Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Queretaro Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Queretaro

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,715 in Monterrey versus $1,541 in Queretaro.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,683 in Monterrey versus $2,316 in Queretaro.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,652 in Monterrey versus $3,091 in Queretaro.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 11% more expensive than in Queretaro, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Monterrey 25% above, Queretaro 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.60 MX$248

$11.81 MX$201

23.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$909

$66.5 MX$1,130

-19.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.95 MX$203

$9.71 MX$165

23.07%

Cappuccino

$4.29 MX$72.8

$3.91 MX$66.4

9.72%

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

$1.73 MX$29.33

$1.85 MX$31.37

-6.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 MX$18.07

$1.16 MX$19.63

-8.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$50.2

$3.90 MX$66.2

-24.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.73 MX$80.3

$5.93 MX$101

-20.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 MX$33.91

$1.99 MX$33.76

0.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.15 MX$53.5

$2.87 MX$48.76

9.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.08

$2.16 MX$36.61

-4.17%

Eggs

$2.78 MX$47.28

$2.89 MX$49.01

-3.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.18 MX$224

$9.27 MX$157

42.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$9.49 MX$161

6.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 MX$237

$14.75 MX$251

-5.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.49 MX$59.3

$3.70 MX$62.9

-5.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 MX$27.82

$1.71 MX$28.99

-4.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 MX$38.65

$2.34 MX$39.79

-2.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.60 MX$44.13

$2.11 MX$35.79

23.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 MX$43.01

$2.08 MX$35.27

21.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 MX$48.33

$1.95 MX$33.13

46.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 MX$26.46

$1.58 MX$26.87

-1.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 MX$21.88

$1.27 MX$21.56

1.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.21 MX$88.4

$4.79 MX$81.3

8.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.84 MX$252

$19.20 MX$326

-22.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 MX$34.17

$2.39 MX$40.66

-15.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 MX$53.2

$4.45 MX$75.6

-29.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 MX$15.22

$0.64 MX$10.87

40.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.72 MX$573

$27.02 MX$459

24.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 MX$31.47

$3.44 MX$58.5

-46.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 MX$20.27

$2.84 MX$48.27

-58.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.82 MX$201

$11.74 MX$199

0.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.67 MX$28.44

$1.61 MX$27.30

3.73%

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

$22.6K MX$383.4K

$23.2K MX$394.1K

-2.71%

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

$27.1K MX$460.4K

$25.9K MX$440.6K

4.51%

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

$128 MX$2,175

$64.6 MX$1,098

98.14%

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

$28.03 MX$476

$29.23 MX$497

-4.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.47 MX$484

$26.98 MX$458

5.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.66 MX$555

$61.9 MX$1,050

-47.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.24 MX$395

$26.33 MX$447

-11.74%

Cinema Ticket

$5.58 MX$94.8

$7.96 MX$135

-29.90%

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

$734 MX$12.5K

$282 MX$4,796

159.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K MX$205.8K

$5,412 MX$91.9K

123.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.5 MX$1,350

$56.9 MX$966

39.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.39 MX$788

$47.42 MX$805

-2.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 MX$2,037

$107 MX$1,812

12.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 MX$2,266

$105 MX$1,787

26.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 MX$17.9K

$927 MX$15.7K

13.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$739 MX$12.5K

$606 MX$10.3K

21.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 MX$34.3K

$1,603 MX$27.2K

26.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,358 MX$23.1K

$887 MX$15.1K

53.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,486 MX$76.2K

$2,404 MX$40.8K

86.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,663 MX$45.2K

$1,352 MX$23.0K

96.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,153 MX$19.6K

$946 MX$16.1K

21.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.56

11.99

-3.59%

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

Last update for Monterrey: August 31, 2026

Last update for Queretaro: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,052 in Monterrey and $927 in Queretaro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 22% 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 $67.0 in Queretaro. Groceries flip the comparison at $333 vs $328, with Queretaro cheaper for home cooking.

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 Queretaro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey and Queretaro differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($1,715 vs $1,541 including rent). Queretaro is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 22% higher in Monterrey, 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: $1,052 in Monterrey versus $927 in Queretaro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Queretaro – a meal for two runs $67.0 versus $54.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,715 per month in Monterrey versus $1,541 in Queretaro – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,541 in Queretaro versus $1,715 in Monterrey, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Queretaro but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes Queretaro 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 Queretaro 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 Queretaro gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.