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: $1,596 in Monterrey versus $760 in Zacapoaxtla.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,550 in Monterrey versus $1,213 in Zacapoaxtla.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,504 in Monterrey versus $1,665 in Zacapoaxtla.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 110% more expensive than Zacapoaxtla, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 19% above, Zacapoaxtla is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.45 MX$233

$4.37 MX$75.8

207.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.8 MX$915

$21.29 MX$369

147.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.25 MX$178

$5.18 MX$89.9

97.88%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$64.8

$2.48 MX$43.00

50.81%

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

$1.40 MX$24.28

$1.01 MX$17.43

38.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$17.98

$1.09 MX$18.86

-4.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.66 MX$46.07

$1.22 MX$21.15

118.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 MX$75.1

$2.01 MX$34.86

115.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 MX$27.59

$1.30 MX$22.58

22.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.62 MX$45.41

$1.39 MX$24.12

88.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$33.66

$1.41 MX$24.43

37.59%

Eggs

$2.68 MX$46.39

$2.39 MX$41.39

12.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.37 MX$180

$3.10 MX$53.7

234.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.24 MX$160

$4.50 MX$78.0

105.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 MX$234

$4.53 MX$78.5

197.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 MX$55.3

$1.25 MX$21.69

155.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 MX$25.06

$1.05 MX$18.15

38.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.92

$0.55 MX$9.61

276.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.88

$1.02 MX$17.60

102.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.37

$0.79 MX$13.73

187.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.57 MX$44.60

$1.04 MX$17.97

147.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 MX$26.00

$1.17 MX$20.22

28.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.68

$0.98 MX$17.03

10.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$74.3

$4.11 MX$71.3

4.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.95 MX$207

$13.90 MX$241

-14.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.85

$1.13 MX$19.51

52.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 MX$54.4

$1.62 MX$28.01

93.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 MX$14.27

$0.74 MX$12.83

10.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.89 MX$709

$41.73 MX$723

-2.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 MX$29.18

$1.37 MX$23.68

22.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 MX$17.45

$0.28 MX$4.82

260.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.41 MX$180

$5.43 MX$94.1

91.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.31

$1.29 MX$22.29

4.65%

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

$25.9K MX$449.3K

$13.4K MX$232.5K

93.29%

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

$26.2K MX$454.0K

$23.8K MX$413.2K

9.86%

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

$121 MX$2,095

$40.87 MX$708

195.84%

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

$27.83 MX$482

$25.95 MX$450

7.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.04 MX$521

$30.33 MX$526

-0.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.56 MX$651

$35.37 MX$613

6.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.96 MX$381

$15.72 MX$272

39.69%

Cinema Ticket

$5.75 MX$99.7

$2.58 MX$44.70

122.87%

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

$336 MX$5,820

$209 MX$3,630

60.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,005 MX$156.0K

$3,545 MX$61.4K

154.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 MX$1,034

$18.29 MX$317

226.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 MX$741

$24.05 MX$417

77.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$1,875

$42.29 MX$733

155.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 MX$2,199

$34.71 MX$601

265.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 MX$15.7K

$481 MX$8,328

88.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 MX$11.5K

$247 MX$4,274

168.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,572 MX$27.2K

$1,014 MX$17.6K

55.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,424 MX$24.7K

$581 MX$10.1K

144.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,254 MX$73.7K

$2,025 MX$35.1K

110.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,862 MX$49.6K

$1,172 MX$20.3K

144.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,129 MX$19.6K

$636 MX$11.0K

77.44%

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: April 21, 2026

Last update for Zacapoaxtla: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $908 in Monterrey and $481 in Zacapoaxtla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 77% 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 in Monterrey vs $21 in Zacapoaxtla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $165 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 110% in total monthly costs ($1,596 vs $760 including rent). Zacapoaxtla is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Monterrey pays 77% 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: $908 in Monterrey versus $481 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 $53.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,596 per month in Monterrey versus $760 in Zacapoaxtla – a 110% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $760 in Zacapoaxtla versus $1,596 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 110% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.