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: $1,595 in Monterrey versus $1,089 in Sayulita.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,536 in Monterrey versus $1,754 in Sayulita.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,477 in Monterrey versus $2,419 in Sayulita.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 46% more expensive than Sayulita, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.02 MX$227

$10.49 MX$182

24.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.6 MX$932

$38.42 MX$668

39.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.17 MX$177

$8.15 MX$142

24.79%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.2

$3.32 MX$57.9

12.95%

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

$1.44 MX$25.09

$1.30 MX$22.56

10.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.06

$0.90 MX$15.61

15.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 MX$44.86

$2.15 MX$37.46

20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 MX$71.5

$3.97 MX$69.1

3.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 MX$29.14

$1.48 MX$25.82

12.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.63 MX$45.81

$2.58 MX$44.90

1.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.62

$1.62 MX$28.15

19.14%

Eggs

$2.60 MX$45.25

$2.31 MX$40.20

12.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.47 MX$182

$8.19 MX$142

27.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.07 MX$158

$7.85 MX$137

15.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.42 MX$234

$10.75 MX$187

24.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 MX$54.9

$2.63 MX$45.70

20.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 MX$24.44

$1.43 MX$24.94

-2.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.39

$1.77 MX$30.83

18.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.35

$1.69 MX$29.47

23.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 MX$40.40

$1.90 MX$33.10

22.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.53 MX$44.09

$1.95 MX$33.94

29.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$27.00

$1.22 MX$21.22

27.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.39

$0.99 MX$17.21

12.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 MX$74.0

$4.24 MX$73.8

0.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.83 MX$206

$11.04 MX$192

7.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 MX$31.28

$1.61 MX$28.02

11.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 MX$54.2

$2.87 MX$49.96

8.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 MX$13.09

$0.61 MX$10.65

22.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.49 MX$687

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.76 MX$30.61

$2.62 MX$45.55

-32.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 MX$17.25

$1.54 MX$26.83

-35.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.60 MX$185

$8.06 MX$140

31.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.75

$1.27 MX$22.08

3.15%

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

$26.6K MX$463.1K

$20.9K MX$364.2K

27.16%

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

$25.7K MX$447.7K

$22.8K MX$396.1K

13.02%

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

$124 MX$2,151

$56.3 MX$980

119.53%

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

$27.80 MX$484

$22.45 MX$391

23.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.57 MX$514

$27.82 MX$484

6.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.39 MX$668

$36.83 MX$641

4.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.87 MX$380

$16.14 MX$281

35.50%

Cinema Ticket

$5.95 MX$103

$4.52 MX$78.7

31.64%

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

$337 MX$5,863

$206 MX$3,578

63.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,908 MX$155.0K

$3,584 MX$62.4K

148.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,014

$52.8 MX$918

10.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.99 MX$731

$39.65 MX$690

5.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$1,886

$91.5 MX$1,591

18.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 MX$2,195

$79.7 MX$1,387

58.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$911 MX$15.8K

$501 MX$8,710

81.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$660 MX$11.5K

$394 MX$6,850

67.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,570 MX$27.3K

$937 MX$16.3K

67.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,426 MX$24.8K

$761 MX$13.2K

87.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,178 MX$72.7K

$1,753 MX$30.5K

138.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,845 MX$49.5K

$1,161 MX$20.2K

144.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,113 MX$19.4K

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Sayulita: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $911 in Monterrey and $501 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 $292 vs $252 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 46% in total monthly costs ($1,595 vs $1,089 including rent). Sayulita is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,392 in Monterrey and $1,634 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: $911 in Monterrey versus $501 in Sayulita. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $337 in Monterrey versus $206 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 $1,089 in Sayulita versus $1,595 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 46% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.