Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Saltillo Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Saltillo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,728 in Monterrey versus $1,439 in Saltillo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,711 in Monterrey versus $2,292 in Saltillo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,694 in Monterrey versus $3,145 in Saltillo.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 20% more expensive than in Saltillo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Monterrey 25% above, Saltillo 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.63 MX$248

$11.96 MX$203

22.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$901

$53.3 MX$905

-0.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.02 MX$204

$6.91 MX$117

73.95%

Cappuccino

$4.18 MX$71.0

$3.73 MX$63.3

12.06%

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

$1.70 MX$28.82

$1.39 MX$23.66

22.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$18.95

$1.09 MX$18.56

2.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$49.53

$2.32 MX$39.43

25.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.71 MX$79.9

$4.05 MX$68.7

16.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 MX$33.50

$1.56 MX$26.54

26.28%

White Bread (500g)

$3.16 MX$53.6

$3.72 MX$63.1

-15.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.00

$2.08 MX$35.35

-3.85%

Eggs

$2.68 MX$45.44

$2.55 MX$43.23

5.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.14 MX$223

$11.51 MX$195

14.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.98 MX$169

$9.17 MX$156

8.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.79 MX$234

$10.53 MX$179

30.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 MX$61.1

$2.89 MX$49.02

24.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 MX$28.07

$1.36 MX$23.15

21.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 MX$39.26

$1.87 MX$31.68

23.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.58 MX$43.71

$2.13 MX$36.19

21.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 MX$42.39

$2.43 MX$41.22

2.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.0

$2.80 MX$47.52

5.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 MX$27.53

$1.36 MX$23.03

19.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 MX$22.70

$1.21 MX$20.53

10.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.34 MX$90.7

$4.84 MX$82.1

10.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 MX$252

$11.15 MX$189

33.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 MX$34.28

$2.45 MX$41.58

-17.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 MX$54.8

$1.57 MX$26.58

105.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 MX$14.78

$0.91 MX$15.41

-4.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.53 MX$569

$18.00 MX$305

86.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.88 MX$31.82

$2.78 MX$47.19

-32.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.15 MX$19.52

$2.15 MX$36.44

-46.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.99 MX$203

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.58

$1.60 MX$27.13

5.00%

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

$22.7K MX$385.0K

$20.5K MX$347.8K

10.68%

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

$27.3K MX$462.8K

$25.8K MX$438.0K

5.66%

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

$124 MX$2,109

$50.8 MX$862

144.61%

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

$28.42 MX$482

$36.00 MX$611

-21.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.37 MX$481

$33.04 MX$561

-14.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.01 MX$560

$59.7 MX$1,012

-44.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.10 MX$392

$14.52 MX$246

59.09%

Cinema Ticket

$5.51 MX$93.5

$6.25 MX$106

-11.84%

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

$738 MX$12.5K

$263 MX$4,454

181.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K MX$211.1K

$2,806 MX$47.6K

343.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.9 MX$1,373

$61.8 MX$1,048

31.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.74 MX$776

$61.4 MX$1,042

-25.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 MX$2,046

$92.9 MX$1,576

29.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 MX$2,295

$134 MX$2,274

0.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,045 MX$17.7K

$621 MX$10.5K

68.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$728 MX$12.3K

$534 MX$9,052

36.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,014 MX$34.2K

$1,023 MX$17.3K

96.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,403 MX$23.8K

$1,023 MX$17.4K

37.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,411 MX$74.8K

$588 MX$9,977

649.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,630 MX$44.6K

$973 MX$16.5K

170.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,170 MX$19.8K

$865 MX$14.7K

35.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.56

10.53

9.78%

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

Last update for Monterrey: September 7, 2026

Last update for Saltillo: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,045 in Monterrey and $621 in Saltillo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 35% 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 $53.0 in Saltillo. Groceries flip the comparison at $333 vs $295, with Saltillo cheaper for home cooking.

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 Saltillo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey and Saltillo differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($1,728 vs $1,439 including rent). Saltillo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 35% 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: $1,045 in Monterrey versus $621 in Saltillo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Saltillo – a meal for two runs $53.0 versus $53.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,728 per month in Monterrey versus $1,439 in Saltillo – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,439 in Saltillo versus $1,728 in Monterrey, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Saltillo but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes Saltillo 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 Saltillo 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 Saltillo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.