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: $1,618 in Monterrey versus $1,294 in Queretaro.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Monterrey versus $1,993 in Queretaro.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,552 in Monterrey versus $2,692 in Queretaro.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 25% more expensive than in Queretaro, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 21% above, Queretaro is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.41 MX$235

$9.43 MX$165

42.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.7 MX$924

$45.49 MX$798

15.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.11 MX$177

$7.73 MX$136

30.79%

Cappuccino

$3.73 MX$65.4

$3.53 MX$61.9

5.67%

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

$1.44 MX$25.31

$1.31 MX$23.03

9.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 MX$17.60

$0.96 MX$16.83

4.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.67 MX$46.81

$2.40 MX$42.04

11.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.20 MX$73.6

$4.28 MX$75.1

-1.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 MX$29.19

$1.61 MX$28.18

3.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.63

$2.61 MX$45.70

4.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 MX$34.18

$1.93 MX$33.86

1.04%

Eggs

$2.66 MX$46.71

$2.32 MX$40.77

14.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.21 MX$179

$8.44 MX$148

20.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.91 MX$156

$9.42 MX$165

-5.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.78 MX$242

$13.11 MX$230

5.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 MX$53.3

$3.58 MX$62.8

-15.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 MX$24.60

$1.46 MX$25.56

-4.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 MX$35.34

$1.90 MX$33.39

6.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 MX$36.37

$1.71 MX$29.97

21.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 MX$40.66

$1.73 MX$30.33

34.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.55 MX$44.78

$1.84 MX$32.21

38.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 MX$26.48

$1.30 MX$22.84

16.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.93

$1.14 MX$20.01

-5.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 MX$74.5

$4.20 MX$73.7

1.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.28 MX$250

$17.06 MX$299

-16.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 MX$31.32

$1.94 MX$34.04

-7.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$3.26 MX$57.2

-2.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 MX$13.54

$0.55 MX$9.70

40.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.89 MX$717

$23.65 MX$415

72.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.76 MX$30.81

$3.26 MX$57.1

-46.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 MX$17.39

$1.24 MX$21.67

-20.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.39 MX$182

$9.30 MX$163

11.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.55

$1.26 MX$22.05

6.35%

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

$26.6K MX$467.3K

$19.7K MX$345.9K

35.09%

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

$25.6K MX$448.3K

$20.5K MX$359.9K

24.56%

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

$121 MX$2,128

$62.5 MX$1,096

94.18%

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

$27.40 MX$481

$23.75 MX$417

15.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.75 MX$522

$28.25 MX$495

5.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.46 MX$657

$50.1 MX$878

-25.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.78 MX$382

$26.33 MX$462

-17.28%

Cinema Ticket

$5.75 MX$101

$6.12 MX$107

-6.05%

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

$348 MX$6,098

$314 MX$5,500

10.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,983 MX$157.6K

$4,841 MX$84.9K

85.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 MX$1,037

$50.8 MX$891

16.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.88 MX$735

$41.93 MX$735

-0.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 MX$1,880

$98.4 MX$1,725

8.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 MX$2,249

$98.4 MX$1,726

30.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$889 MX$15.6K

$654 MX$11.5K

35.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$646 MX$11.3K

$491 MX$8,605

31.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,577 MX$27.7K

$1,200 MX$21.0K

31.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,378 MX$24.2K

$810 MX$14.2K

70.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,238 MX$74.3K

$2,327 MX$40.8K

82.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,757 MX$48.4K

$1,318 MX$23.1K

109.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,133 MX$19.9K

$914 MX$16.0K

23.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

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

Last update for Monterrey: July 11, 2026

Last update for Queretaro: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $889 in Monterrey and $654 in Queretaro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 24% 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: $53.0 in Monterrey vs $45.00 in Queretaro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $296 vs $292 per month, with Queretaro 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 Queretaro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey and Queretaro differ by about 25% in total monthly costs ($1,618 vs $1,294 including rent). Queretaro is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 24% 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: $889 in Monterrey versus $654 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 $45.00 versus $53.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,618 per month in Monterrey versus $1,294 in Queretaro – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,294 in Queretaro versus $1,618 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 25% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.