Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Urbandale, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,599 a month against $2,310 in Urbandale, IA, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index
113

Cost of Living Index in Urbandale, IA
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Urbandale, IA Living Index

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Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,599

/mo nomad

Urbandale, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,310

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in Urbandale, IA

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 Urbandale, IA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,599 in Monterrey versus $2,310 in Urbandale, IA.

Monterrey $1,599
Urbandale, IA $2,310

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,493 in Monterrey versus $3,374 in Urbandale, IA.

Monterrey $2,493
Urbandale, IA $3,374

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,387 in Monterrey versus $4,437 in Urbandale, IA.

Monterrey $3,387
Urbandale, IA $4,437

Living in Monterrey costs roughly 31% less than in Urbandale, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Monterrey 18% above, Urbandale, IA 70% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.80 MX$255

$14.86 $14.86

-7.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.99 MX$887

$50.9 $50.9

-5.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$197

$9.96 $9.96

6.93%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$73.7

$4.97 $4.97

-19.72%

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

$1.66 MX$30.76

$1.21 $1.21

37.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 MX$18.21

$0.99 $0.99

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 MX$43.64

$5.15 $5.15

-54.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 MX$81.8

$7.58 $7.58

-41.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 MX$33.58

$1.01 $1.01

80.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.83 MX$52.4

$3.25 $3.25

-12.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.44

$3.84 $3.84

-50.00%

Eggs

$2.48 MX$45.78

$2.05 $2.05

20.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.74 MX$217

$14.07 $14.07

-16.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.10 MX$168

$9.88 $9.88

-7.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.53 MX$232

$13.88 $13.88

-9.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.34 MX$61.6

$3.21 $3.21

4.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$29.10

$1.61 $1.61

-2.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.16 MX$39.86

$3.47 $3.47

-37.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 MX$45.65

$3.29 $3.29

-24.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$42.64

$3.09 $3.09

-25.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.68 MX$49.47

$3.37 $3.37

-20.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$26.90

$2.14 $2.14

-31.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$22.07

$2.10 $2.10

-43.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.75 MX$87.8

$8.16 $8.16

-41.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.58 MX$251

$12.04 $12.04

12.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 MX$35.52

$1.82 $1.82

5.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$53.2

$1.87 $1.87

54.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 MX$14.66

$2.05 $2.05

-61.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.36 MX$579

$66.0 $66.0

-52.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.59 MX$29.44

$2.46 $2.46

-35.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 MX$19.58

$1.20 $1.20

-11.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.80 MX$200

$60.2 $60.2

-82.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$28.59

$0.98 $0.98

58.16%

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

$24.2K MX$446.4K

$34.6K $34.6K

-30.10%

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

$24.3K MX$449.4K

$25.6K $25.6K

-5.08%

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

$117 MX$2,159

$140 $140

-16.37%

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

$26.38 MX$488

$14.79 $14.79

78.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.04 MX$481

$25.01 $25.01

4.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.26 MX$559

$35.57 $35.57

-14.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.25 MX$393

$20.34 $20.34

4.47%

Cinema Ticket

$5.23 MX$96.6

$14.81 $14.81

-64.69%

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

$673 MX$12.4K

$1,164 $1,164

-42.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K MX$205.2K

$20.7K $20.7K

-46.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.1 MX$1,332

$61.3 $61.3

17.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.38 MX$783

$21.96 $21.96

92.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$2,066

$45.54 $45.54

145.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 MX$2,200

$75.1 $75.1

58.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$949 MX$17.5K

$933 $933

1.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$666 MX$12.3K

$1,290 $1,290

-48.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,821 MX$33.7K

$1,237 $1,237

47.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 MX$23.5K

$2,164 $2,164

-41.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,050 MX$74.8K

$2,777 $2,777

45.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,348 MX$43.4K

$2,710 $2,710

-13.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,155 MX$21.3K

$3,637 $3,637

-68.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.79

6.56

79.73%

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

Last update for Monterrey: October 18, 2026

Last update for Urbandale, IA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Monterrey

$666 41.7%

Urbandale, IA

$1.3K 55.9% 93.7% $624

Groceries & Markets

Monterrey

$304 19%

Urbandale, IA

$342 14.8% 12.4% $38

Eating Out

Monterrey

$221 13.9%

Urbandale, IA

$258 11.2% 16.6% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monterrey

$169 10.6%

Urbandale, IA

$179 7.8% 6% $10

Clothing & Footwear

Monterrey

$155 9.7%

Urbandale, IA

$92 4% 40.9% $64

Getting Around

Monterrey

$41 2.6%

Urbandale, IA

$83 3.6% 99.6% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Monterrey

$41 2.6%

Urbandale, IA

$65 2.8% 60.2% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $949 in Monterrey and $933 in Urbandale, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Urbandale, IA pays 215% 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: $48.00 in Monterrey vs $51.0 in Urbandale, IA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $304 vs $342 per month, with Monterrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🇺🇸 Urbandale, IA

🕒 Local time

19:11 7:11 PM

20:11 8:11 PM

1 h ahead of Monterrey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,142,994

45,580

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Monterrey Urbandale, IA 1,870 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Monterrey
Urbandale, IA

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 Urbandale, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey and Urbandale, IA differ by about 44% in total monthly costs ($1,599 vs $2,310 including rent). Monterrey is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 215% lower in Urbandale, IA. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $949 in Monterrey versus $933 in Urbandale, IA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Monterrey – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $51.0 in Urbandale, IA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,599 per month in Monterrey versus $2,310 in Urbandale, IA – a 44% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,599 in Monterrey versus $2,310 in Urbandale, IA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Monterrey but tight or insufficient in Urbandale, IA. The gap between the two cities makes Monterrey 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.

Safety-wise, Monterrey and Urbandale, IA are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Monterrey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Urbandale, IA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.