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: $1,596 in Monterrey versus $996 in Tehuacan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,550 in Monterrey versus $1,571 in Tehuacan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,504 in Monterrey versus $2,146 in Tehuacan.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 60% more expensive than Tehuacan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 19% above, Tehuacan is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.45 MX$233

$4.74 MX$82.1

183.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.8 MX$915

$26.75 MX$464

97.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.25 MX$178

$5.41 MX$93.7

89.46%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$64.8

$2.66 MX$46.08

40.60%

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

$1.40 MX$24.28

$1.33 MX$23.07

5.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$17.98

$0.77 MX$13.36

35.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.66 MX$46.07

$1.77 MX$30.62

50.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 MX$75.1

$3.78 MX$65.5

14.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 MX$27.59

$1.46 MX$25.35

8.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.62 MX$45.41

$1.68 MX$29.05

55.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$33.66

$1.38 MX$23.86

40.58%

Eggs

$2.68 MX$46.39

$1.69 MX$29.27

58.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.37 MX$180

$6.39 MX$111

62.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.24 MX$160

$6.09 MX$106

51.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 MX$234

$9.48 MX$164

42.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 MX$55.3

$2.13 MX$36.95

49.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 MX$25.06

$1.28 MX$22.18

13.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.92

$1.62 MX$28.15

27.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.88

$1.62 MX$28.04

27.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.37

$2.05 MX$35.47

10.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.57 MX$44.60

$1.45 MX$25.05

77.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 MX$26.00

$0.98 MX$16.92

53.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.68

$0.66 MX$11.37

63.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$74.3

$4.12 MX$71.3

4.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.95 MX$207

$14.40 MX$250

-17.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.85

$0.66 MX$11.44

160.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 MX$54.4

$1.08 MX$18.67

190.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 MX$14.27

$0.60 MX$10.38

36.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.89 MX$709

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 MX$29.18

$1.37 MX$23.78

22.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 MX$17.45

$0.30 MX$5.27

236.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.41 MX$180

$5.44 MX$94.4

91.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.31

$1.25 MX$21.62

8.00%

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

$25.9K MX$449.3K

$18.7K MX$324.0K

38.70%

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

$26.2K MX$454.0K

$23.0K MX$399.0K

13.77%

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

$121 MX$2,095

$40.91 MX$709

195.55%

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

$27.83 MX$482

$26.82 MX$465

3.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.04 MX$521

$20.56 MX$356

46.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.56 MX$651

$36.51 MX$633

2.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.96 MX$381

$16.13 MX$280

36.14%

Cinema Ticket

$5.75 MX$99.7

$4.18 MX$72.4

37.56%

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

$336 MX$5,820

$437 MX$7,573

-23.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,005 MX$156.0K

$3,616 MX$62.7K

149.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 MX$1,034

$57.0 MX$988

4.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 MX$741

$45.96 MX$796

-6.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$1,875

$102 MX$1,771

5.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 MX$2,199

$108 MX$1,873

17.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 MX$15.7K

$508 MX$8,798

78.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 MX$11.5K

$400 MX$6,939

65.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,572 MX$27.2K

$941 MX$16.3K

67.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,424 MX$24.7K

$750 MX$13.0K

89.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,254 MX$73.7K

$2,010 MX$34.8K

111.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,862 MX$49.6K

$1,281 MX$22.2K

123.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,129 MX$19.6K

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: April 21, 2026

Last update for Tehuacan: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $908 in Monterrey and $508 in Tehuacan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $53 in Monterrey vs $27 in Tehuacan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $210 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 60% in total monthly costs ($1,596 vs $996 including rent). Tehuacan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,393 in Monterrey and $1,495 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: $908 in Monterrey versus $508 in Tehuacan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $336 in Monterrey versus $437 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 $27.00 versus $53.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $996 in Tehuacan versus $1,596 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 60% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.