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: $1,601 in Monterrey versus $1,276 in Queretaro.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Monterrey versus $2,010 in Queretaro.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,568 in Monterrey versus $2,744 in Queretaro.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 26% more expensive than Queretaro, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 20% above, Queretaro is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.01 MX$226

$9.85 MX$171

32.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$932

$46.14 MX$800

16.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.21 MX$177

$8.05 MX$140

26.83%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$63.8

$3.60 MX$62.4

2.22%

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

$1.46 MX$25.34

$1.31 MX$22.63

11.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 MX$17.31

$0.95 MX$16.54

5.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 MX$46.70

$2.33 MX$40.33

15.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$4.30 MX$74.6

-0.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 MX$28.86

$1.54 MX$26.77

8.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 MX$46.43

$2.68 MX$46.37

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.41

$1.95 MX$33.80

-1.03%

Eggs

$2.63 MX$45.57

$2.37 MX$41.08

10.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.34 MX$179

$8.07 MX$140

28.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.22 MX$160

$9.79 MX$170

-5.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.84 MX$240

$12.86 MX$223

7.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 MX$54.6

$3.60 MX$62.3

-12.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 MX$24.06

$1.46 MX$25.35

-4.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.65

$1.90 MX$32.93

5.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$37.10

$1.78 MX$30.92

20.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.26

$1.78 MX$30.90

27.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 MX$44.08

$1.88 MX$32.57

35.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 MX$27.14

$1.25 MX$21.64

25.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.53

$1.14 MX$19.79

-6.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 MX$73.6

$4.24 MX$73.5

0.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.36 MX$249

$17.05 MX$296

-15.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 MX$30.87

$1.99 MX$34.52

-10.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 MX$54.5

$3.31 MX$57.3

-5.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 MX$13.89

$0.60 MX$10.33

33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.54 MX$703

$23.90 MX$414

69.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 MX$29.11

$3.13 MX$54.3

-46.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 MX$16.31

$1.24 MX$21.40

-24.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.76 MX$186

$9.39 MX$163

14.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 MX$23.72

$1.31 MX$22.71

4.58%

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

$26.7K MX$463.4K

$20.0K MX$345.8K

34.02%

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

$25.6K MX$443.3K

$20.6K MX$357.1K

24.14%

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

$122 MX$2,108

$63.4 MX$1,099

91.83%

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

$27.19 MX$471

$24.19 MX$419

12.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.82 MX$517

$28.06 MX$486

6.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.49 MX$667

$49.09 MX$851

-21.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.46 MX$372

$26.23 MX$455

-18.19%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 MX$103

$6.07 MX$105

-2.47%

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

$346 MX$5,990

$319 MX$5,536

8.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,997 MX$155.9K

$4,824 MX$83.6K

86.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.4 MX$1,012

$51.4 MX$891

13.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.55 MX$737

$42.09 MX$729

1.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$1,896

$99.6 MX$1,726

9.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 MX$2,235

$95.8 MX$1,661

34.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$913 MX$15.8K

$633 MX$11.0K

44.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$647 MX$11.2K

$497 MX$8,615

30.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,565 MX$27.1K

$1,190 MX$20.6K

31.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,401 MX$24.3K

$792 MX$13.7K

76.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,371 MX$75.7K

$2,333 MX$40.4K

87.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,839 MX$49.2K

$1,347 MX$23.3K

110.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,104 MX$19.1K

$924 MX$16.0K

19.50%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Queretaro: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $913 in Monterrey and $633 in Queretaro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 20% 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 $46.00 in Queretaro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $293 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 26% in total monthly costs ($1,601 vs $1,276 including rent). Queretaro is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Monterrey pays 20% 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: $913 in Monterrey versus $633 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 $46.00 versus $54.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,601 per month in Monterrey versus $1,276 in Queretaro – a 26% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,276 in Queretaro versus $1,601 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 26% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.