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: $1,574 in Monterrey versus $1,103 in Todos Santos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,529 in Monterrey versus $1,745 in Todos Santos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,484 in Monterrey versus $2,388 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 17% above, Todos Santos is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.42 MX$230

$10.61 MX$182

26.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$924

$39.25 MX$674

37.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 MX$177

$8.12 MX$139

27.09%

Cappuccino

$3.58 MX$61.4

$3.25 MX$55.8

10.15%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$1.28 MX$22.04

11.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 MX$17.00

$0.90 MX$15.44

10.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 MX$44.41

$2.41 MX$41.42

7.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 MX$73.4

$3.83 MX$65.7

11.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 MX$28.69

$1.44 MX$24.74

15.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.30

$2.62 MX$44.89

0.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.15

$1.55 MX$26.60

20.65%

Eggs

$2.67 MX$45.90

$2.32 MX$39.88

15.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.49 MX$180

$7.92 MX$136

32.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.13 MX$157

$8.07 MX$139

13.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.85 MX$238

$10.56 MX$181

31.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 MX$52.3

$2.59 MX$44.41

17.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 MX$24.09

$1.38 MX$23.75

1.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.41

$1.79 MX$30.70

18.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.33

$1.64 MX$28.21

25.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.25

$1.93 MX$33.09

15.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 MX$43.99

$1.92 MX$33.04

33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 MX$26.22

$1.21 MX$20.70

26.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.45

$0.98 MX$16.82

9.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.13 MX$70.8

$4.27 MX$73.3

-3.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.34 MX$246

$10.54 MX$181

36.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 MX$30.68

$1.61 MX$27.68

11.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 MX$54.5

$2.73 MX$46.88

16.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 MX$13.16

$0.66 MX$11.29

16.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.85 MX$701

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.73 MX$29.77

$2.57 MX$44.19

-32.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 MX$16.44

$1.53 MX$26.29

-37.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.72 MX$184

$8.42 MX$144

27.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.36

$1.26 MX$21.65

7.94%

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

$26.5K MX$454.9K

$21.2K MX$364.7K

24.72%

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

$25.9K MX$443.8K

$22.6K MX$387.4K

14.56%

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

$123 MX$2,113

$56.2 MX$964

119.17%

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

$27.98 MX$480

$22.38 MX$384

25.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.71 MX$510

$28.57 MX$490

3.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.13 MX$637

$36.25 MX$622

2.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.88 MX$376

$15.61 MX$268

40.17%

Cinema Ticket

$5.71 MX$97.9

$4.77 MX$81.8

19.71%

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

$348 MX$5,972

$210 MX$3,607

65.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,997 MX$154.4K

$3,600 MX$61.8K

149.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 MX$1,028

$53.9 MX$926

11.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.22 MX$742

$40.36 MX$693

7.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$1,878

$88.9 MX$1,525

23.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 MX$2,228

$78.2 MX$1,343

65.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$894 MX$15.3K

$501 MX$8,598

78.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$656 MX$11.3K

$393 MX$6,740

66.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 MX$27.1K

$948 MX$16.3K

66.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,422 MX$24.4K

$747 MX$12.8K

90.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,316 MX$74.1K

$1,745 MX$30.0K

147.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,873 MX$49.3K

$1,141 MX$19.6K

151.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,101 MX$18.9K

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Todos Santos: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $894 in Monterrey and $501 in Todos Santos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Monterrey vs $39.00 in Todos Santos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 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 43% in total monthly costs ($1,574 vs $1,103 including rent). Todos Santos is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,361 in Monterrey and $1,655 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: $894 in Monterrey versus $501 in Todos Santos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $348 in Monterrey versus $210 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 $54.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,103 in Todos Santos versus $1,574 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.