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: $1,581 in Monterrey versus $1,056 in San Felipe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,534 in Monterrey versus $1,696 in San Felipe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,488 in Monterrey versus $2,336 in San Felipe.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 50% more expensive than in San Felipe, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 19% above, San Felipe is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.12 MX$227

$6.91 MX$120

89.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 MX$899

$38.91 MX$673

33.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.46 MX$181

$7.89 MX$136

32.57%

Cappuccino

$3.73 MX$64.5

$3.20 MX$55.4

16.56%

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

$1.40 MX$24.23

$1.25 MX$21.61

12.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.05 MX$18.17

$0.91 MX$15.82

15.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.69 MX$46.49

$2.41 MX$41.70

11.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 MX$74.9

$4.01 MX$69.4

7.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 MX$28.77

$1.49 MX$25.79

11.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.74

$2.56 MX$44.27

3.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.94

$1.64 MX$28.30

19.51%

Eggs

$2.62 MX$45.41

$2.32 MX$40.07

12.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.49 MX$181

$7.98 MX$138

31.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.88 MX$154

$7.99 MX$138

11.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 MX$235

$10.38 MX$180

30.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$52.8

$2.56 MX$44.37

19.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 MX$25.36

$1.44 MX$24.97

2.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.22

$1.77 MX$30.56

15.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.73

$1.64 MX$28.44

26.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 MX$40.47

$1.90 MX$32.92

23.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.52 MX$43.52

$1.92 MX$33.18

31.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 MX$27.17

$1.21 MX$20.98

29.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$1.03 MX$17.75

8.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$4.26 MX$73.7

0.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.06 MX$243

$12.11 MX$210

16.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 MX$31.00

$1.60 MX$27.60

11.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 MX$53.5

$2.74 MX$47.48

12.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 MX$14.19

$0.65 MX$11.23

26.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.01 MX$692

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.75 MX$30.28

$2.55 MX$44.16

-31.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 MX$16.78

$1.60 MX$27.74

-39.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.63 MX$184

$8.08 MX$140

31.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 MX$23.65

$1.27 MX$21.95

7.87%

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

$26.3K MX$455.2K

$20.8K MX$360.4K

26.29%

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

$25.5K MX$441.3K

$22.4K MX$387.4K

13.92%

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

$123 MX$2,125

$55.6 MX$962

120.94%

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

$27.58 MX$477

$21.98 MX$380

25.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.78 MX$515

$27.80 MX$481

7.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.38 MX$664

$36.01 MX$623

6.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.94 MX$380

$16.16 MX$280

35.77%

Cinema Ticket

$5.86 MX$101

$4.51 MX$78.1

29.93%

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

$347 MX$6,004

$206 MX$3,566

68.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,938 MX$154.6K

$3,567 MX$61.7K

150.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.2 MX$1,006

$52.4 MX$907

10.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.19 MX$747

$39.62 MX$686

9.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$1,884

$88.5 MX$1,532

23.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 MX$2,187

$80.2 MX$1,387

57.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 MX$15.6K

$510 MX$8,815

77.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$661 MX$11.4K

$399 MX$6,904

65.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 MX$27.6K

$937 MX$16.2K

70.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,398 MX$24.2K

$756 MX$13.1K

84.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,267 MX$73.8K

$2,010 MX$34.8K

112.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,840 MX$49.1K

$1,407 MX$24.3K

101.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,135 MX$19.6K

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for San Felipe: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $903 in Monterrey and $510 in San Felipe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Monterrey vs $39.00 in San Felipe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $296 vs $252 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 50% in total monthly costs ($1,581 vs $1,056 including rent). San Felipe is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,371 in Monterrey and $1,584 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: $903 in Monterrey versus $510 in San Felipe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $347 in Monterrey versus $206 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 $39.00 versus $52.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,056 in San Felipe versus $1,581 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 50% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.