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: $1,574 in Monterrey versus $1,064 in San Felipe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,529 in Monterrey versus $1,704 in San Felipe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,484 in Monterrey versus $2,344 in San Felipe.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 48% more expensive than San Felipe, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 17% above, San Felipe is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.42 MX$230

$7.17 MX$123

87.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$924

$39.63 MX$680

35.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 MX$177

$8.10 MX$139

27.41%

Cappuccino

$3.58 MX$61.4

$3.26 MX$55.9

9.82%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$1.29 MX$22.16

10.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 MX$17.00

$0.91 MX$15.54

8.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 MX$44.41

$2.37 MX$40.61

9.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 MX$73.4

$3.80 MX$65.3

12.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 MX$28.69

$1.44 MX$24.76

15.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.30

$2.53 MX$43.47

4.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.15

$1.57 MX$26.91

19.11%

Eggs

$2.67 MX$45.90

$2.31 MX$39.71

15.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.49 MX$180

$7.95 MX$136

31.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.13 MX$157

$8.08 MX$139

13.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.85 MX$238

$10.50 MX$180

31.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 MX$52.3

$2.57 MX$44.11

18.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 MX$24.09

$1.45 MX$24.82

-3.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.41

$1.79 MX$30.74

18.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.33

$1.60 MX$27.45

28.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.25

$1.84 MX$31.65

21.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 MX$43.99

$1.91 MX$32.82

34.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 MX$26.22

$1.19 MX$20.50

28.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.45

$1.03 MX$17.63

3.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.13 MX$70.8

$4.10 MX$70.4

0.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.34 MX$246

$10.07 MX$173

42.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 MX$30.68

$1.59 MX$27.33

12.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 MX$54.5

$2.77 MX$47.54

14.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 MX$13.16

$0.61 MX$10.55

26.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.85 MX$701

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.73 MX$29.77

$2.55 MX$43.83

-32.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 MX$16.44

$1.61 MX$27.55

-40.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.72 MX$184

$8.18 MX$140

31.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.36

$1.32 MX$22.57

3.03%

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

$26.5K MX$454.9K

$20.9K MX$358.5K

26.89%

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

$25.9K MX$443.8K

$22.9K MX$392.9K

12.96%

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

$123 MX$2,113

$56.3 MX$966

118.71%

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

$27.98 MX$480

$22.34 MX$383

25.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.71 MX$510

$28.47 MX$489

4.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.13 MX$637

$35.47 MX$609

4.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.88 MX$376

$16.03 MX$275

36.49%

Cinema Ticket

$5.71 MX$97.9

$4.59 MX$78.7

24.40%

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

$348 MX$5,972

$208 MX$3,577

66.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,997 MX$154.4K

$3,625 MX$62.2K

148.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 MX$1,028

$52.1 MX$894

15.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.22 MX$742

$39.82 MX$684

8.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$1,878

$90.5 MX$1,554

20.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 MX$2,228

$78.7 MX$1,350

65.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$894 MX$15.3K

$517 MX$8,866

73.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$656 MX$11.3K

$393 MX$6,754

66.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 MX$27.1K

$933 MX$16.0K

69.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,422 MX$24.4K

$777 MX$13.3K

82.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,316 MX$74.1K

$2,116 MX$36.3K

104.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,873 MX$49.3K

$1,108 MX$19.0K

159.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,101 MX$18.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

11.48

0.61%

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

Last update for Monterrey: June 8, 2026

Last update for San Felipe: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $894 in Monterrey and $517 in San Felipe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Monterrey vs $40.00 in San Felipe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $248 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 48% in total monthly costs ($1,574 vs $1,064 including rent). San Felipe is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,361 in Monterrey and $1,596 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: $894 in Monterrey versus $517 in San Felipe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $348 in Monterrey versus $208 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 $40.00 versus $54.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,064 in San Felipe versus $1,574 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 48% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.