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: $1,728 in Monterrey versus $1,048 in Zacapoaxtla.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,711 in Monterrey versus $1,718 in Zacapoaxtla.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,694 in Monterrey versus $2,387 in Zacapoaxtla.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 65% more expensive than in Zacapoaxtla, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 25% above, Zacapoaxtla is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.63 MX$247

$5.14 MX$86.8

184.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$897

$52.1 MX$879

2.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.02 MX$203

$5.90 MX$99.6

103.73%

Cappuccino

$4.18 MX$70.6

$2.10 MX$35.44

99.05%

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

$1.70 MX$28.68

$1.02 MX$17.21

66.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$18.86

$1.38 MX$23.23

-18.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$49.30

$1.30 MX$21.96

124.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.71 MX$79.5

$2.37 MX$40.00

98.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 MX$33.34

$1.38 MX$23.31

42.75%

White Bread (500g)

$3.16 MX$53.4

$1.28 MX$21.61

146.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.84

$1.21 MX$20.45

65.29%

Eggs

$2.68 MX$45.23

$1.83 MX$30.87

46.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.14 MX$222

$12.85 MX$217

2.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.98 MX$169

$5.02 MX$84.8

98.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.79 MX$233

$5.33 MX$90.0

158.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 MX$60.8

$1.71 MX$28.86

110.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 MX$27.94

$1.39 MX$23.53

18.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 MX$39.07

$0.60 MX$10.16

285.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.58 MX$43.50

$0.78 MX$13.19

230.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 MX$42.19

$0.85 MX$14.34

194.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 MX$49.79

$1.16 MX$19.60

154.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 MX$27.40

$1.08 MX$18.32

50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 MX$22.59

$1.04 MX$17.63

28.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.34 MX$90.2

$4.72 MX$79.7

13.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 MX$250

$14.36 MX$242

3.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 MX$34.12

$1.20 MX$20.28

68.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 MX$54.5

$4.80 MX$81.1

-32.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 MX$14.71

$0.69 MX$11.71

26.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.53 MX$566

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.88 MX$31.67

$1.21 MX$20.50

55.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.15 MX$19.42

$0.57 MX$9.69

101.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.99 MX$203

$5.98 MX$101

100.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.45

$1.62 MX$27.38

3.70%

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

$22.7K MX$383.2K

$15.1K MX$255.4K

50.06%

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

$27.3K MX$460.6K

$27.3K MX$460.1K

0.10%

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

$124 MX$2,099

$46.91 MX$792

165.00%

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

$28.42 MX$480

$29.57 MX$499

-3.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.37 MX$479

$34.85 MX$588

-18.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.01 MX$557

$36.66 MX$619

-9.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.10 MX$390

$21.59 MX$365

6.99%

Cinema Ticket

$5.51 MX$93.1

$7.01 MX$118

-21.40%

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

$738 MX$12.5K

$469 MX$7,914

57.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K MX$210.1K

$5,001 MX$84.4K

148.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.9 MX$1,366

$74.5 MX$1,258

8.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.74 MX$772

$56.2 MX$949

-18.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 MX$2,036

$115 MX$1,944

4.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 MX$2,284

$125 MX$2,110

8.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,045 MX$17.7K

$658 MX$11.1K

59.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$728 MX$12.3K

$422 MX$7,125

72.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,014 MX$34.0K

$1,104 MX$18.6K

82.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,403 MX$23.7K

$815 MX$13.8K

72.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,411 MX$74.5K

$1,942 MX$32.8K

127.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,630 MX$44.4K

$1,249 MX$21.1K

110.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,170 MX$19.8K

$636 MX$10.7K

84.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.56

11.3

2.30%

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

Last update for Monterrey: September 7, 2026

Last update for Zacapoaxtla: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,045 in Monterrey and $658 in Zacapoaxtla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 84% 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: $53.0 in Monterrey vs $52.0 in Zacapoaxtla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $208 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 65% in total monthly costs ($1,728 vs $1,048 including rent). Zacapoaxtla is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 84% higher in Monterrey, 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: $1,045 in Monterrey versus $658 in Zacapoaxtla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $738 in Monterrey versus $469 in Zacapoaxtla. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Zacapoaxtla – a meal for two runs $52.0 versus $53.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,048 in Zacapoaxtla versus $1,728 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 65% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.