Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Torreon

For one person, living is cheaper in Torreon: $1,180 a month against $1,647 in Monterrey, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Monterrey, Mexico
Torreon, Mexico
Monterrey
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,647
/mo nomad
Torreon
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,180
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in Torreon

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Monterrey and in Torreon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,647 in Monterrey versus $1,180 in Torreon.

  • Monterrey $1,647
  • Torreon $1,180

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,591 in Monterrey versus $1,891 in Torreon.

  • Monterrey $2,591
  • Torreon $1,891

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,536 in Monterrey versus $2,602 in Torreon.

  • Monterrey $3,536
  • Torreon $2,602

Living in Monterrey is roughly 40% more expensive than in Torreon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 21% above, Torreon is 13% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Monterrey
Torreon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.45 MX$251
$10.70 MX$200
25.70%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$48.43 MX$903
$43.88 MX$818
10.37%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.90 MX$203
$9.92 MX$185
9.88%
Cappuccino
$3.82 MX$71.2
$3.25 MX$60.5
17.54%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.67 MX$31.06
$1.76 MX$32.86
-5.11%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.98 MX$18.32
$1.25 MX$23.23
-21.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.35 MX$43.81
$2.10 MX$39.22
11.90%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.41 MX$82.2
$4.23 MX$78.9
4.26%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Monterrey
Torreon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.80 MX$33.58
$1.67 MX$31.10
7.78%
White Bread (500g)
$2.79 MX$52.1
$3.11 MX$58.0
-10.29%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.82 MX$34.02
$2.23 MX$41.66
-18.39%
Eggs
$2.51 MX$46.84
$2.63 MX$49.10
-4.56%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.09 MX$225
$9.56 MX$178
26.46%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.41 MX$175
$8.51 MX$159
10.58%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.71 MX$237
$11.74 MX$219
8.26%
Apples (1kg)
$3.21 MX$59.8
$2.77 MX$51.6
15.88%
Banana (1kg)
$1.50 MX$27.92
$1.73 MX$32.17
-13.29%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.14 MX$39.97
$2.18 MX$40.70
-1.83%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.32 MX$43.28
$2.52 MX$47.01
-7.94%
Potato (1kg)
$2.20 MX$41.04
$2.33 MX$43.37
-5.58%
Onion (1kg)
$2.60 MX$48.43
$2.22 MX$41.41
17.12%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.44 MX$26.85
$1.37 MX$25.59
5.11%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.17 MX$21.88
$1.25 MX$23.34
-6.40%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.79 MX$89.3
$4.13 MX$77.0
15.98%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.22 MX$247
$10.62 MX$198
24.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.94 MX$36.21
$1.98 MX$36.90
-2.02%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.89 MX$53.8
$3.90 MX$72.6
-25.90%
🚌 Getting Around
Monterrey
Torreon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.87 MX$16.26
$0.79 MX$14.69
10.13%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$31.14 MX$581
$32.12 MX$599
-3.05%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.66 MX$30.88
$1.86 MX$34.59
-10.75%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.09 MX$20.39
$0.86 MX$15.97
26.74%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.67 MX$199
$9.46 MX$176
12.79%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 MX$27.47
$1.45 MX$26.97
1.38%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.2K MX$451.9K
$24.5K MX$456.1K
-0.91%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.6K MX$439.1K
$25.9K MX$483.6K
-9.22%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Monterrey
Torreon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$118 MX$2,197
$76.3 MX$1,422
54.52%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.55 MX$476
$39.98 MX$745
-36.09%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$26.43 MX$493
$29.67 MX$553
-10.92%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Monterrey
Torreon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$30.77 MX$574
$64.0 MX$1,193
-51.91%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.07 MX$393
$21.38 MX$399
-1.45%
Cinema Ticket
$5.09 MX$94.9
$4.95 MX$92.3
2.83%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Monterrey
Torreon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$694 MX$12.9K
$281 MX$5,236
147.09%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K MX$211.0K
$2,681 MX$50.0K
322.23%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Monterrey
Torreon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$72.5 MX$1,351
$67.6 MX$1,259
7.25%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.51 MX$774
$47.68 MX$889
-12.94%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$110 MX$2,046
$103 MX$1,925
6.28%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$115 MX$2,143
$93.3 MX$1,739
23.18%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Monterrey
Torreon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,056 MX$19.7K
$445 MX$8,299
137.21%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$721 MX$13.4K
$303 MX$5,649
138.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,999 MX$37.3K
$739 MX$13.8K
170.37%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,435 MX$26.7K
$595 MX$11.1K
141.27%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,219 MX$78.7K
$1,606 MX$29.9K
162.64%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,731 MX$50.9K
$1,250 MX$23.3K
118.44%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Monterrey
Torreon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,149 MX$21.4K
$806 MX$15.0K
42.56%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.79
12.87
-8.39%

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

Last update for Monterrey: October 25, 2026

Last update for Torreon: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Monterrey
$721
Torreon
$303 58% $418
Groceries & Markets
Monterrey
$303
Torreon
$290 4.4% $13
Eating Out
Monterrey
$217
Torreon
$185 14.7% $32
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Monterrey
$170
Torreon
$146 14.1% $24
Clothing & Footwear
Monterrey
$152
Torreon
$140 7.9% $12
Getting Around
Monterrey
$42
Torreon
$41 0.8% $0.4
Sport & Entertainment
Monterrey
$41
Torreon
$74 80.5% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,056 in Monterrey and $445 in Torreon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 43% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $48 in Monterrey vs $44 in Torreon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $290 per month, with Torreon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Monterrey
🇲🇽 Torreon
🕒 Local time
15:06 3:06 PM
15:06 3:06 PM
Same time as Monterrey
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,142,994
690,193
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Monterrey Torreon 310 km
From you
  • Monterrey
  • Torreon

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
What is the total cost difference between living in Monterrey and in Torreon?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,647 in Monterrey and $1,180 in Torreon, so Torreon is about 28% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Monterrey or Torreon?
Average pay runs 43% higher in Monterrey, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Monterrey and in Torreon?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,056 in Monterrey versus $445 in Torreon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Torreon – a meal for two runs $44 versus $48 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Monterrey or Torreon?
All in, you’ll spend $1,647 per month in Monterrey versus $1,180 in Torreon – Torreon is about 28% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $1,180 in Torreon versus $1,647 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.
How does quality of life compare between Monterrey and Torreon?
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.
How do I decide between Monterrey and Torreon?
It comes down to priorities – Torreon wins on affordability, Monterrey on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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