Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Tuxtla Gutierrez Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Tuxtla Gutierrez

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,715 in Monterrey versus $998 in Tuxtla Gutierrez.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,683 in Monterrey versus $1,637 in Tuxtla Gutierrez.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,652 in Monterrey versus $2,277 in Tuxtla Gutierrez.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 72% more expensive than in Tuxtla Gutierrez, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 25% above, Tuxtla Gutierrez is 27% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.60 MX$248

$7.00 MX$119

108.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$909

$20.79 MX$353

157.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.95 MX$203

$7.81 MX$133

53.01%

Cappuccino

$4.29 MX$72.8

$4.16 MX$70.7

3.12%

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

$1.73 MX$29.33

$1.49 MX$25.30

16.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 MX$18.07

$1.20 MX$20.39

-11.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$50.2

$2.38 MX$40.47

23.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.73 MX$80.3

$2.69 MX$45.61

75.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 MX$33.91

$1.71 MX$29.04

16.96%

White Bread (500g)

$3.15 MX$53.5

$2.85 MX$48.39

10.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.08

$1.82 MX$30.93

13.74%

Eggs

$2.78 MX$47.28

$2.82 MX$47.84

-1.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.18 MX$224

$20.12 MX$342

-34.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$8.60 MX$146

17.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 MX$237

$11.99 MX$204

16.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.49 MX$59.3

$2.78 MX$47.28

25.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 MX$27.82

$1.50 MX$25.45

9.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 MX$38.65

$2.69 MX$45.77

-15.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.60 MX$44.13

$1.78 MX$30.23

46.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 MX$43.01

$1.87 MX$31.77

35.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 MX$48.33

$2.19 MX$37.12

30.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 MX$26.46

$1.21 MX$20.62

28.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 MX$21.88

$0.73 MX$12.32

76.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.21 MX$88.4

$4.91 MX$83.4

6.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.84 MX$252

$11.89 MX$202

24.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 MX$34.17

$1.55 MX$26.31

29.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 MX$53.2

$4.05 MX$68.7

-22.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 MX$15.22

$0.61 MX$10.39

47.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.72 MX$573

$30.94 MX$525

8.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 MX$31.47

$2.85 MX$48.48

-35.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 MX$20.27

$2.92 MX$49.58

-59.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.82 MX$201

$8.90 MX$151

32.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.67 MX$28.44

$1.53 MX$26.00

9.15%

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

$22.6K MX$383.4K

$24.0K MX$407.5K

-5.93%

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

$27.1K MX$460.4K

$27.0K MX$458.1K

0.51%

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

$128 MX$2,175

$26.41 MX$449

384.82%

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

$28.03 MX$476

$21.19 MX$360

32.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.47 MX$484

$27.58 MX$468

3.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.66 MX$555

$45.97 MX$781

-28.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.24 MX$395

$14.80 MX$251

57.03%

Cinema Ticket

$5.58 MX$94.8

$6.55 MX$111

-14.81%

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

$734 MX$12.5K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K MX$205.8K

$2,428 MX$41.2K

399.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.5 MX$1,350

$36.84 MX$626

115.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.39 MX$788

$17.95 MX$305

158.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 MX$2,037

$73.3 MX$1,244

63.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 MX$2,266

$58.4 MX$991

128.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 MX$17.9K

$348 MX$5,906

202.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$739 MX$12.5K

$245 MX$4,167

201.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 MX$34.3K

$876 MX$14.9K

130.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,358 MX$23.1K

$656 MX$11.1K

107.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,486 MX$76.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,663 MX$45.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,153 MX$19.6K

$544 MX$9,231

112.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.56

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

Last update for Monterrey: August 31, 2026

Last update for Tuxtla Gutierrez: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,052 in Monterrey and $348 in Tuxtla Gutierrez. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 112% 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 $21.00 in Tuxtla Gutierrez for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $309 per month, with Tuxtla Gutierrez 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 Tuxtla Gutierrez: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey and Tuxtla Gutierrez differ by about 72% in total monthly costs ($1,715 vs $998 including rent). Tuxtla Gutierrez is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 112% 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: $1,052 in Monterrey versus $348 in Tuxtla Gutierrez. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Tuxtla Gutierrez – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $54.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Tuxtla Gutierrez runs roughly 9% less than in Monterrey. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $998 in Tuxtla Gutierrez versus $1,715 in Monterrey, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tuxtla Gutierrez but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes Tuxtla Gutierrez 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 Tuxtla Gutierrez gentler on the wallet – expenses run 72% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.