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: $1,601 in Monterrey versus $1,236 in Saltillo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Monterrey versus $1,990 in Saltillo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,568 in Monterrey versus $2,743 in Saltillo.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 30% more expensive than Saltillo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 20% above, Saltillo is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.01 MX$226

$7.94 MX$138

63.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$932

$44.15 MX$765

21.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.21 MX$177

$6.32 MX$109

61.55%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$63.8

$3.09 MX$53.6

19.09%

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

$1.46 MX$25.34

$1.25 MX$21.60

16.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 MX$17.31

$1.02 MX$17.69

-1.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 MX$46.70

$2.08 MX$36.10

29.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$3.74 MX$64.8

14.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 MX$28.86

$1.48 MX$25.63

12.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 MX$46.43

$3.23 MX$55.9

-17.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.41

$1.81 MX$31.40

6.63%

Eggs

$2.63 MX$45.57

$2.52 MX$43.59

4.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.34 MX$179

$10.28 MX$178

0.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.22 MX$160

$8.36 MX$145

10.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.84 MX$240

$9.76 MX$169

41.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 MX$54.6

$2.60 MX$44.98

21.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 MX$24.06

$1.21 MX$21.00

14.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.65

$1.61 MX$27.84

24.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$37.10

$1.90 MX$32.86

12.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.26

$2.17 MX$37.60

4.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 MX$44.08

$2.52 MX$43.65

0.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 MX$27.14

$1.17 MX$20.34

34.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.53

$1.03 MX$17.89

3.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 MX$73.6

$3.61 MX$62.5

17.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.36 MX$249

$11.01 MX$191

30.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 MX$30.87

$2.28 MX$39.44

-21.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 MX$54.5

$1.40 MX$24.34

124.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 MX$13.89

$0.76 MX$13.11

5.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.54 MX$703

$15.69 MX$272

158.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 MX$29.11

$2.59 MX$44.83

-35.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 MX$16.31

$1.74 MX$30.21

-45.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.76 MX$186

$10.65 MX$184

1.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 MX$23.72

$1.24 MX$21.54

10.48%

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

$26.7K MX$463.4K

$14.7K MX$254.5K

82.08%

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

$25.6K MX$443.3K

$24.5K MX$424.4K

4.46%

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

$122 MX$2,108

$45.66 MX$791

166.45%

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

$27.19 MX$471

$24.43 MX$423

11.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.82 MX$517

$28.84 MX$500

3.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.49 MX$667

$66.0 MX$1,144

-41.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.46 MX$372

$13.35 MX$231

60.75%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 MX$103

$6.20 MX$107

-4.52%

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

$346 MX$5,990

$238 MX$4,123

45.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,997 MX$155.9K

$2,588 MX$44.9K

247.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.4 MX$1,012

$55.6 MX$963

5.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.55 MX$737

$55.0 MX$953

-22.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$1,896

$83.3 MX$1,443

31.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 MX$2,235

$119 MX$2,055

8.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$913 MX$15.8K

$555 MX$9,609

64.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$647 MX$11.2K

$483 MX$8,365

34.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,565 MX$27.1K

$925 MX$16.0K

69.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,401 MX$24.3K

$963 MX$16.7K

45.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,371 MX$75.7K

$581 MX$10.1K

651.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,839 MX$49.2K

$929 MX$16.1K

205.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,104 MX$19.1K

$838 MX$14.5K

31.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

10.5

10.00%

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

Last update for Monterrey: June 1, 2026

Last update for Saltillo: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $913 in Monterrey and $555 in Saltillo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 32% 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 $44.00 in Saltillo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $267 per month, with Saltillo 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 Saltillo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey and Saltillo differ by about 30% in total monthly costs ($1,601 vs $1,236 including rent). Saltillo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Monterrey pays 32% 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 $555 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 $44.00 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 $1,236 in Saltillo – a 30% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,236 in Saltillo versus $1,601 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 30% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.