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: $1,728 in Monterrey versus $1,285 in Torreon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,711 in Monterrey versus $2,051 in Torreon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,694 in Monterrey versus $2,817 in Torreon.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 34% more expensive than in Torreon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 25% above, Torreon is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.63 MX$248

$11.70 MX$199

25.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$901

$46.37 MX$787

14.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.02 MX$204

$10.98 MX$186

9.47%

Cappuccino

$4.18 MX$71.0

$3.52 MX$59.7

18.75%

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

$1.70 MX$28.82

$1.94 MX$32.95

-12.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$18.95

$1.40 MX$23.83

-20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$49.53

$2.31 MX$39.16

26.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.71 MX$79.9

$4.68 MX$79.4

0.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 MX$33.50

$1.90 MX$32.29

3.68%

White Bread (500g)

$3.16 MX$53.6

$3.27 MX$55.4

-3.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.00

$2.38 MX$40.34

-15.97%

Eggs

$2.68 MX$45.44

$2.89 MX$49.07

-7.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.14 MX$223

$10.85 MX$184

21.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.98 MX$169

$9.17 MX$156

8.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.79 MX$234

$12.84 MX$218

7.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 MX$61.1

$3.08 MX$52.3

16.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 MX$28.07

$1.88 MX$31.95

-12.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 MX$39.26

$2.40 MX$40.64

-3.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.58 MX$43.71

$2.66 MX$45.09

-3.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 MX$42.39

$2.64 MX$44.86

-5.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.0

$2.36 MX$40.07

25.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 MX$27.53

$1.59 MX$26.89

1.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 MX$22.70

$1.43 MX$24.22

-6.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.34 MX$90.7

$4.33 MX$73.5

23.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 MX$252

$11.77 MX$200

26.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 MX$34.28

$2.23 MX$37.75

-9.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 MX$54.8

$4.28 MX$72.7

-24.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 MX$14.78

$0.91 MX$15.36

-4.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.53 MX$569

$35.82 MX$608

-6.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.88 MX$31.82

$2.09 MX$35.42

-10.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.15 MX$19.52

$1.01 MX$17.06

13.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.99 MX$203

$10.59 MX$180

13.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.58

$1.58 MX$26.89

6.33%

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

$22.7K MX$385.0K

$26.9K MX$455.6K

-15.50%

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

$27.3K MX$462.8K

$28.9K MX$490.3K

-5.62%

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

$124 MX$2,109

$83.4 MX$1,414

49.11%

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

$28.42 MX$482

$43.36 MX$736

-34.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.37 MX$481

$31.41 MX$533

-9.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.01 MX$560

$67.8 MX$1,149

-51.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.10 MX$392

$23.65 MX$401

-2.33%

Cinema Ticket

$5.51 MX$93.5

$5.27 MX$89.3

4.55%

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

$738 MX$12.5K

$315 MX$5,348

134.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K MX$211.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.9 MX$1,373

$75.2 MX$1,276

7.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.74 MX$776

$51.8 MX$878

-11.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 MX$2,046

$113 MX$1,911

7.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 MX$2,295

$105 MX$1,785

28.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,045 MX$17.7K

$496 MX$8,407

110.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$728 MX$12.3K

$341 MX$5,785

113.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,014 MX$34.2K

$838 MX$14.2K

140.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,403 MX$23.8K

$639 MX$10.8K

119.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,411 MX$74.8K

$1,747 MX$29.6K

152.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,630 MX$44.6K

$1,392 MX$23.6K

88.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,170 MX$19.8K

$888 MX$15.1K

31.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.56

12.87

-10.18%

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

Last update for Monterrey: September 7, 2026

Last update for Torreon: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,045 in Monterrey and $496 in Torreon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 32% 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: $53.0 in Monterrey vs $46.00 in Torreon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $319 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 34% in total monthly costs ($1,728 vs $1,285 including rent). Torreon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 32% 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: $1,045 in Monterrey versus $496 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 $46.00 versus $53.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,728 per month in Monterrey versus $1,285 in Torreon – a 34% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,285 in Torreon versus $1,728 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 34% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.