Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Saint Paul, MN

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,607 a month against $2,438 in Saint Paul, MN, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
Learn more

Monterrey Living Index
116

Cost of Living Index in Saint Paul, MN
Learn more

Saint Paul, MN Living Index

Jump to prices

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,607

/mo nomad

Saint Paul, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,438

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in Saint Paul, 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 Paul, MN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,607 in Monterrey versus $2,438 in Saint Paul, MN.

Monterrey $1,607
Saint Paul, MN $2,438

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,512 in Monterrey versus $3,743 in Saint Paul, MN.

Monterrey $2,512
Saint Paul, MN $3,743

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,417 in Monterrey versus $5,048 in Saint Paul, MN.

Monterrey $3,417
Saint Paul, MN $5,048

Living in Monterrey costs roughly 34% less than in Saint Paul, MN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Monterrey 20% above, Saint Paul, MN 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.75 MX$252

$15.75 $15.75

-12.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.2 MX$921

$68.6 $68.6

-26.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.13 MX$204

$10.11 $10.11

10.09%

Cappuccino

$4.04 MX$74.2

$5.26 $5.26

-23.19%

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

$1.70 MX$31.29

$2.98 $2.98

-42.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 MX$18.17

$2.68 $2.68

-63.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 MX$44.21

$6.14 $6.14

-60.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 MX$82.3

$7.65 $7.65

-41.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 MX$35.31

$0.97 $0.97

97.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 MX$53.1

$3.95 $3.95

-26.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$35.67

$3.30 $3.30

-41.21%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$45.90

$3.06 $3.06

-18.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.30 MX$226

$9.41 $9.41

30.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.33 MX$171

$9.71 $9.71

-3.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.07 MX$240

$13.16 $13.16

-0.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 MX$62.1

$4.91 $4.91

-31.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$29.02

$1.16 $1.16

36.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$40.45

$5.94 $5.94

-62.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$44.89

$4.89 $4.89

-49.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$41.47

$3.90 $3.90

-42.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.74 MX$50.4

$3.56 $3.56

-23.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 MX$28.09

$2.07 $2.07

-26.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 MX$23.16

$1.75 $1.75

-28.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.84 MX$88.9

$12.21 $12.21

-60.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.59 MX$249

$14.34 $14.34

-5.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 MX$35.01

$1.68 $1.68

13.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 MX$56.3

$3.43 $3.43

-10.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 MX$14.60

$2.19 $2.19

-63.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.77 MX$583

$122 $122

-73.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 MX$29.78

$2.52 $2.52

-35.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 MX$20.17

$1.60 $1.60

-31.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.97 MX$201

$30.97 $30.97

-64.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$27.93

$0.98 $0.98

55.10%

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

$21.4K MX$392.4K

$36.2K $36.2K

-40.93%

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

$25.5K MX$467.6K

$25.5K $25.5K

-0.21%

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

$120 MX$2,198

$226 $226

-46.95%

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

$27.08 MX$497

$51.4 $51.4

-47.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.70 MX$490

$65.9 $65.9

-59.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.15 MX$572

$33.79 $33.79

-7.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.95 MX$403

$8.29 $8.29

164.78%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$94.4

$12.96 $12.96

-60.34%

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

$688 MX$12.6K

$1,499 $1,499

-54.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$209.8K

$28.1K $28.1K

-59.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.9 MX$1,321

$40.97 $40.97

75.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.30 MX$795

$40.24 $40.24

7.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$2,059

$79.5 $79.5

41.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,236

$109 $109

11.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$957 MX$17.6K

$1,355 $1,355

-29.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$670 MX$12.3K

$1,100 $1,100

-39.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 MX$34.7K

$2,529 $2,529

-25.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,305 MX$24.0K

$2,265 $2,265

-42.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,159 MX$76.4K

$2,903 $2,903

43.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,437 MX$44.7K

$2,195 $2,195

11.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,133 MX$20.8K

$4,120 $4,120

-72.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.79

6.31

86.85%

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

Last update for Monterrey: October 4, 2026

Last update for Saint Paul, MN: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Monterrey

$670 41.4%

Saint Paul, MN

$1.1K 45.5% 64.2% $430

Groceries & Markets

Monterrey

$312 19.3%

Saint Paul, MN

$363 15% 16.1% $50

Eating Out

Monterrey

$224 13.8%

Saint Paul, MN

$288 11.9% 28.8% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monterrey

$174 10.7%

Saint Paul, MN

$343 14.2% 97.7% $169

Clothing & Footwear

Monterrey

$157 9.7%

Saint Paul, MN

$122 5% 22.6% $36

Getting Around

Monterrey

$42 2.6%

Saint Paul, MN

$141 5.9% 236% $99

Sport & Entertainment

Monterrey

$41 2.6%

Saint Paul, MN

$60 2.5% 44.1% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $957 in Monterrey and $1,355 in Saint Paul, MN. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint Paul, MN pays 264% 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 $69.0 in Saint Paul, MN for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $312 vs $363 per month, with Monterrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🇺🇸 Saint Paul, MN

🕒 Local time

04:34 4:34 AM

05:34 5:34 AM

1 h ahead of Monterrey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,142,994

285,068

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.57 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Monterrey Saint Paul, MN 2,240 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Monterrey
Saint Paul, 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 Paul, MN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey and Saint Paul, MN differ by about 52% in total monthly costs ($1,607 vs $2,438 including rent). Monterrey is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 264% lower in Saint Paul, 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: $957 in Monterrey versus $1,355 in Saint Paul, 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 $69.0 in Saint Paul, MN. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,607 per month in Monterrey versus $2,438 in Saint Paul, MN – a 52% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,607 in Monterrey versus $2,438 in Saint Paul, MN, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Monterrey but tight or insufficient in Saint Paul, 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.

Safety-wise, Monterrey and Saint Paul, MN 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 Monterrey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Saint Paul, MN. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.