Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Saint Cloud, MN

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,608 a month against $1,891 in Saint Cloud, MN, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
Learn more

Monterrey Living Index
91

Cost of Living Index in Saint Cloud, MN
Learn more

Saint Cloud, MN Living Index

Jump to prices

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Saint Cloud, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$1,891

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in Saint Cloud, MN

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 Cloud, MN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Monterrey versus $1,891 in Saint Cloud, MN.

Monterrey $1,608
Saint Cloud, MN $1,891

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,521 in Monterrey versus $2,697 in Saint Cloud, MN.

Monterrey $2,521
Saint Cloud, MN $2,697

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,433 in Monterrey versus $3,502 in Saint Cloud, MN.

Monterrey $3,433
Saint Cloud, MN $3,502

Living in Monterrey costs roughly 15% less than in Saint Cloud, MN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Monterrey 19% above, Saint Cloud, MN 40% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.85 MX$256

$14.94 $14.94

-7.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.70 MX$918

$40.42 $40.42

22.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.05 MX$204

$8.45 $8.45

30.77%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$75.6

$4.61 $4.61

-11.28%

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

$1.68 MX$30.97

$2.88 $2.88

-41.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 MX$18.98

$2.17 $2.17

-52.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 MX$44.28

$5.98 $5.98

-59.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 MX$80.3

$5.09 $5.09

-14.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 MX$35.55

$0.90 $0.90

113.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 MX$54.2

$1.48 $1.48

98.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$34.66

$1.90 $1.90

-1.05%

Eggs

$2.55 MX$47.06

$3.79 $3.79

-32.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.84 MX$219

$9.60 $9.60

23.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 MX$173

$6.66 $6.66

40.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 MX$242

$18.94 $18.94

-30.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 MX$62.5

$3.71 $3.71

-8.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 MX$28.13

$1.09 $1.09

39.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.51

$2.78 $2.78

-21.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$43.63

$3.49 $3.49

-32.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$41.76

$2.05 $2.05

10.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.73 MX$50.5

$2.94 $2.94

-7.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 MX$28.17

$1.94 $1.94

-21.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$22.90

$2.96 $2.96

-58.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.75 MX$87.8

$11.21 $11.21

-57.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.66 MX$252

$14.71 $14.71

-7.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 MX$34.95

$1.70 $1.70

11.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 MX$55.2

$3.04 $3.04

-1.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 MX$15.78

$1.70 $1.70

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.95 MX$572

$61.2 $61.2

-49.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 MX$30.98

$3.44 $3.44

-51.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 MX$20.87

$0.79 $0.79

43.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.15 MX$206

$11.76 $11.76

-5.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 MX$28.91

$0.89 $0.89

75.28%

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

$21.4K MX$395.8K

$30.0K $30.0K

-28.63%

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

$25.1K MX$463.2K

$23.7K $23.7K

5.80%

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

$119 MX$2,206

$122 $122

-2.03%

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

$26.21 MX$484

$45.73 $45.73

-42.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.78 MX$495

$44.69 $44.69

-40.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.03 MX$573

$24.96 $24.96

24.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.43 MX$396

$27.73 $27.73

-22.72%

Cinema Ticket

$5.29 MX$97.7

$11.80 $11.80

-55.17%

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

$691 MX$12.8K

$1,721 $1,721

-59.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K MX$212.1K

$5,918 $5,918

93.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.3 MX$1,335

$56.5 $56.5

27.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.72 MX$789

$50.3 $50.3

-14.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 MX$2,024

$72.6 $72.6

50.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,158

$80.3 $80.3

45.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$970 MX$17.9K

$913 $913

6.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$664 MX$12.3K

$859 $859

-22.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,857 MX$34.3K

$1,409 $1,409

31.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 MX$23.8K

$1,255 $1,255

2.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,162 MX$76.9K

$2,038 $2,038

104.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,349 MX$43.4K

$1,772 $1,772

32.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,146 MX$21.2K

$3,949 $3,949

-70.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.79

6.61

78.37%

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

Last update for Monterrey: October 10, 2026

Last update for Saint Cloud, MN: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Monterrey

$664 41.3%

Saint Cloud, MN

$859 45.4% 29.4% $195

Groceries & Markets

Monterrey

$310 19.3%

Saint Cloud, MN

$318 16.8% 2.5% $7.9

Eating Out

Monterrey

$225 14%

Saint Cloud, MN

$261 13.8% 16.1% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monterrey

$172 10.7%

Saint Cloud, MN

$212 11.2% 23.2% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Monterrey

$154 9.6%

Saint Cloud, MN

$117 6.2% 23.9% $37

Getting Around

Monterrey

$42 2.6%

Saint Cloud, MN

$75 4% 80.9% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Monterrey

$42 2.6%

Saint Cloud, MN

$49 2.6% 16.7% $6.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $970 in Monterrey and $913 in Saint Cloud, MN. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint Cloud, MN pays 244% 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: $50.0 in Monterrey vs $40.00 in Saint Cloud, MN. Groceries flip the comparison at $310 vs $318, with Monterrey cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🇺🇸 Saint Cloud, MN

🕒 Local time

13:03 1:03 PM

14:03 2:03 PM

1 h ahead of Monterrey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,142,994

67,109

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Monterrey Saint Cloud, MN 2,280 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Monterrey
Saint Cloud, MN

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 Cloud, MN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey and Saint Cloud, MN differ by about 18% in total monthly costs ($1,608 vs $1,891 including rent). Monterrey is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 244% lower in Saint Cloud, MN. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $970 in Monterrey versus $913 in Saint Cloud, MN. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Monterrey – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $40.00 in Saint Cloud, MN. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,608 per month in Monterrey versus $1,891 in Saint Cloud, MN – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,608 in Monterrey versus $1,891 in Saint Cloud, MN, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Monterrey but tight or insufficient in Saint Cloud, MN. The gap between the two cities makes Monterrey 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.

Expats usually find Monterrey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Saint Cloud, MN. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.