Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Saint Ann's Bay

For one person, living is cheaper in Saint Ann’s Bay: $1,006 a month against $1,647 in Monterrey, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Monterrey outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Monterrey, Mexico
Saint Ann's Bay, Jamaica
Monterrey
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,647
/mo nomad
Saint Ann's Bay
🇯🇲 Jamaica
$1,006
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in Saint Ann's Bay

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 Saint Ann's Bay actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,647 in Monterrey versus $1,006 in Saint Ann’s Bay.

  • Monterrey $1,647
  • Saint Ann's Bay $1,006

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,591 in Monterrey versus $1,600 in Saint Ann’s Bay.

  • Monterrey $2,591
  • Saint Ann's Bay $1,600

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,536 in Monterrey versus $2,195 in Saint Ann’s Bay.

  • Monterrey $3,536
  • Saint Ann's Bay $2,195

Living in Monterrey is roughly 64% more expensive than in Saint Ann’s Bay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 21% above, Saint Ann’s Bay is 26% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Monterrey
Saint Ann's Bay
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.45 MX$251
$13.35 JMD 2,108
0.75%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$48.43 MX$902
$50.2 JMD 7,932
-3.60%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.90 MX$203
$8.31 JMD 1,312
31.17%
Cappuccino
$3.82 MX$71.1
$5.46 JMD 863
-30.04%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.67 MX$31.04
$1.20 JMD 190
39.17%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.98 MX$18.31
$0.70 JMD 110
40.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.35 MX$43.78
$2.25 JMD 355
4.44%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.41 MX$82.2
$3.12 JMD 493
41.35%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Monterrey
Saint Ann's Bay
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.80 MX$33.56
$4.07 JMD 642
-55.77%
White Bread (500g)
$2.79 MX$52.0
$3.74 JMD 590
-25.40%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.82 MX$34.00
$1.63 JMD 258
11.66%
Eggs
$2.51 MX$46.81
$3.47 JMD 548
-27.67%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.09 MX$225
$11.20 JMD 1,768
7.95%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.41 MX$175
$6.20 JMD 979
51.77%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.71 MX$237
$10.09 JMD 1,593
25.97%
Apples (1kg)
$3.21 MX$59.8
$6.00 JMD 947
-46.50%
Banana (1kg)
$1.50 MX$27.90
$3.99 JMD 630
-62.41%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.14 MX$39.95
$7.53 JMD 1,189
-71.58%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.32 MX$43.25
$2.98 JMD 470
-22.15%
Potato (1kg)
$2.20 MX$41.02
$3.28 JMD 518
-32.93%
Onion (1kg)
$2.60 MX$48.40
$2.62 JMD 414
-0.76%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.44 MX$26.84
$3.15 JMD 497
-54.29%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.17 MX$21.86
$1.44 JMD 227
-18.75%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.79 MX$89.2
$9.30 JMD 1,469
-48.49%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.22 MX$246
$11.43 JMD 1,804
15.66%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.94 MX$36.19
$2.95 JMD 465
-34.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.89 MX$53.8
$4.03 JMD 636
-28.29%
🚌 Getting Around
Monterrey
Saint Ann's Bay
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.87 MX$16.25
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$31.14 MX$580
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.66 MX$30.86
$1.30 JMD 205
27.69%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.09 MX$20.37
$3.17 JMD 501
-65.62%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.67 MX$199
$6.44 JMD 1,017
65.68%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 MX$27.45
$1.30 JMD 205
13.08%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.2K MX$451.7K
$43.4K JMD 6.9M
-44.15%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.6K MX$438.8K
$32.7K JMD 5.2M
-27.92%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Monterrey
Saint Ann's Bay
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$118 MX$2,196
$169 JMD 26.7K
-30.18%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.55 MX$476
$29.03 JMD 4,583
-11.99%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$26.43 MX$492
$52.9 JMD 8,357
-50.07%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Monterrey
Saint Ann's Bay
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$30.77 MX$573
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.07 MX$393
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.09 MX$94.8
$13.41 JMD 2,117
-62.04%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Monterrey
Saint Ann's Bay
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$694 MX$12.9K
$366 JMD 57.8K
89.62%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K MX$210.9K
$8,305 JMD 1.3M
36.30%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Monterrey
Saint Ann's Bay
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$72.5 MX$1,350
$23.59 JMD 3,724
207.16%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.51 MX$773
$31.44 JMD 4,964
32.03%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$110 MX$2,044
$78.3 JMD 12.4K
40.09%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$115 MX$2,141
$101 JMD 16.0K
13.38%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Monterrey
Saint Ann's Bay
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,056 MX$19.7K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$721 MX$13.4K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,999 MX$37.2K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,435 MX$26.7K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,219 MX$78.6K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,731 MX$50.9K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Monterrey
Saint Ann's Bay
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,149 MX$21.4K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.79
9.45
24.76%

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

Last update for Monterrey: October 25, 2026

Last update for Saint Ann's Bay: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Monterrey
$721
Saint Ann's Bay
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Monterrey
$303
Saint Ann's Bay
$383 26.1% $79
Eating Out
Monterrey
$217
Saint Ann's Bay
$222 2.3% $5.1
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Monterrey
$170
Saint Ann's Bay
$251 47.6% $81
Clothing & Footwear
Monterrey
$152
Saint Ann's Bay
$106 30.7% $47
Getting Around
Monterrey
$42
Saint Ann's Bay
$17 * 58.9% $25
Sport & Entertainment
Monterrey
$41
Saint Ann's Bay
$27 * 34.5% $14

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $48 in Monterrey vs $50 in Saint Ann’s Bay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $383 per month, with Monterrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Monterrey
🇯🇲 Saint Ann's Bay
🕒 Local time
19:20 7:20 PM
20:20 8:20 PM
1 h ahead of Monterrey
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,142,994
13,671
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

JMD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.63 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.74 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Jamaican Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.69 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Monterrey Saint Ann's Bay 2,510 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Monterrey
  • Saint Ann's Bay

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 Saint Ann's Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Monterrey and in Saint Ann’s Bay?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,647 in Monterrey and $1,006 in Saint Ann’s Bay, so Saint Ann’s Bay is about 39% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Monterrey compared to Saint Ann’s Bay?
You’d need roughly $2,470 in Monterrey and $1,508 in Saint Ann’s Bay to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Monterrey and Saint Ann’s Bay?
Childcare runs $694 in Monterrey versus $366 in Saint Ann’s Bay. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Monterrey – a meal for two runs $48 versus $50 in Saint Ann’s Bay. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is feasible on a $1,000 budget?
Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Saint Ann’s Bay is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
How does quality of life compare between Monterrey and Saint Ann’s Bay?
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.

Monterrey vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?