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: $1,692 in Monterrey versus $1,488 in Todos Santos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,638 in Monterrey versus $2,184 in Todos Santos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,583 in Monterrey versus $2,880 in Todos Santos.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 14% more expensive than in Todos Santos, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Monterrey 24% above, Todos Santos 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.54 MX$250

$11.55 MX$198

25.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.7 MX$904

$47.13 MX$809

11.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.44 MX$196

$9.16 MX$157

24.89%

Cappuccino

$4.29 MX$73.7

$3.70 MX$63.5

15.95%

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

$1.72 MX$29.48

$1.48 MX$25.47

16.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.00

$1.14 MX$19.59

-2.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$50.7

$2.88 MX$49.38

2.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.78 MX$82.1

$4.36 MX$74.9

9.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 MX$35.10

$1.68 MX$28.86

21.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.09 MX$53.0

$2.84 MX$48.78

8.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.72

$1.55 MX$26.65

26.45%

Eggs

$2.65 MX$45.42

$2.66 MX$45.70

-0.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.69 MX$218

$9.74 MX$167

30.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.80 MX$168

$7.67 MX$132

27.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 MX$232

$13.02 MX$223

3.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.45 MX$59.3

$2.87 MX$49.27

20.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.14

$1.65 MX$28.33

-0.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.35

$2.02 MX$34.63

10.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 MX$43.87

$1.90 MX$32.58

34.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.40 MX$41.19

$2.15 MX$36.82

11.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 MX$49.38

$1.93 MX$33.13

49.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 MX$27.37

$1.52 MX$26.05

4.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 MX$22.96

$1.13 MX$19.48

18.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 MX$88.9

$4.75 MX$81.5

9.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.68 MX$252

$11.16 MX$192

31.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 MX$34.91

$1.90 MX$32.65

6.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 MX$54.4

$3.43 MX$58.9

-7.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 MX$15.80

$0.71 MX$12.14

29.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.50 MX$575

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 MX$33.04

$3.06 MX$52.5

-37.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 MX$20.38

$1.92 MX$32.95

-38.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.75 MX$202

$12.93 MX$222

-9.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 MX$27.05

$1.53 MX$26.22

3.27%

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

$22.2K MX$381.5K

$20.3K MX$348.0K

9.65%

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

$26.2K MX$449.6K

$26.5K MX$454.8K

-1.15%

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

$124 MX$2,120

$62.7 MX$1,076

96.99%

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

$28.25 MX$485

$23.81 MX$409

18.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.93 MX$479

$32.17 MX$552

-13.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.96 MX$566

$32.54 MX$559

1.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.09 MX$396

$19.70 MX$338

17.21%

Cinema Ticket

$5.52 MX$94.8

$6.08 MX$104

-9.21%

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

$730 MX$12.5K

$261 MX$4,481

179.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K MX$202.8K

$4,389 MX$75.3K

169.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.3 MX$1,379

$57.4 MX$985

39.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.45 MX$780

$46.45 MX$797

-2.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 MX$2,051

$101 MX$1,730

18.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 MX$2,237

$83.5 MX$1,433

56.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,047 MX$18.0K

$1,029 MX$17.7K

1.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$728 MX$12.5K

$697 MX$12.0K

4.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 MX$33.9K

$2,060 MX$35.4K

-4.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,385 MX$23.8K

$1,051 MX$18.0K

31.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,432 MX$76.1K

$1,716 MX$29.4K

158.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 MX$45.0K

$1,086 MX$18.6K

141.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,168 MX$20.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.56

11.3

2.30%

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

Last update for Monterrey: September 12, 2026

Last update for Todos Santos: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,047 in Monterrey and $1,029 in Todos Santos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $53.0 in Monterrey vs $47.00 in Todos Santos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $279 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 14% in total monthly costs ($1,692 vs $1,488 including rent). Todos Santos is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,539 in Monterrey and $2,232 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: $1,047 in Monterrey versus $1,029 in Todos Santos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $730 in Monterrey versus $261 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 $47.00 versus $53.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,488 in Todos Santos versus $1,692 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 14% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.