Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Torreon Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Torreon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,562 in Monterrey versus $840 in Torreon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,533 in Monterrey versus $1,399 in Torreon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,504 in Monterrey versus $1,958 in Torreon.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 86% more expensive than Torreon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 16% above, Torreon is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.21 MX$229

$9.17 MX$159

44.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 MX$902

$42.95 MX$746

21.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.11 MX$176

$7.89 MX$137

28.14%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.3

$2.39 MX$41.46

50.21%

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

$1.45 MX$25.25

$1.20 MX$20.87

20.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.05 MX$18.21

$0.78 MX$13.62

34.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.61 MX$45.26

$1.56 MX$27.04

67.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 MX$74.4

$3.14 MX$54.5

36.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 MX$27.66

$1.52 MX$26.47

4.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 MX$46.57

$2.99 MX$51.9

-10.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.95

$1.81 MX$31.42

4.97%

Eggs

$2.66 MX$46.24

$2.32 MX$40.36

14.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.14 MX$176

$9.04 MX$157

12.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.16 MX$159

$6.20 MX$108

47.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.73 MX$238

$12.00 MX$208

14.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.06 MX$53.0

$2.47 MX$42.81

23.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.28

$1.26 MX$21.91

15.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.31

$1.76 MX$30.62

15.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.10

$1.24 MX$21.48

67.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.30 MX$39.93

$1.69 MX$29.34

36.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 MX$43.13

$1.55 MX$26.84

60.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 MX$26.49

$1.08 MX$18.78

41.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.85

$1.10 MX$19.14

-0.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.13 MX$71.7

$4.05 MX$70.2

1.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.73 MX$204

$9.99 MX$173

17.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 MX$30.81

$1.23 MX$21.34

43.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 MX$55.6

$2.00 MX$34.79

60.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 MX$13.26

$0.75 MX$12.94

1.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.42 MX$702

$11.70 MX$203

245.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.74 MX$30.19

$1.86 MX$32.32

-6.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 MX$17.53

$0.70 MX$12.16

44.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.63 MX$185

$9.41 MX$163

12.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.86

$1.22 MX$21.19

8.20%

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

$26.7K MX$463.5K

$18.9K MX$328.0K

41.33%

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

$25.7K MX$446.6K

$20.2K MX$351.1K

27.19%

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

$121 MX$2,102

$55.7 MX$967

117.55%

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

$27.93 MX$485

$23.20 MX$403

20.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.23 MX$525

$22.98 MX$399

31.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.55 MX$652

$39.51 MX$686

-4.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.67 MX$376

$9.18 MX$159

136.06%

Cinema Ticket

$5.73 MX$99.4

$3.89 MX$67.6

47.30%

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

$348 MX$6,036

$207 MX$3,591

68.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,022 MX$156.6K

$4,490 MX$77.9K

100.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.0 MX$1,024

$49.52 MX$860

19.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.88 MX$727

$34.35 MX$596

21.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$1,888

$87.1 MX$1,512

24.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 MX$2,222

$74.7 MX$1,297

71.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$910 MX$15.8K

$260 MX$4,513

250.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$648 MX$11.3K

$175 MX$3,043

269.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 MX$27.8K

$488 MX$8,467

228.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,416 MX$24.6K

$350 MX$6,084

304.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,142 MX$71.9K

$1,750 MX$30.4K

136.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,925 MX$50.8K

$1,354 MX$23.5K

115.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,141 MX$19.8K

$816 MX$14.2K

39.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

11.5

0.43%

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

Last update for Monterrey: April 11, 2026

Last update for Torreon: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $910 in Monterrey and $260 in Torreon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 40% 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: $52 in Monterrey vs $43 in Torreon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $245 per month, with Torreon 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 Torreon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey and Torreon differ by about 86% in total monthly costs ($1,562 vs $840 including rent). Torreon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Monterrey pays 40% more on average, 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: $910 in Monterrey versus $260 in Torreon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Torreon – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $52.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,562 per month in Monterrey versus $840 in Torreon – a 86% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $840 in Torreon versus $1,562 in Monterrey, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Torreon but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes Torreon 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 Torreon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 86% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.