Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and San Felipe Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and San Felipe

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,692 in Monterrey versus $1,193 in San Felipe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,638 in Monterrey versus $1,906 in San Felipe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,583 in Monterrey versus $2,619 in San Felipe.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 42% more expensive than in San Felipe, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 24% above, San Felipe is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.54 MX$251

$7.39 MX$127

96.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.7 MX$908

$47.43 MX$818

11.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.44 MX$197

$8.77 MX$151

30.44%

Cappuccino

$4.29 MX$74.0

$3.51 MX$60.6

22.22%

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

$1.72 MX$29.61

$1.43 MX$24.68

20.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.09

$1.03 MX$17.76

7.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$50.9

$2.98 MX$51.5

-1.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.78 MX$82.4

$4.32 MX$74.5

10.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 MX$35.26

$1.67 MX$28.85

22.16%

White Bread (500g)

$3.09 MX$53.2

$2.75 MX$47.35

12.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.88

$1.87 MX$32.18

4.81%

Eggs

$2.65 MX$45.62

$2.61 MX$44.97

1.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.69 MX$219

$8.84 MX$152

43.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.80 MX$169

$8.13 MX$140

20.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 MX$233

$10.49 MX$181

28.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.45 MX$59.6

$2.99 MX$51.5

15.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.27

$1.84 MX$31.73

-10.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.52

$1.79 MX$30.78

24.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 MX$44.07

$2.00 MX$34.47

28.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.40 MX$41.37

$2.26 MX$39.03

6.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 MX$49.60

$2.16 MX$37.25

33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 MX$27.49

$1.53 MX$26.35

3.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 MX$23.06

$1.07 MX$18.49

25.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 MX$89.3

$5.13 MX$88.5

0.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.68 MX$253

$12.11 MX$209

21.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 MX$35.06

$2.00 MX$34.48

1.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 MX$54.6

$3.26 MX$56.3

-2.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 MX$15.88

$0.68 MX$11.71

35.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.50 MX$578

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 MX$33.19

$2.87 MX$49.52

-33.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 MX$20.47

$1.80 MX$30.99

-33.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.75 MX$203

$10.14 MX$175

15.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 MX$27.17

$1.54 MX$26.61

2.60%

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

$22.2K MX$383.3K

$24.5K MX$421.9K

-9.16%

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

$26.2K MX$451.6K

$22.7K MX$392.0K

15.23%

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

$124 MX$2,130

$66.9 MX$1,154

84.56%

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

$28.25 MX$487

$23.46 MX$405

20.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.93 MX$481

$30.76 MX$530

-9.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.96 MX$568

$41.06 MX$708

-19.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.09 MX$398

$21.78 MX$376

6.01%

Cinema Ticket

$5.52 MX$95.2

$5.95 MX$103

-7.23%

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

$730 MX$12.6K

$214 MX$3,698

240.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K MX$203.7K

$4,964 MX$85.6K

138.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.3 MX$1,385

$57.6 MX$992

39.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.45 MX$784

$40.12 MX$692

13.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 MX$2,060

$94.2 MX$1,624

26.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 MX$2,247

$98.8 MX$1,704

31.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,047 MX$18.1K

$726 MX$12.5K

44.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$728 MX$12.6K

$375 MX$6,462

94.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 MX$34.1K

$1,251 MX$21.6K

57.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,385 MX$23.9K

$823 MX$14.2K

68.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,432 MX$76.4K

$1,980 MX$34.1K

123.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 MX$45.2K

$1,153 MX$19.9K

127.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,168 MX$20.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.56

11.3

2.30%

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

Last update for Monterrey: September 12, 2026

Last update for San Felipe: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,047 in Monterrey and $726 in San Felipe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $53.0 in Monterrey vs $47.00 in San Felipe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $275 per month, with San Felipe 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 San Felipe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey and San Felipe differ by about 42% in total monthly costs ($1,692 vs $1,193 including rent). San Felipe is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,539 in Monterrey and $1,790 in San Felipe 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,047 in Monterrey versus $726 in San Felipe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $730 in Monterrey versus $214 in San Felipe. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in San Felipe – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $53.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,193 in San Felipe versus $1,692 in Monterrey, a $1,500 budget is realistic in San Felipe but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes San Felipe 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 San Felipe 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 San Felipe 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.