Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Tehuacan Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Tehuacan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,615 in Monterrey versus $994 in Tehuacan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,601 in Monterrey versus $1,586 in Tehuacan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,587 in Monterrey versus $2,177 in Tehuacan.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 62% more expensive than in Tehuacan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 21% above, Tehuacan is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.05 MX$227

$4.86 MX$84.6

168.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.1 MX$907

$26.19 MX$456

98.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.14 MX$177

$5.65 MX$98.3

79.47%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$62.2

$2.56 MX$44.58

39.45%

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

$1.40 MX$24.38

$1.30 MX$22.57

7.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 MX$17.99

$0.81 MX$14.01

27.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.69 MX$46.82

$1.71 MX$29.67

57.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.12 MX$71.7

$3.73 MX$64.9

10.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 MX$27.85

$1.46 MX$25.47

9.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 MX$44.96

$1.68 MX$29.17

53.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.46

$1.37 MX$23.81

36.50%

Eggs

$2.70 MX$47.02

$1.69 MX$29.40

59.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.40 MX$181

$6.48 MX$113

60.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.78 MX$153

$5.82 MX$101

50.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.45 MX$234

$9.77 MX$170

37.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.22 MX$56.1

$2.16 MX$37.60

49.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 MX$24.43

$1.28 MX$22.29

9.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.99

$1.54 MX$26.76

30.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.38

$1.62 MX$28.16

32.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.35 MX$40.97

$2.12 MX$36.84

10.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.45 MX$42.63

$1.47 MX$25.54

66.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 MX$26.11

$0.98 MX$17.02

53.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.66

$0.66 MX$11.43

62.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.9

$4.18 MX$72.7

0.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.43 MX$251

$17.34 MX$302

-16.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 MX$30.87

$0.72 MX$12.52

145.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 MX$55.4

$1.05 MX$18.20

202.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 MX$13.07

$0.62 MX$10.79

20.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.81 MX$710

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.67 MX$29.11

$1.32 MX$22.92

26.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 MX$16.33

$0.30 MX$5.28

213.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.65 MX$185

$5.47 MX$95.2

94.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.82

$1.21 MX$21.04

8.26%

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

$26.1K MX$455.0K

$18.9K MX$328.4K

38.58%

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

$26.3K MX$457.4K

$23.1K MX$402.1K

13.76%

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

$123 MX$2,133

$40.15 MX$699

205.35%

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

$27.94 MX$486

$27.57 MX$480

1.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$517

$20.91 MX$364

41.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.16 MX$647

$36.36 MX$633

2.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.68 MX$377

$15.99 MX$278

35.58%

Cinema Ticket

$5.88 MX$102

$4.32 MX$75.1

36.11%

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

$339 MX$5,904

$430 MX$7,477

-21.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,746 MX$152.2K

$3,636 MX$63.3K

140.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.4 MX$1,033

$57.2 MX$995

3.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.83 MX$745

$45.80 MX$797

-6.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 MX$1,865

$104 MX$1,814

2.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 MX$2,180

$108 MX$1,883

15.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$894 MX$15.6K

$519 MX$9,030

72.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$652 MX$11.4K

$389 MX$6,770

67.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,613 MX$28.1K

$943 MX$16.4K

71.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,380 MX$24.0K

$774 MX$13.5K

78.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,271 MX$74.3K

$1,870 MX$32.5K

128.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,825 MX$49.2K

$1,216 MX$21.2K

132.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,112 MX$19.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

11.34

1.85%

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

Last update for Monterrey: July 19, 2026

Last update for Tehuacan: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $894 in Monterrey and $519 in Tehuacan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Monterrey vs $26.00 in Tehuacan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $294 vs $216 per month, with Tehuacan 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 Tehuacan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey and Tehuacan differ by about 62% in total monthly costs ($1,615 vs $994 including rent). Tehuacan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,423 in Monterrey and $1,492 in Tehuacan 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 $519 in Tehuacan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $339 in Monterrey versus $430 in Tehuacan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tehuacan – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $52.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $994 in Tehuacan versus $1,615 in Monterrey, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tehuacan but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes Tehuacan 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 Tehuacan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.