Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and San Andres Tuxtla

For one person, living is cheaper in San Andres Tuxtla: $1,127 a month against $1,599 in Monterrey, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Monterrey
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,599
/mo nomad
San Andres Tuxtla
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,127
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in San Andres Tuxtla

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 San Andres Tuxtla actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,599 in Monterrey versus $1,127 in San Andres Tuxtla.

  • Monterrey $1,599
  • San Andres Tuxtla $1,127

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,493 in Monterrey versus $1,824 in San Andres Tuxtla.

  • Monterrey $2,493
  • San Andres Tuxtla $1,824

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,387 in Monterrey versus $2,520 in San Andres Tuxtla.

  • Monterrey $3,387
  • San Andres Tuxtla $2,520

Living in Monterrey is roughly 42% more expensive than in San Andres Tuxtla, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 18% above, San Andres Tuxtla is 17% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Monterrey
San Andres Tuxtla
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.80 MX$255
$10.92 MX$202
26.37%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.99 MX$887
$44.29 MX$818
8.35%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.65 MX$197
$8.41 MX$155
26.63%
Cappuccino
$3.99 MX$73.7
$3.49 MX$64.5
14.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.66 MX$30.76
$1.35 MX$24.97
22.96%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.99 MX$18.21
$1.01 MX$18.67
-1.98%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.36 MX$43.64
$2.50 MX$46.20
-5.60%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.43 MX$81.8
$4.06 MX$75.1
9.11%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Monterrey
San Andres Tuxtla
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.82 MX$33.58
$1.60 MX$29.63
13.75%
White Bread (500g)
$2.83 MX$52.4
$2.55 MX$47.07
10.98%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.92 MX$35.44
$1.65 MX$30.52
16.36%
Eggs
$2.48 MX$45.78
$2.43 MX$44.96
2.06%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.74 MX$217
$8.15 MX$151
44.05%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.10 MX$168
$8.45 MX$156
7.69%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.53 MX$232
$11.40 MX$211
9.91%
Apples (1kg)
$3.34 MX$61.6
$2.66 MX$49.19
25.56%
Banana (1kg)
$1.57 MX$29.10
$1.53 MX$28.28
2.61%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.16 MX$39.86
$1.94 MX$35.83
11.34%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.47 MX$45.65
$1.82 MX$33.65
35.71%
Potato (1kg)
$2.31 MX$42.64
$1.94 MX$35.77
19.07%
Onion (1kg)
$2.68 MX$49.47
$1.89 MX$34.85
41.80%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.46 MX$26.90
$1.41 MX$26.08
3.55%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.19 MX$22.07
$1.10 MX$20.27
8.18%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.75 MX$87.8
$4.26 MX$78.7
11.50%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.58 MX$251
$10.39 MX$192
30.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.92 MX$35.52
$1.81 MX$33.36
6.08%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.88 MX$53.2
$3.07 MX$56.7
-6.19%
🚌 Getting Around
Monterrey
San Andres Tuxtla
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.79 MX$14.66
$0.63 MX$11.69
25.40%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$31.36 MX$579
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.59 MX$29.44
$2.57 MX$47.55
-38.13%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.06 MX$19.58
$2.01 MX$37.20
-47.26%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.80 MX$200
$10.99 MX$203
-1.73%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.55 MX$28.59
$1.43 MX$26.35
8.39%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.2K MX$446.4K
$21.2K MX$392.4K
13.76%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.3K MX$449.4K
$24.4K MX$450.1K
-0.16%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Monterrey
San Andres Tuxtla
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$117 MX$2,159
$58.0 MX$1,071
101.50%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.38 MX$488
$22.77 MX$421
15.85%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$26.04 MX$481
$29.98 MX$554
-13.14%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Monterrey
San Andres Tuxtla
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$30.26 MX$559
$33.68 MX$622
-10.15%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.25 MX$393
$20.16 MX$373
5.41%
Cinema Ticket
$5.23 MX$96.6
$5.18 MX$95.8
0.97%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Monterrey
San Andres Tuxtla
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$673 MX$12.4K
$220 MX$4,062
205.98%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.1K MX$205.2K
$4,549 MX$84.1K
144.08%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Monterrey
San Andres Tuxtla
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$72.1 MX$1,332
$55.6 MX$1,028
29.57%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.38 MX$783
$40.46 MX$748
4.75%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$112 MX$2,066
$101 MX$1,871
10.41%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 MX$2,200
$89.6 MX$1,655
32.89%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Monterrey
San Andres Tuxtla
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$949 MX$17.5K
$598 MX$11.0K
58.83%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$666 MX$12.3K
$381 MX$7,049
74.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,821 MX$33.7K
$1,033 MX$19.1K
76.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,271 MX$23.5K
$763 MX$14.1K
66.53%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,050 MX$74.8K
$1,951 MX$36.1K
107.59%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,348 MX$43.4K
$1,163 MX$21.5K
101.84%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Monterrey
San Andres Tuxtla
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,155 MX$21.3K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.79
11.3
4.34%

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

Last update for Monterrey: October 18, 2026

Last update for San Andres Tuxtla: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Monterrey
$666
San Andres Tuxtla
$381 42.8% $285
Groceries & Markets
Monterrey
$304
San Andres Tuxtla
$262 13.8% $42
Eating Out
Monterrey
$221
San Andres Tuxtla
$184 16.7% $37
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Monterrey
$169
San Andres Tuxtla
$111 34.6% $59
Clothing & Footwear
Monterrey
$155
San Andres Tuxtla
$129 16.9% $26
Getting Around
Monterrey
$41
San Andres Tuxtla
$15 * 63.4% $26
Sport & Entertainment
Monterrey
$41
San Andres Tuxtla
$44 8.2% $3.3

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $949 in Monterrey and $598 in San Andres Tuxtla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Monterrey vs $44.00 in San Andres Tuxtla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $304 vs $262 per month, with San Andres Tuxtla cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Monterrey
🇲🇽 San Andres Tuxtla
🕒 Local time
06:25 6:25 AM
06:25 6:25 AM
Same time as Monterrey
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,142,994
61,719
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Monterrey San Andres Tuxtla 960 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Monterrey
  • San Andres Tuxtla

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 San Andres Tuxtla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Monterrey and in San Andres Tuxtla?
Monterrey and San Andres Tuxtla differ by about 42% in total monthly costs ($1,599 vs $1,127 including rent). San Andres Tuxtla is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Monterrey compared to San Andres Tuxtla?
You'd need roughly $2,399 in Monterrey and $1,691 in San Andres Tuxtla 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Monterrey and in San Andres Tuxtla?
Rent for a central apartment: $949 in Monterrey versus $598 in San Andres Tuxtla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Monterrey and San Andres Tuxtla?
Childcare runs $673 in Monterrey versus $220 in San Andres Tuxtla. 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 San Andres Tuxtla – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $48.00 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $1,127 in San Andres Tuxtla versus $1,599 in Monterrey, a $1,500 budget is realistic in San Andres Tuxtla but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes San Andres Tuxtla the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Monterrey and San Andres Tuxtla?
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.
Is Monterrey or San Andres Tuxtla safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Monterrey and San Andres Tuxtla are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Monterrey or San Andres Tuxtla?
Expats usually find San Andres Tuxtla gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Monterrey vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

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