Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Todos Santos Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Todos Santos

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,581 in Monterrey versus $1,089 in Todos Santos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,534 in Monterrey versus $1,765 in Todos Santos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,488 in Monterrey versus $2,441 in Todos Santos.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 45% more expensive than in Todos Santos, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 19% above, Todos Santos is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.12 MX$227

$10.77 MX$186

21.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 MX$899

$39.77 MX$688

30.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.46 MX$181

$7.75 MX$134

34.97%

Cappuccino

$3.73 MX$64.5

$3.36 MX$58.1

11.01%

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

$1.40 MX$24.23

$1.23 MX$21.31

13.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.05 MX$18.17

$0.98 MX$16.96

7.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.69 MX$46.49

$2.42 MX$41.94

11.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 MX$74.9

$3.87 MX$67.0

11.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 MX$28.77

$1.43 MX$24.73

16.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.74

$2.54 MX$43.92

3.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.94

$1.61 MX$27.93

21.74%

Eggs

$2.62 MX$45.41

$2.37 MX$41.05

10.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.49 MX$181

$7.81 MX$135

34.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.88 MX$154

$8.05 MX$139

10.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 MX$235

$10.47 MX$181

29.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$52.8

$2.67 MX$46.21

14.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 MX$25.36

$1.46 MX$25.20

0.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.22

$1.70 MX$29.50

20.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.73

$1.65 MX$28.47

25.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 MX$40.47

$1.85 MX$32.03

26.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.52 MX$43.52

$1.93 MX$33.44

30.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 MX$27.17

$1.26 MX$21.75

24.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$0.98 MX$17.02

14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$4.23 MX$73.1

0.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.06 MX$243

$10.65 MX$184

32.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 MX$31.00

$1.61 MX$27.78

11.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 MX$53.5

$2.86 MX$49.43

8.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 MX$14.19

$0.62 MX$10.69

32.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.01 MX$692

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.75 MX$30.28

$2.65 MX$45.85

-33.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 MX$16.78

$1.54 MX$26.60

-37.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.63 MX$184

$8.51 MX$147

24.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 MX$23.65

$1.26 MX$21.76

8.73%

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

$26.3K MX$455.2K

$21.0K MX$363.4K

25.24%

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

$25.5K MX$441.3K

$22.2K MX$383.6K

15.05%

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

$123 MX$2,125

$57.4 MX$993

113.94%

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

$27.58 MX$477

$22.14 MX$383

24.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.78 MX$515

$28.47 MX$493

4.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.38 MX$664

$36.13 MX$625

6.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.94 MX$380

$15.71 MX$272

39.66%

Cinema Ticket

$5.86 MX$101

$4.69 MX$81.1

24.95%

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

$347 MX$6,004

$205 MX$3,553

68.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,938 MX$154.6K

$3,637 MX$62.9K

145.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.2 MX$1,006

$53.1 MX$918

9.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.19 MX$747

$40.08 MX$693

7.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$1,884

$91.2 MX$1,578

19.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 MX$2,187

$78.8 MX$1,363

60.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 MX$15.6K

$516 MX$8,931

74.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$661 MX$11.4K

$404 MX$6,981

63.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 MX$27.6K

$916 MX$15.8K

74.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,398 MX$24.2K

$756 MX$13.1K

85.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,267 MX$73.8K

$2,051 MX$35.5K

108.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,840 MX$49.1K

$1,079 MX$18.7K

163.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,135 MX$19.6K

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Todos Santos: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $903 in Monterrey and $516 in Todos Santos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Monterrey vs $40.00 in Todos Santos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $296 vs $249 per month, with Todos Santos 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 Todos Santos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey and Todos Santos differ by about 45% in total monthly costs ($1,581 vs $1,089 including rent). Todos Santos is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,371 in Monterrey and $1,633 in Todos Santos 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: $903 in Monterrey versus $516 in Todos Santos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $347 in Monterrey versus $205 in Todos Santos. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Todos Santos – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $52.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,089 in Todos Santos versus $1,581 in Monterrey, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Todos Santos but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes Todos Santos 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 Todos Santos 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 Todos Santos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.