Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Sayulita Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Sayulita

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,574 in Monterrey versus $1,086 in Sayulita.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,529 in Monterrey versus $1,748 in Sayulita.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,484 in Monterrey versus $2,410 in Sayulita.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 45% more expensive than Sayulita, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 17% above, Sayulita is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.42 MX$230

$10.64 MX$183

26.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$924

$38.26 MX$657

40.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 MX$177

$7.96 MX$137

29.65%

Cappuccino

$3.58 MX$61.4

$3.38 MX$58.0

5.92%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$1.22 MX$20.98

17.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 MX$17.00

$0.99 MX$16.93

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 MX$44.41

$2.23 MX$38.22

16.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 MX$73.4

$3.80 MX$65.2

12.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 MX$28.69

$1.50 MX$25.73

11.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.30

$2.51 MX$43.14

5.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.15

$1.64 MX$28.11

14.02%

Eggs

$2.67 MX$45.90

$2.38 MX$40.90

12.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.49 MX$180

$7.84 MX$135

33.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.13 MX$157

$7.71 MX$132

18.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.85 MX$238

$10.77 MX$185

28.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 MX$52.3

$2.59 MX$44.44

17.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 MX$24.09

$1.46 MX$25.00

-4.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.41

$1.71 MX$29.36

23.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.33

$1.71 MX$29.38

20.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.25

$1.92 MX$32.90

16.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 MX$43.99

$2.02 MX$34.73

26.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 MX$26.22

$1.27 MX$21.73

20.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.45

$1.02 MX$17.56

4.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.13 MX$70.8

$4.06 MX$69.7

1.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.34 MX$246

$10.83 MX$186

32.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 MX$30.68

$1.55 MX$26.68

15.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 MX$54.5

$2.84 MX$48.66

11.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 MX$13.16

$0.64 MX$11.01

20.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.85 MX$701

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.73 MX$29.77

$2.56 MX$43.89

-32.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 MX$16.44

$1.61 MX$27.61

-40.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.72 MX$184

$8.44 MX$145

27.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.36

$1.32 MX$22.71

3.03%

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

$26.5K MX$454.9K

$20.8K MX$357.0K

27.43%

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

$25.9K MX$443.8K

$22.8K MX$391.3K

13.42%

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

$123 MX$2,113

$56.0 MX$961

119.76%

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

$27.98 MX$480

$22.14 MX$380

26.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.71 MX$510

$27.85 MX$478

6.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.13 MX$637

$35.86 MX$616

3.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.88 MX$376

$15.55 MX$267

40.71%

Cinema Ticket

$5.71 MX$97.9

$4.70 MX$80.7

21.49%

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

$348 MX$5,972

$209 MX$3,584

66.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,997 MX$154.4K

$3,577 MX$61.4K

151.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 MX$1,028

$52.5 MX$901

14.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.22 MX$742

$39.90 MX$685

8.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$1,878

$89.9 MX$1,543

21.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 MX$2,228

$78.8 MX$1,353

64.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$894 MX$15.3K

$517 MX$8,881

72.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$656 MX$11.3K

$391 MX$6,715

67.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 MX$27.1K

$940 MX$16.1K

67.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,422 MX$24.4K

$764 MX$13.1K

86.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,316 MX$74.1K

$1,719 MX$29.5K

151.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,873 MX$49.3K

$1,164 MX$20.0K

146.93%

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 Sayulita: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

Dining out: $54.0 in Monterrey vs $38.00 in Sayulita for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $250 per month, with Sayulita 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 Sayulita: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey and Sayulita differ by about 45% in total monthly costs ($1,574 vs $1,086 including rent). Sayulita 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 $1,629 in Sayulita 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 Sayulita. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $348 in Monterrey versus $209 in Sayulita. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Sayulita – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $54.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,086 in Sayulita versus $1,574 in Monterrey, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sayulita but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes Sayulita 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 Sayulita 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 Sayulita gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.