Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Virginia Beach, VA

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,641 a month against $2,847 in Virginia Beach, VA, rent and utilities included – about $14,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index
137

Cost of Living Index in Virginia Beach, VA
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Virginia Beach, VA Living Index

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Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,641

/mo nomad

Virginia Beach, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,847

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monterrey and in Virginia Beach, VA

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 Virginia Beach, VA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Monterrey versus $2,847 in Virginia Beach, VA.

Monterrey $1,641
Virginia Beach, VA $2,847

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,573 in Monterrey versus $4,018 in Virginia Beach, VA.

Monterrey $2,573
Virginia Beach, VA $4,018

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,504 in Monterrey versus $5,188 in Virginia Beach, VA.

Monterrey $3,504
Virginia Beach, VA $5,188

Living in Monterrey costs roughly 42% less than in Virginia Beach, VA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Monterrey 21% above, Virginia Beach, VA 111% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.37 MX$251

$18.07 $18.07

-26.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.95 MX$900

$89.3 $89.3

-46.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.79 MX$203

$11.79 $11.79

-8.48%

Cappuccino

$3.77 MX$70.7

$5.82 $5.82

-35.22%

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

$1.51 MX$28.37

$2.81 $2.81

-46.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 MX$19.33

$2.17 $2.17

-52.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 MX$46.60

$5.85 $5.85

-57.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 MX$81.8

$6.94 $6.94

-37.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 MX$35.58

$1.04 $1.04

81.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.85 MX$53.5

$3.18 $3.18

-10.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 MX$34.86

$5.31 $5.31

-64.97%

Eggs

$2.47 MX$46.31

$4.69 $4.69

-47.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.81 MX$222

$10.20 $10.20

15.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.97 MX$168

$10.09 $10.09

-11.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$236

$17.95 $17.95

-29.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.20 MX$60.0

$2.48 $2.48

29.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$28.23

$1.54 $1.54

-2.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.90

$5.17 $5.17

-58.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 MX$43.82

$5.81 $5.81

-59.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 MX$41.75

$2.36 $2.36

-5.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.58 MX$48.54

$4.40 $4.40

-41.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MX$27.15

$2.65 $2.65

-45.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MX$22.94

$2.35 $2.35

-48.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.80 MX$90.1

$9.66 $9.66

-50.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.30 MX$250

$11.89 $11.89

11.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 MX$36.28

$1.76 $1.76

9.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 MX$53.6

$2.11 $2.11

35.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 MX$15.00

$2.04 $2.04

-60.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.94 MX$581

$70.1 $70.1

-55.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.83 MX$34.42

$6.14 $6.14

-70.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 MX$19.86

$1.47 $1.47

-27.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.82 MX$203

$20.16 $20.16

-46.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.65

$1.00 $1.00

47.00%

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

$24.1K MX$452.3K

$27.3K $27.3K

-11.72%

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

$23.5K MX$442.0K

$26.4K $26.4K

-10.92%

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

$115 MX$2,152

$208 $208

-44.95%

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

$26.37 MX$495

$59.5 $59.5

-55.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.70 MX$483

$67.1 $67.1

-61.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.53 MX$573

$23.62 $23.62

29.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.27 MX$400

$35.42 $35.42

-39.95%

Cinema Ticket

$4.96 MX$93.1

$9.20 $9.20

-46.09%

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

$679 MX$12.7K

$1,606 $1,606

-57.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.2K MX$266.4K

$23.9K $23.9K

-40.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.2 MX$1,356

$62.4 $62.4

15.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.94 MX$788

$47.77 $47.77

-12.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 MX$2,019

$119 $119

-9.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 MX$2,228

$114 $114

4.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,018 MX$19.1K

$1,968 $1,968

-48.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$722 MX$13.6K

$1,531 $1,531

-52.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 MX$36.9K

$2,848 $2,848

-30.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,416 MX$26.6K

$2,193 $2,193

-35.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,203 MX$78.9K

$2,765 $2,765

52.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,782 MX$52.2K

$2,294 $2,294

21.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,096 MX$20.6K

$4,366 $4,366

-74.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.79

6.57

79.45%

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

Last update for Monterrey: November 2, 2026

Last update for Virginia Beach, VA: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Monterrey

$722 44%

Virginia Beach, VA

$1.5K 53.8% 112% $810

Groceries & Markets

Monterrey

$302 18.4%

Virginia Beach, VA

$380 13.4% 25.8% $78

Eating Out

Monterrey

$216 13.2%

Virginia Beach, VA

$313 11% 45% $97

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monterrey

$167 10.2%

Virginia Beach, VA

$335 11.8% 101% $168

Clothing & Footwear

Monterrey

$153 9.3%

Virginia Beach, VA

$154 5.4% 0.7% $1

Getting Around

Monterrey

$41 2.5%

Virginia Beach, VA

$92 3.2% 122% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Monterrey

$40 2.5%

Virginia Beach, VA

$42 1.5% 3.9% $1.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,018 in Monterrey and $1,968 in Virginia Beach, VA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Virginia Beach, VA pays about 4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $48 in Monterrey vs $89 in Virginia Beach, VA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 vs $380 per month, with Monterrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🇺🇸 Virginia Beach, VA

🕒 Local time

19:59 7:59 PM

20:59 8:59 PM

1 h ahead of Monterrey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,142,994

459,470

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.74 EUR

1 USD = 0.891 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.78 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 21.08 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Monterrey Virginia Beach, VA 2,610 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Monterrey
Virginia Beach, VA

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 Virginia Beach, VA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,641 in Monterrey and $2,847 in Virginia Beach, VA, so Monterrey is about 42% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 75% lower in Monterrey. 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: $1,018 in Monterrey versus $1,968 in Virginia Beach, VA. 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 versus $89 in Virginia Beach, VA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,641 per month in Monterrey versus $2,847 in Virginia Beach, VA – Monterrey is about 42% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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 Monterrey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Virginia Beach, VA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.