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: $1,601 in Monterrey versus $832 in Torreon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Monterrey versus $1,376 in Torreon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,568 in Monterrey versus $1,920 in Torreon.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 93% more expensive than Torreon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 20% above, Torreon is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.01 MX$227

$8.99 MX$157

44.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$939

$42.55 MX$743

26.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.21 MX$178

$7.73 MX$135

32.08%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$64.3

$2.36 MX$41.23

55.93%

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

$1.46 MX$25.54

$1.15 MX$20.16

26.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 MX$17.45

$0.81 MX$14.21

23.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 MX$47.07

$1.62 MX$28.36

66.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 MX$74.6

$3.24 MX$56.5

31.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 MX$29.09

$1.45 MX$25.28

15.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 MX$46.80

$2.99 MX$52.2

-10.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.67

$1.72 MX$30.05

12.21%

Eggs

$2.63 MX$45.93

$2.22 MX$38.69

18.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.34 MX$181

$8.97 MX$157

15.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.22 MX$161

$6.40 MX$112

44.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.84 MX$242

$12.32 MX$215

12.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 MX$55.0

$2.49 MX$43.42

26.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 MX$24.24

$1.20 MX$20.97

15.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.92

$1.74 MX$30.41

14.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$37.39

$1.22 MX$21.34

75.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.57

$1.64 MX$28.60

38.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 MX$44.43

$1.55 MX$27.00

63.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 MX$27.35

$1.11 MX$19.44

41.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.67

$1.06 MX$18.56

0.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 MX$74.2

$3.94 MX$68.7

7.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.36 MX$251

$10.29 MX$180

39.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 MX$31.11

$1.23 MX$21.46

44.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 MX$54.9

$2.01 MX$35.15

56.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 MX$14.00

$0.68 MX$11.84

17.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.54 MX$708

$11.84 MX$207

242.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 MX$29.34

$1.82 MX$31.77

-7.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 MX$16.44

$0.75 MX$13.14

25.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.76 MX$188

$9.06 MX$158

18.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 MX$23.91

$1.26 MX$21.94

8.73%

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

$26.7K MX$467.1K

$19.5K MX$340.0K

37.39%

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

$25.6K MX$446.8K

$20.0K MX$349.4K

27.86%

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

$122 MX$2,125

$57.0 MX$995

113.63%

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

$27.19 MX$475

$22.50 MX$393

20.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.82 MX$521

$23.10 MX$403

29.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.49 MX$672

$39.29 MX$686

-2.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.46 MX$375

$9.44 MX$165

127.33%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 MX$103

$3.88 MX$67.7

52.58%

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

$346 MX$6,037

$203 MX$3,550

70.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,997 MX$157.1K

$4,406 MX$77.0K

104.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.4 MX$1,020

$48.40 MX$845

20.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.55 MX$743

$35.05 MX$612

21.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$1,910

$87.5 MX$1,528

25.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 MX$2,253

$77.6 MX$1,356

66.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$913 MX$15.9K

$265 MX$4,623

244.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$647 MX$11.3K

$169 MX$2,947

283.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,565 MX$27.3K

$483 MX$8,432

224.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,401 MX$24.5K

$355 MX$6,208

294.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,371 MX$76.3K

$1,713 MX$29.9K

155.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,839 MX$49.6K

$1,368 MX$23.9K

107.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,104 MX$19.3K

$810 MX$14.2K

36.20%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Torreon: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $913 in Monterrey and $265 in Torreon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 36% 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: $54.0 in Monterrey vs $43.00 in Torreon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 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 93% in total monthly costs ($1,601 vs $832 including rent). Torreon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Monterrey pays 36% 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: $913 in Monterrey versus $265 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 $54.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,601 per month in Monterrey versus $832 in Torreon – a 93% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $832 in Torreon versus $1,601 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 93% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.