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: $1,601 in Monterrey versus $911 in Tuxtla Gutierrez.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Monterrey versus $1,520 in Tuxtla Gutierrez.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,568 in Monterrey versus $2,130 in Tuxtla Gutierrez.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 76% more expensive than Tuxtla Gutierrez, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 20% above, Tuxtla Gutierrez is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.01 MX$226

$7.05 MX$122

84.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$932

$18.74 MX$325

186.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.21 MX$177

$6.98 MX$121

46.28%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$63.8

$3.63 MX$62.8

1.38%

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

$1.46 MX$25.34

$1.18 MX$20.42

23.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 MX$17.31

$1.05 MX$18.17

-4.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 MX$46.70

$2.68 MX$46.49

0.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$2.99 MX$51.8

42.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 MX$28.86

$1.29 MX$22.31

29.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 MX$46.43

$2.33 MX$40.43

15.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.41

$1.61 MX$27.93

19.88%

Eggs

$2.63 MX$45.57

$2.34 MX$40.52

12.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.34 MX$179

$23.92 MX$415

-56.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.22 MX$160

$6.93 MX$120

33.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.84 MX$240

$10.78 MX$187

28.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 MX$54.6

$2.58 MX$44.65

22.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 MX$24.06

$1.14 MX$19.81

21.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.65

$2.88 MX$49.90

-30.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$37.10

$1.60 MX$27.74

33.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.26

$1.52 MX$26.32

49.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 MX$44.08

$2.09 MX$36.19

21.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 MX$27.14

$1.05 MX$18.13

49.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.53

$0.50 MX$8.74

114.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 MX$73.6

$4.04 MX$69.9

5.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.36 MX$249

$11.61 MX$201

23.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 MX$30.87

$1.59 MX$27.57

11.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 MX$54.5

$2.82 MX$48.90

11.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 MX$13.89

$0.55 MX$9.48

45.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.54 MX$703

$28.64 MX$496

41.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 MX$29.11

$2.70 MX$46.82

-37.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 MX$16.31

$2.50 MX$43.36

-62.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.76 MX$186

$5.41 MX$93.7

98.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 MX$23.72

$1.32 MX$22.82

3.79%

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

$26.7K MX$463.4K

$20.9K MX$361.7K

28.11%

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

$25.6K MX$443.3K

$22.8K MX$395.1K

12.22%

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

$122 MX$2,108

$55.7 MX$965

118.54%

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

$27.19 MX$471

$22.05 MX$382

23.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.82 MX$517

$25.95 MX$450

14.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.49 MX$667

$48.43 MX$839

-20.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.46 MX$372

$13.24 MX$229

62.08%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 MX$103

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

$346 MX$5,990

$206 MX$3,568

67.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,997 MX$155.9K

$2,186 MX$37.9K

311.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.4 MX$1,012

$10.69 MX$185

446.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.55 MX$737

$15.78 MX$273

169.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$1,896

$53.3 MX$924

105.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 MX$2,235

$42.98 MX$745

200.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$913 MX$15.8K

$320 MX$5,552

184.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$647 MX$11.2K

$229 MX$3,974

182.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,565 MX$27.1K

$790 MX$13.7K

98.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,401 MX$24.3K

$594 MX$10.3K

136.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,371 MX$75.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,839 MX$49.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,104 MX$19.1K

$532 MX$9,219

107.48%

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 Tuxtla Gutierrez: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $913 in Monterrey and $320 in Tuxtla Gutierrez. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 107% 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 $19.00 in Tuxtla Gutierrez for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $286 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 76% in total monthly costs ($1,601 vs $911 including rent). Tuxtla Gutierrez is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Monterrey pays 107% 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 $320 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 $19.00 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 $911 in Tuxtla Gutierrez – a 76% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $911 in Tuxtla Gutierrez versus $1,601 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 76% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.