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: $1,574 in Monterrey versus $1,127 in Villahermosa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,529 in Monterrey versus $1,826 in Villahermosa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,484 in Monterrey versus $2,525 in Villahermosa.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 40% more expensive than Villahermosa, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 17% above, Villahermosa is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.42 MX$230

$10.78 MX$185

24.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$924

$33.78 MX$580

59.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 MX$177

$10.66 MX$183

-3.19%

Cappuccino

$3.58 MX$61.4

$3.17 MX$54.4

12.93%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$1.18 MX$20.20

21.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 MX$17.00

$1.01 MX$17.41

-1.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 MX$44.41

$2.82 MX$48.36

-8.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 MX$73.4

$5.23 MX$89.8

-18.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 MX$28.69

$1.41 MX$24.21

18.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.30

$1.55 MX$26.59

70.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.15

$1.35 MX$23.12

38.52%

Eggs

$2.67 MX$45.90

$2.39 MX$40.97

11.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.49 MX$180

$8.22 MX$141

27.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.13 MX$157

$10.40 MX$178

-12.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.85 MX$238

$13.11 MX$225

5.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 MX$52.3

$3.39 MX$58.2

-10.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 MX$24.09

$1.30 MX$22.39

7.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.41

$1.62 MX$27.76

30.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.33

$1.16 MX$19.99

77.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.25

$1.55 MX$26.55

43.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 MX$43.99

$1.30 MX$22.38

96.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 MX$26.22

$1.29 MX$22.09

18.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.45

$1.06 MX$18.20

0.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.13 MX$70.8

$5.02 MX$86.2

-17.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.34 MX$246

$10.19 MX$175

40.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 MX$30.68

$2.69 MX$46.17

-33.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 MX$54.5

$6.53 MX$112

-51.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 MX$13.16

$0.61 MX$10.42

26.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.85 MX$701

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.73 MX$29.77

$2.18 MX$37.39

-20.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 MX$16.44

$1.59 MX$27.23

-39.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.72 MX$184

$8.22 MX$141

30.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.36

$1.23 MX$21.15

10.57%

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

$26.5K MX$454.9K

$22.6K MX$388.6K

17.06%

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

$25.9K MX$443.8K

$26.1K MX$447.6K

-0.87%

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

$123 MX$2,113

$60.4 MX$1,037

103.79%

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

$27.98 MX$480

$28.94 MX$497

-3.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.71 MX$510

$28.95 MX$497

2.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.13 MX$637

$45.69 MX$784

-18.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.88 MX$376

$15.66 MX$269

39.72%

Cinema Ticket

$5.71 MX$97.9

$3.63 MX$62.2

57.30%

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

$348 MX$5,972

$293 MX$5,032

18.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,997 MX$154.4K

$4,245 MX$72.9K

111.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 MX$1,028

$56.9 MX$977

5.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.22 MX$742

$39.41 MX$676

9.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$1,878

$77.6 MX$1,331

41.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 MX$2,228

$59.2 MX$1,015

119.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$894 MX$15.3K

$345 MX$5,914

159.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$656 MX$11.3K

$372 MX$6,379

76.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 MX$27.1K

$817 MX$14.0K

93.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,422 MX$24.4K

$826 MX$14.2K

72.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,316 MX$74.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,873 MX$49.3K

$1,242 MX$21.3K

131.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,101 MX$18.9K

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 8, 2026

Last update for Villahermosa: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $894 in Monterrey and $345 in Villahermosa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Monterrey vs $34.00 in Villahermosa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $270 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 40% in total monthly costs ($1,574 vs $1,127 including rent). Villahermosa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,361 in Monterrey and $1,691 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: $894 in Monterrey versus $345 in Villahermosa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $348 in Monterrey versus $293 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 $34.00 versus $54.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,127 in Villahermosa versus $1,574 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 40% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.