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: $1,596 in Monterrey versus $1,119 in Todos Santos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,550 in Monterrey versus $1,781 in Todos Santos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,504 in Monterrey versus $2,444 in Todos Santos.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 43% more expensive than Todos Santos, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 19% above, Todos Santos is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.45 MX$233

$10.55 MX$183

27.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.8 MX$915

$38.66 MX$670

36.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.25 MX$178

$8.03 MX$139

27.65%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$64.8

$3.33 MX$57.7

12.31%

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

$1.40 MX$24.28

$1.23 MX$21.39

13.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$17.98

$0.91 MX$15.77

14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.66 MX$46.07

$2.41 MX$41.74

10.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 MX$75.1

$3.88 MX$67.2

11.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 MX$27.59

$1.45 MX$25.12

9.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.62 MX$45.41

$2.53 MX$43.78

3.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$33.66

$1.56 MX$27.02

24.36%

Eggs

$2.68 MX$46.39

$2.38 MX$41.21

12.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.37 MX$180

$8.27 MX$143

25.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.24 MX$160

$8.09 MX$140

14.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 MX$234

$10.48 MX$182

28.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 MX$55.3

$2.59 MX$44.89

23.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 MX$25.06

$1.41 MX$24.39

2.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.92

$1.77 MX$30.70

16.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.88

$1.57 MX$27.26

31.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.37

$1.92 MX$33.36

18.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.57 MX$44.60

$1.91 MX$33.17

34.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 MX$26.00

$1.21 MX$20.88

23.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.68

$0.98 MX$17.04

10.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$74.3

$4.25 MX$73.7

0.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.95 MX$207

$10.92 MX$189

9.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.85

$1.55 MX$26.90

10.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 MX$54.4

$2.88 MX$49.83

9.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 MX$14.27

$0.61 MX$10.59

34.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.89 MX$709

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 MX$29.18

$2.54 MX$44.05

-33.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 MX$17.45

$1.56 MX$27.01

-35.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.41 MX$180

$8.43 MX$146

23.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.31

$1.27 MX$21.96

6.30%

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

$25.9K MX$449.3K

$20.9K MX$362.1K

24.11%

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

$26.2K MX$454.0K

$22.1K MX$383.0K

18.54%

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

$121 MX$2,095

$56.5 MX$980

113.89%

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

$27.83 MX$482

$22.19 MX$385

25.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.04 MX$521

$28.33 MX$491

6.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.56 MX$651

$35.94 MX$623

4.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.96 MX$381

$16.06 MX$278

36.74%

Cinema Ticket

$5.75 MX$99.7

$4.50 MX$78.0

27.78%

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

$336 MX$5,820

$206 MX$3,568

63.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,005 MX$156.0K

$3,529 MX$61.2K

155.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 MX$1,034

$52.2 MX$905

14.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 MX$741

$39.10 MX$678

9.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$1,875

$91.1 MX$1,579

18.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 MX$2,199

$79.9 MX$1,385

58.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 MX$15.7K

$517 MX$8,962

75.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 MX$11.5K

$399 MX$6,915

66.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,572 MX$27.2K

$919 MX$15.9K

71.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,424 MX$24.7K

$758 MX$13.1K

87.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,254 MX$73.7K

$2,271 MX$39.4K

87.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,862 MX$49.6K

$1,185 MX$20.5K

141.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,129 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: April 21, 2026

Last update for Todos Santos: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $908 in Monterrey and $517 in Todos Santos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $53 in Monterrey vs $39 in Todos Santos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $250 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 43% in total monthly costs ($1,596 vs $1,119 including rent). Todos Santos is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,393 in Monterrey and $1,678 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: $908 in Monterrey versus $517 in Todos Santos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $336 in Monterrey versus $206 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 $39.00 versus $53.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,119 in Todos Santos versus $1,596 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 43% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.