Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Tlajomulco de Zúñiga Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Tlajomulco de Zúñiga

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,715 in Monterrey versus $1,223 in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,683 in Monterrey versus $1,983 in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,652 in Monterrey versus $2,743 in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 40% more expensive than in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 25% above, Tlajomulco de Zúñiga is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.60 MX$246

$14.48 MX$244

0.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$904

$50.7 MX$855

5.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.95 MX$202

$9.94 MX$168

20.22%

Cappuccino

$4.29 MX$72.4

$3.49 MX$58.8

22.92%

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

$1.73 MX$29.15

$1.81 MX$30.57

-4.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 MX$17.95

$1.27 MX$21.41

-16.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$49.84

$2.32 MX$39.11

27.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.73 MX$79.8

$5.33 MX$90.0

-11.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 MX$33.70

$1.73 MX$29.22

15.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.15 MX$53.1

$2.73 MX$46.08

15.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$34.86

$1.64 MX$27.65

26.22%

Eggs

$2.78 MX$46.99

$2.67 MX$44.98

4.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.18 MX$222

$10.36 MX$175

27.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$8.77 MX$148

15.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 MX$236

$11.04 MX$186

26.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.49 MX$58.9

$2.62 MX$44.17

33.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 MX$27.64

$1.67 MX$28.22

-1.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 MX$38.41

$1.49 MX$25.06

53.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.60 MX$43.85

$1.46 MX$24.59

78.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 MX$42.75

$1.72 MX$29.02

47.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 MX$48.03

$1.20 MX$20.20

137.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 MX$26.30

$1.53 MX$25.90

1.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 MX$21.74

$1.13 MX$19.11

14.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.21 MX$87.9

$4.83 MX$81.6

7.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.84 MX$250

$10.38 MX$175

42.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 MX$33.96

$1.71 MX$28.88

17.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 MX$52.9

$3.56 MX$60.1

-12.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 MX$15.13

$0.73 MX$12.37

23.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.72 MX$569

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 MX$31.28

$2.38 MX$40.19

-22.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 MX$20.14

$1.46 MX$24.64

-18.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.82 MX$199

$12.78 MX$216

-7.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.67 MX$28.26

$1.46 MX$24.59

14.38%

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

$22.6K MX$381.0K

$23.1K MX$389.3K

-2.14%

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

$27.1K MX$457.6K

$25.6K MX$432.8K

5.73%

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

$128 MX$2,161

$52.8 MX$892

142.32%

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

$28.03 MX$473

$23.93 MX$404

17.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.47 MX$481

$23.48 MX$396

21.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.66 MX$551

$36.84 MX$622

-11.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.24 MX$392

$24.27 MX$410

-4.24%

Cinema Ticket

$5.58 MX$94.2

$3.47 MX$58.6

60.81%

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

$734 MX$12.4K

$277 MX$4,681

164.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K MX$204.5K

$11.4K MX$192.7K

6.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.5 MX$1,342

$62.4 MX$1,053

27.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.39 MX$783

$44.29 MX$747

4.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 MX$2,024

$115 MX$1,944

4.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 MX$2,252

$88.9 MX$1,500

50.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 MX$17.8K

$660 MX$11.1K

59.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$739 MX$12.5K

$424 MX$7,150

74.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 MX$34.1K

$1,111 MX$18.8K

81.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,358 MX$22.9K

$823 MX$13.9K

65.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,486 MX$75.7K

$2,228 MX$37.6K

101.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,663 MX$44.9K

$1,161 MX$19.6K

129.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,153 MX$19.5K

$673 MX$11.4K

71.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.56

5.32

117.29%

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

Last update for Monterrey: August 31, 2026

Last update for Tlajomulco de Zúñiga: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,052 in Monterrey and $660 in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 71% 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: $54.0 in Monterrey vs $51.0 in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $270 per month, with Tlajomulco de Zúñiga 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 Tlajomulco de Zúñiga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey and Tlajomulco de Zúñiga differ by about 40% in total monthly costs ($1,715 vs $1,223 including rent). Tlajomulco de Zúñiga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 71% higher in Monterrey, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,052 in Monterrey versus $660 in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $734 in Monterrey versus $277 in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga – a meal for two runs $51.0 versus $54.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,223 in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga versus $1,715 in Monterrey, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes Tlajomulco de Zúñiga 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 Tlajomulco de Zúñiga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.