$16.44

$1.60 MX$27.42

-40.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.72 MX$184

$8.46 MX$145

26.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.36

$1.32 MX$22.74

3.03%

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

$26.5K MX$454.9K

$21.1K MX$362.9K

25.34%

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

$25.9K MX$443.8K

$22.1K MX$378.8K

17.15%

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

$123 MX$2,113

$57.6 MX$988

113.92%

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

$27.98 MX$480

$22.22 MX$381

25.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.71 MX$510

$56.1 MX$962

-46.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.13 MX$637

$21.41 MX$368

73.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.88 MX$376

$10.66 MX$183

105.25%

Cinema Ticket

$5.71 MX$97.9

$4.68 MX$80.4

22.01%

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

$348 MX$5,972

$158 MX$2,707

120.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,997 MX$154.4K

$3,658 MX$62.8K

145.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 MX$1,028

$52.7 MX$905

13.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.22 MX$742

$40.42 MX$694

6.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$1,878

$88.2 MX$1,514

23.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 MX$2,228

$78.8 MX$1,353

64.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$894 MX$15.3K

$390 MX$6,689

129.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$656 MX$11.3K

$400 MX$6,865

63.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 MX$27.1K

$944 MX$16.2K

67.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,422 MX$24.4K

$771 MX$13.2K

84.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,316 MX$74.1K

$1,961 MX$33.7K

120.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,873 MX$49.3K

$1,276 MX$21.9K

125.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,101 MX$18.9K

$349 MX$5,983

215.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

11.5

0.43%

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

Last update for Monterrey: June 8, 2026

Last update for Puerto Escondido: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $894 in Monterrey and $390 in Puerto Escondido. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 216% 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: $54.0 in Monterrey vs $39.00 in Puerto Escondido for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $254 per month, with Puerto Escondido 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 Puerto Escondido: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey and Puerto Escondido differ by about 38% in total monthly costs ($1,574 vs $1,138 including rent). Puerto Escondido is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Monterrey pays 216% more on average, 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: $894 in Monterrey versus $390 in Puerto Escondido. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $348 in Monterrey versus $158 in Puerto Escondido. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Puerto Escondido – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $54.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,138 in Puerto Escondido versus $1,574 in Monterrey, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Puerto Escondido but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes Puerto Escondido 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 Puerto Escondido 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 Puerto Escondido gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.