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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,601 in Monterrey versus $1,088 in San Fernando.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Monterrey versus $1,738 in San Fernando.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,568 in Monterrey versus $2,387 in San Fernando.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 47% more expensive than San Fernando, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 20% above, San Fernando is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.01 MX$227

$10.62 MX$185

22.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$939

$39.11 MX$683

37.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.21 MX$178

$7.97 MX$139

28.11%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$64.3

$3.25 MX$56.7

13.23%

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

$1.46 MX$25.54

$1.24 MX$21.65

17.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 MX$17.45

$0.89 MX$15.62

12.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 MX$47.07

$2.31 MX$40.42

16.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 MX$74.6

$3.86 MX$67.5

10.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 MX$29.09

$1.48 MX$25.88

12.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 MX$46.80

$2.54 MX$44.35

5.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.67

$1.61 MX$28.06

19.88%

Eggs

$2.63 MX$45.93

$2.37 MX$41.47

10.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.34 MX$181

$7.87 MX$137

31.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.22 MX$161

$8.02 MX$140

14.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.84 MX$242

$10.71 MX$187

29.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 MX$55.0

$2.65 MX$46.28

18.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 MX$24.24

$1.44 MX$25.19

-3.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.92

$1.70 MX$29.69

17.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$37.39

$1.65 MX$28.81

29.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.57

$1.91 MX$33.39

18.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 MX$44.43

$2.02 MX$35.20

25.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 MX$27.35

$1.25 MX$21.82

25.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.67

$0.98 MX$17.12

9.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 MX$74.2

$4.08 MX$71.2

4.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.36 MX$251

$12.27 MX$214

17.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 MX$31.11

$1.56 MX$27.17

14.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 MX$54.9

$2.86 MX$49.87

9.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 MX$14.00

$0.61 MX$10.58

31.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.54 MX$708

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 MX$29.34

$2.64 MX$46.07

-36.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 MX$16.44

$1.58 MX$27.64

-40.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.76 MX$188

$8.20 MX$143

31.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 MX$23.91

$1.31 MX$22.90

4.58%

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

$26.7K MX$467.1K

$21.2K MX$369.8K

26.28%

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

$25.6K MX$446.8K

$22.4K MX$391.8K

14.03%

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

$122 MX$2,125

$56.6 MX$988

114.95%

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

$27.19 MX$475

$21.95 MX$383

23.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.82 MX$521

$28.20 MX$493

5.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.49 MX$672

$36.10 MX$631

6.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.46 MX$375

$15.62 MX$273

37.39%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 MX$103

$4.74 MX$82.7

24.89%

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

$346 MX$6,037

$202 MX$3,536

70.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,997 MX$157.1K

$3,590 MX$62.7K

150.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.4 MX$1,020

$53.0 MX$925

10.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.55 MX$743

$39.95 MX$698

6.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$1,910

$90.4 MX$1,578

21.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 MX$2,253

$79.2 MX$1,382

62.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$913 MX$15.9K

$516 MX$9,004

77.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$647 MX$11.3K

$395 MX$6,898

63.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,565 MX$27.3K

$944 MX$16.5K

65.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,401 MX$24.5K

$755 MX$13.2K

85.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,371 MX$76.3K

$1,967 MX$34.4K

122.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,839 MX$49.6K

$1,274 MX$22.3K

122.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,104 MX$19.3K

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 1, 2026

Last update for San Fernando: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $913 in Monterrey and $516 in San Fernando. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Monterrey vs $39.00 in San Fernando for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $254 per month, with San Fernando 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 Fernando: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey and San Fernando differ by about 47% in total monthly costs ($1,601 vs $1,088 including rent). San Fernando is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,402 in Monterrey and $1,632 in San Fernando 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: $913 in Monterrey versus $516 in San Fernando. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $346 in Monterrey versus $202 in San Fernando. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in San Fernando – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $54.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,088 in San Fernando versus $1,601 in Monterrey, a $1,500 budget is realistic in San Fernando but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes San Fernando 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 San Fernando gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.