Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and San Antonio, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,607 a month against $2,418 in San Antonio, TX, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in San Antonio, TX
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San Antonio, TX Living Index

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Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,607

/mo nomad

San Antonio, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,418

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in San Antonio, TX

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 Antonio, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,607 in Monterrey versus $2,418 in San Antonio, TX.

Monterrey $1,607
San Antonio, TX $2,418

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,512 in Monterrey versus $3,672 in San Antonio, TX.

Monterrey $2,512
San Antonio, TX $3,672

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,417 in Monterrey versus $4,926 in San Antonio, TX.

Monterrey $3,417
San Antonio, TX $4,926

Living in Monterrey costs roughly 34% less than in San Antonio, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Monterrey 20% above, San Antonio, TX 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.75 MX$252

$18.28 $18.28

-24.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.2 MX$921

$75.3 $75.3

-33.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.13 MX$204

$10.10 $10.10

10.20%

Cappuccino

$4.04 MX$74.2

$5.18 $5.18

-22.01%

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

$1.70 MX$31.29

$2.63 $2.63

-35.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 MX$18.17

$1.70 $1.70

-41.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 MX$44.21

$5.47 $5.47

-55.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 MX$82.3

$6.11 $6.11

-26.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 MX$35.31

$1.20 $1.20

60.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 MX$53.1

$3.39 $3.39

-14.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$35.67

$4.41 $4.41

-56.01%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$45.90

$3.82 $3.82

-34.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.30 MX$226

$11.94 $11.94

3.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.33 MX$171

$11.49 $11.49

-18.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.07 MX$240

$17.96 $17.96

-27.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 MX$62.1

$4.68 $4.68

-27.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$29.02

$1.62 $1.62

-2.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$40.45

$4.28 $4.28

-48.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$44.89

$3.44 $3.44

-28.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$41.47

$2.53 $2.53

-10.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.74 MX$50.4

$3.06 $3.06

-10.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 MX$28.09

$1.89 $1.89

-19.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 MX$23.16

$2.29 $2.29

-44.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.84 MX$88.9

$9.56 $9.56

-49.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.59 MX$249

$14.73 $14.73

-7.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 MX$35.01

$2.78 $2.78

-31.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 MX$56.3

$3.48 $3.48

-12.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 MX$14.60

$1.26 $1.26

-36.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.77 MX$583

$37.51 $37.51

-15.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 MX$29.78

$3.47 $3.47

-53.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 MX$20.17

$1.76 $1.76

-37.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.97 MX$201

$24.13 $24.13

-54.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$27.93

$0.92 $0.92

65.22%

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

$21.4K MX$392.4K

$36.5K $36.5K

-41.42%

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

$25.5K MX$467.6K

$25.9K $25.9K

-1.67%

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

$120 MX$2,198

$216 $216

-44.65%

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

$27.08 MX$497

$71.3 $71.3

-62.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.70 MX$490

$78.5 $78.5

-65.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.15 MX$572

$36.92 $36.92

-15.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.95 MX$403

$21.24 $21.24

3.34%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$94.4

$14.43 $14.43

-64.38%

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

$688 MX$12.6K

$1,306 $1,306

-47.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$209.8K

$19.2K $19.2K

-40.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.9 MX$1,321

$52.1 $52.1

38.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.30 MX$795

$50.6 $50.6

-14.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$2,059

$135 $135

-16.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,236

$148 $148

-17.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$957 MX$17.6K

$1,460 $1,460

-34.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$670 MX$12.3K

$1,054 $1,054

-36.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 MX$34.7K

$2,925 $2,925

-35.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,305 MX$24.0K

$2,021 $2,021

-35.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,159 MX$76.4K

$4,389 $4,389

-5.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,437 MX$44.7K

$1,854 $1,854

31.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,133 MX$20.8K

$4,095 $4,095

-72.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.79

6.44

83.07%

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

Last update for Monterrey: October 4, 2026

Last update for San Antonio, TX: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Monterrey

$670 41.4%

San Antonio, TX

$1.1K 43.9% 57.2% $384

Groceries & Markets

Monterrey

$312 19.3%

San Antonio, TX

$393 16.3% 25.6% $80

Eating Out

Monterrey

$224 13.8%

San Antonio, TX

$296 12.3% 32.1% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monterrey

$174 10.7%

San Antonio, TX

$366 15.2% 111% $193

Clothing & Footwear

Monterrey

$157 9.7%

San Antonio, TX

$173 7.2% 10.3% $16

Getting Around

Monterrey

$42 2.6%

San Antonio, TX

$55 2.3% 30.3% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Monterrey

$41 2.6%

San Antonio, TX

$66 2.7% 58.7% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $957 in Monterrey and $1,460 in San Antonio, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Antonio, TX pays 261% 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 $75.0 in San Antonio, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $312 vs $393 per month, with Monterrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🇺🇸 San Antonio, TX

🕒 Local time

04:41 4:41 AM

05:41 5:41 AM

1 h ahead of Monterrey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,142,994

1,434,625

💱 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 →

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Monterrey San Antonio, TX 450 km

From you

Monterrey
San Antonio, TX

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 Antonio, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey and San Antonio, TX differ by about 50% in total monthly costs ($1,607 vs $2,418 including rent). Monterrey is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 261% lower in San Antonio, TX. 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 $1,460 in San Antonio, TX. 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 $75.0 in San Antonio, TX. 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 $2,418 in San Antonio, TX – a 50% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,607 in Monterrey versus $2,418 in San Antonio, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Monterrey but tight or insufficient in San Antonio, TX. 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 50% less than in San Antonio, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.