Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Temple, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,599 a month against $2,391 in Temple, TX, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index
116

Cost of Living Index in Temple, TX
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Temple, TX Living Index

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Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,599

/mo nomad

Temple, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,391

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in Temple, TX

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Monterrey and in Temple, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,599 in Monterrey versus $2,391 in Temple, TX.

Monterrey $1,599
Temple, TX $2,391

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,493 in Monterrey versus $3,282 in Temple, TX.

Monterrey $2,493
Temple, TX $3,282

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,387 in Monterrey versus $4,174 in Temple, TX.

Monterrey $3,387
Temple, TX $4,174

Living in Monterrey costs roughly 33% less than in Temple, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Monterrey 18% above, Temple, TX 76% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.80 MX$255

$18.60 $18.60

-25.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.99 MX$887

$50.7 $50.7

-5.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$197

$8.78 $8.78

21.30%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$73.7

$4.97 $4.97

-19.72%

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

$1.66 MX$30.76

$2.79 $2.79

-40.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 MX$18.21

$1.69 $1.69

-41.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 MX$43.64

$3.54 $3.54

-33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 MX$81.8

$4.03 $4.03

9.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 MX$33.58

$0.94 $0.94

93.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.83 MX$52.4

$2.12 $2.12

33.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.44

$4.12 $4.12

-53.40%

Eggs

$2.48 MX$45.78

$2.85 $2.85

-12.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.74 MX$217

$8.81 $8.81

33.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.10 MX$168

$8.70 $8.70

4.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.53 MX$232

$15.42 $15.42

-18.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.34 MX$61.6

$5.01 $5.01

-33.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$29.10

$1.55 $1.55

1.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.16 MX$39.86

$4.15 $4.15

-47.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 MX$45.65

$3.65 $3.65

-32.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$42.64

$2.15 $2.15

7.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.68 MX$49.47

$2.44 $2.44

9.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$26.90

$1.60 $1.60

-8.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$22.07

$1.97 $1.97

-39.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.75 MX$87.8

$10.21 $10.21

-53.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.58 MX$251

$9.15 $9.15

48.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 MX$35.52

$2.00 $2.00

-4.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$53.2

$2.43 $2.43

18.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 MX$14.66

$1.96 $1.96

-59.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.36 MX$579

$50.2 $50.2

-37.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.59 MX$29.44

$3.08 $3.08

-48.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 MX$19.58

$1.77 $1.77

-40.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.80 MX$200

$24.10 $24.10

-55.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$28.59

$0.72 $0.72

115.28%

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

$24.2K MX$446.4K

$24.6K $24.6K

-1.94%

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

$24.3K MX$449.4K

$25.0K $25.0K

-2.80%

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

$117 MX$2,159

$211 $211

-44.70%

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

$26.38 MX$488

$43.64 $43.64

-39.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.04 MX$481

$84.0 $84.0

-68.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.26 MX$559

$17.57 $17.57

72.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.25 MX$393

Cinema Ticket

$5.23 MX$96.6

$12.10 $12.10

-56.78%

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

$673 MX$12.4K

$1,901 $1,901

-64.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K MX$205.2K

$27.7K $27.7K

-59.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.1 MX$1,332

$19.22 $19.22

275.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.38 MX$783

$49.07 $49.07

-13.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$2,066

$86.7 $86.7

28.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 MX$2,200

$83.7 $83.7

42.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$949 MX$17.5K

$1,450 $1,450

-34.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$666 MX$12.3K

$1,236 $1,236

-46.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,821 MX$33.7K

$2,048 $2,048

-11.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 MX$23.5K

$1,769 $1,769

-28.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,050 MX$74.8K

$1,744 $1,744

132.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,348 MX$43.4K

$1,710 $1,710

37.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,155 MX$21.3K

$3,927 $3,927

-70.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.79

6.62

78.10%

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

Last update for Monterrey: October 18, 2026

Last update for Temple, TX: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Monterrey

$666 41.7%

Temple, TX

$1.2K 51.7% 85.4% $569

Groceries & Markets

Monterrey

$304 19%

Temple, TX

$318 13.3% 4.6% $14

Eating Out

Monterrey

$221 13.9%

Temple, TX

$278 11.7% 25.7% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monterrey

$169 10.6%

Temple, TX

$339 14.2% 100% $170

Clothing & Footwear

Monterrey

$155 9.7%

Temple, TX

$107 4.5% 30.9% $48

Getting Around

Monterrey

$41 2.6%

Temple, TX

$70 2.9% 68.9% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Monterrey

$41 2.6%

Temple, TX

$42 1.8% 2.6% $1.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $949 in Monterrey and $1,450 in Temple, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Temple, TX pays 240% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $48.00 in Monterrey vs $51.0 in Temple, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $304 vs $318 per month, with Monterrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🇺🇸 Temple, TX

🕒 Local time

13:24 1:24 PM

14:24 2:24 PM

1 h ahead of Monterrey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,142,994

82,073

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Monterrey Temple, TX 670 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Monterrey
Temple, TX

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Temple, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey and Temple, TX differ by about 49% in total monthly costs ($1,599 vs $2,391 including rent). Monterrey is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 240% lower in Temple, TX. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $949 in Monterrey versus $1,450 in Temple, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Monterrey – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $51.0 in Temple, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,599 per month in Monterrey versus $2,391 in Temple, TX – a 49% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,599 in Monterrey versus $2,391 in Temple, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Monterrey but tight or insufficient in Temple, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Monterrey 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 Monterrey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Temple, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.