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: $1,615 in Monterrey versus $842 in Torreon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,601 in Monterrey versus $1,408 in Torreon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,587 in Monterrey versus $1,973 in Torreon.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 92% more expensive than in Torreon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 21% above, Torreon is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.05 MX$227

$9.29 MX$162

40.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.1 MX$907

$42.11 MX$733

23.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.14 MX$177

$7.82 MX$136

29.67%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$62.2

$2.42 MX$42.07

47.52%

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

$1.40 MX$24.38

$1.20 MX$20.91

16.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 MX$17.99

$0.82 MX$14.32

25.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.69 MX$46.82

$1.57 MX$27.25

71.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.12 MX$71.7

$3.14 MX$54.7

31.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 MX$27.85

$1.50 MX$26.16

6.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 MX$44.96

$3.04 MX$52.9

-15.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.46

$1.74 MX$30.21

7.47%

Eggs

$2.70 MX$47.02

$2.31 MX$40.12

16.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.40 MX$181

$8.98 MX$156

15.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.78 MX$153

$6.35 MX$110

38.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.45 MX$234

$12.37 MX$215

8.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.22 MX$56.1

$2.58 MX$44.87

24.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 MX$24.43

$1.21 MX$21.09

15.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.99

$1.75 MX$30.43

14.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.38

$1.18 MX$20.50

82.20%

Potato (1kg)

$2.35 MX$40.97

$1.70 MX$29.60

38.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.45 MX$42.63

$1.63 MX$28.35

50.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 MX$26.11

$1.11 MX$19.35

35.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.66

$1.11 MX$19.29

-3.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.9

$4.07 MX$70.8

2.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.43 MX$251

$10.12 MX$176

42.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 MX$30.87

$1.24 MX$21.53

42.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 MX$55.4

$1.92 MX$33.46

65.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 MX$13.07

$0.69 MX$11.95

8.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.81 MX$710

$11.66 MX$203

250.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.67 MX$29.11

$1.84 MX$31.98

-9.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 MX$16.33

$0.70 MX$12.14

34.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.65 MX$185

$9.32 MX$162

14.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.82

$1.22 MX$21.23

7.38%

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

$26.1K MX$455.0K

$19.1K MX$332.0K

37.06%

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

$26.3K MX$457.4K

$19.6K MX$341.4K

34.00%

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

$123 MX$2,133

$55.7 MX$970

119.95%

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

$27.94 MX$486

$22.69 MX$395

23.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$517

$22.81 MX$397

30.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.16 MX$647

$40.05 MX$697

-7.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.68 MX$377

$9.03 MX$157

140.09%

Cinema Ticket

$5.88 MX$102

$3.90 MX$67.9

50.77%

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

$339 MX$5,904

$207 MX$3,603

63.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,746 MX$152.2K

$4,465 MX$77.7K

95.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.4 MX$1,033

$48.73 MX$848

21.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.83 MX$745

$34.51 MX$600

24.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 MX$1,865

$87.5 MX$1,522

22.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 MX$2,180

$77.5 MX$1,348

61.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$894 MX$15.6K

$269 MX$4,686

231.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$652 MX$11.4K

$169 MX$2,936

286.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,613 MX$28.1K

$491 MX$8,541

228.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,380 MX$24.0K

$351 MX$6,105

293.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,271 MX$74.3K

$1,710 MX$29.8K

149.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,825 MX$49.2K

$1,352 MX$23.5K

108.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,112 MX$19.3K

$796 MX$13.9K

39.67%

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: July 19, 2026

Last update for Torreon: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $894 in Monterrey and $269 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: $52.0 in Monterrey vs $42.00 in Torreon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $294 vs $247 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 92% in total monthly costs ($1,615 vs $842 including rent). Torreon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 40% higher in Monterrey, 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: $894 in Monterrey versus $269 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 $42.00 versus $52.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,615 per month in Monterrey versus $842 in Torreon – a 92% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $842 in Torreon versus $1,615 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 92% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.