Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Zacapoaxtla Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Zacapoaxtla

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,574 in Monterrey versus $764 in Zacapoaxtla.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,529 in Monterrey versus $1,231 in Zacapoaxtla.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,484 in Monterrey versus $1,698 in Zacapoaxtla.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 106% more expensive than Zacapoaxtla, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 17% above, Zacapoaxtla is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.42 MX$234

$4.38 MX$76.4

206.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$940

$21.46 MX$375

150.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 MX$180

$5.36 MX$93.5

92.54%

Cappuccino

$3.58 MX$62.5

$2.49 MX$43.48

43.78%

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

$1.43 MX$25.02

$0.99 MX$17.31

44.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 MX$17.28

$1.07 MX$18.75

-7.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 MX$45.16

$1.26 MX$21.91

105.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 MX$74.6

$1.93 MX$33.68

121.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 MX$29.17

$1.24 MX$21.69

34.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$46.06

$1.39 MX$24.21

89.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.70

$1.48 MX$25.86

26.35%

Eggs

$2.67 MX$46.67

$2.28 MX$39.84

17.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.49 MX$183

$3.20 MX$55.8

227.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.13 MX$159

$4.67 MX$81.4

95.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.85 MX$242

$4.61 MX$80.5

200.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 MX$53.1

$1.26 MX$21.93

141.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 MX$24.50

$1.03 MX$18.03

35.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$37.03

$0.56 MX$9.79

278.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.92

$1.01 MX$17.61

103.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.90

$0.80 MX$14.00

178.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 MX$44.74

$1.04 MX$18.23

146.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 MX$26.66

$1.11 MX$19.44

37.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.76

$0.92 MX$16.08

16.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.13 MX$72.0

$4.17 MX$72.7

-0.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.34 MX$250

$13.59 MX$237

5.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 MX$31.20

$1.12 MX$19.60

59.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 MX$55.4

$1.57 MX$27.46

102.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 MX$13.38

$0.68 MX$11.92

13.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.85 MX$713

$42.11 MX$735

-2.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.73 MX$30.27

$1.33 MX$23.26

30.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 MX$16.72

$0.28 MX$4.87

242.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.72 MX$187

$5.29 MX$92.3

102.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.75

$1.28 MX$22.37

6.25%

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

$26.5K MX$462.6K

$13.5K MX$236.5K

95.61%

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

$25.9K MX$451.3K

$23.7K MX$414.4K

8.89%

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

$123 MX$2,149

$40.25 MX$703

205.86%

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

$27.98 MX$488

$26.22 MX$458

6.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.71 MX$519

$30.10 MX$525

-1.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.13 MX$648

$35.37 MX$617

4.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.88 MX$382

$16.01 MX$279

36.66%

Cinema Ticket

$5.71 MX$99.6

$2.61 MX$45.59

118.77%

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

$348 MX$6,072

$209 MX$3,650

66.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,997 MX$157.0K

$3,626 MX$63.3K

148.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 MX$1,046

$18.20 MX$318

229.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.22 MX$754

$23.46 MX$410

84.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$1,910

$42.14 MX$736

159.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 MX$2,266

$34.82 MX$608

272.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$894 MX$15.6K

$497 MX$8,673

79.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$656 MX$11.4K

$247 MX$4,305

165.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 MX$27.5K

$987 MX$17.2K

59.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,422 MX$24.8K

$588 MX$10.3K

141.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,316 MX$75.3K

$1,928 MX$33.6K

123.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,873 MX$50.1K

$1,288 MX$22.5K

123.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,101 MX$19.2K

$630 MX$11.0K

74.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

11.34

1.85%

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

Last update for Monterrey: June 8, 2026

Last update for Zacapoaxtla: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $894 in Monterrey and $497 in Zacapoaxtla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 75% 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 $21.00 in Zacapoaxtla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $164 per month, with Zacapoaxtla 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 Zacapoaxtla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey and Zacapoaxtla differ by about 106% in total monthly costs ($1,574 vs $764 including rent). Zacapoaxtla is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Monterrey pays 75% 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: $894 in Monterrey versus $497 in Zacapoaxtla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Zacapoaxtla – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $54.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,574 per month in Monterrey versus $764 in Zacapoaxtla – a 106% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $764 in Zacapoaxtla versus $1,574 in Monterrey, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Zacapoaxtla but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes Zacapoaxtla 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 Zacapoaxtla gentler on the wallet – expenses run 106% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.