Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Villahermosa Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Villahermosa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,562 in Monterrey versus $1,094 in Villahermosa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,533 in Monterrey versus $1,790 in Villahermosa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,504 in Monterrey versus $2,487 in Villahermosa.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 43% more expensive than Villahermosa, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 16% above, Villahermosa is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.21 MX$229

$10.63 MX$185

24.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 MX$902

$34.84 MX$605

49.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.11 MX$176

$10.62 MX$184

-4.80%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.3

$3.15 MX$54.7

13.97%

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

$1.45 MX$25.25

$1.18 MX$20.43

22.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.05 MX$18.21

$0.93 MX$16.17

12.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.61 MX$45.26

$2.81 MX$48.78

-7.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 MX$74.4

$5.20 MX$90.2

-17.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 MX$27.66

$1.34 MX$23.25

18.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 MX$46.57

$1.63 MX$28.36

64.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.95

$1.29 MX$22.37

47.29%

Eggs

$2.66 MX$46.24

$2.32 MX$40.34

14.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.14 MX$176

$8.64 MX$150

17.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.16 MX$159

$10.12 MX$176

-9.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.73 MX$238

$13.13 MX$228

4.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.06 MX$53.0

$3.34 MX$58.0

-8.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.28

$1.30 MX$22.65

12.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.31

$1.55 MX$26.98

30.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.10

$1.18 MX$20.41

76.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.30 MX$39.93

$1.57 MX$27.21

46.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 MX$43.13

$1.33 MX$23.13

86.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 MX$26.49

$1.28 MX$22.29

19.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.85

$1.10 MX$19.11

-0.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.13 MX$71.7

$5.12 MX$88.9

-19.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.73 MX$204

$10.14 MX$176

15.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 MX$30.81

$2.62 MX$45.52

-32.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 MX$55.6

$6.29 MX$109

-49.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 MX$13.26

$0.64 MX$11.15

18.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.42 MX$702

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.74 MX$30.19

$2.16 MX$37.42

-19.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 MX$17.53

$1.54 MX$26.66

-34.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.63 MX$185

$8.06 MX$140

31.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.86

$1.28 MX$22.21

3.13%

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

$26.7K MX$463.5K

$22.6K MX$393.0K

17.94%

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

$25.7K MX$446.6K

$26.1K MX$452.7K

-1.34%

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

$121 MX$2,102

$60.3 MX$1,047

100.78%

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

$27.93 MX$485

$28.49 MX$495

-1.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.23 MX$525

$29.13 MX$506

3.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.55 MX$652

$44.42 MX$771

-15.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.67 MX$376

$15.97 MX$277

35.69%

Cinema Ticket

$5.73 MX$99.4

$3.68 MX$63.9

55.71%

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

$348 MX$6,036

$298 MX$5,165

16.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,022 MX$156.6K

$4,351 MX$75.5K

107.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.0 MX$1,024

$57.3 MX$994

3.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.88 MX$727

$40.18 MX$697

4.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$1,888

$76.8 MX$1,333

41.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 MX$2,222

$58.4 MX$1,013

119.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$910 MX$15.8K

$344 MX$5,969

164.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$648 MX$11.3K

$371 MX$6,442

74.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 MX$27.8K

$831 MX$14.4K

92.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,416 MX$24.6K

$825 MX$14.3K

71.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,142 MX$71.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,925 MX$50.8K

$1,278 MX$22.2K

128.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,141 MX$19.8K

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: April 11, 2026

Last update for Villahermosa: April 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $910 in Monterrey and $344 in Villahermosa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52 in Monterrey vs $35 in Villahermosa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $268 per month, with Villahermosa 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 Villahermosa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey and Villahermosa differ by about 43% in total monthly costs ($1,562 vs $1,094 including rent). Villahermosa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,343 in Monterrey and $1,641 in Villahermosa to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $910 in Monterrey versus $344 in Villahermosa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $348 in Monterrey versus $298 in Villahermosa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Villahermosa – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $52.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,094 in Villahermosa versus $1,562 in Monterrey, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Villahermosa but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes Villahermosa 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 Villahermosa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.