Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Zacatecas Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Zacatecas

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,601 in Monterrey versus $938 in Zacatecas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Monterrey versus $1,518 in Zacatecas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,568 in Monterrey versus $2,098 in Zacatecas.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 71% more expensive than Zacatecas, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 20% above, Zacatecas is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.01 MX$225

$6.26 MX$108

107.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$930

$31.34 MX$542

71.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.21 MX$177

$7.13 MX$123

43.20%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$63.7

$2.98 MX$51.5

23.49%

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

$1.46 MX$25.30

$1.22 MX$21.06

19.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 MX$17.28

$0.74 MX$12.78

35.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 MX$46.62

$1.89 MX$32.64

42.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$3.89 MX$67.3

9.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 MX$28.81

$1.34 MX$23.22

24.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 MX$46.35

$2.15 MX$37.22

24.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.35

$1.55 MX$26.73

24.52%

Eggs

$2.63 MX$45.49

$2.19 MX$37.93

20.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.34 MX$179

$7.15 MX$124

44.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.22 MX$159

$5.73 MX$99.1

60.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.84 MX$239

$8.91 MX$154

55.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 MX$54.5

$1.71 MX$29.55

84.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 MX$24.01

$1.52 MX$26.23

-8.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.59

$1.86 MX$32.12

7.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$37.03

$1.39 MX$24.04

53.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.19

$1.74 MX$30.18

30.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 MX$44.00

$1.95 MX$33.80

30.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 MX$27.09

$1.33 MX$22.93

18.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.49

$0.83 MX$14.32

28.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 MX$73.5

$4.20 MX$72.6

1.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.36 MX$248

$11.13 MX$193

29.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 MX$30.81

$1.64 MX$28.32

8.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 MX$54.4

$3.30 MX$57.0

-4.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 MX$13.87

$0.52 MX$9.05

53.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.54 MX$701

$16.12 MX$279

151.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 MX$29.06

$2.06 MX$35.69

-18.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 MX$16.28

$0.94 MX$16.34

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.76 MX$186

$11.49 MX$199

-6.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 MX$23.68

$1.29 MX$22.39

6.20%

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

$26.7K MX$462.6K

$24.0K MX$415.7K

11.27%

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

$25.6K MX$442.5K

$23.6K MX$409.0K

8.19%

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

$122 MX$2,104

$22.34 MX$386

444.58%

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

$27.19 MX$470

$7.74 MX$134

251.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.82 MX$516

$24.97 MX$432

19.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.49 MX$666

$23.61 MX$408

63.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.46 MX$371

$8.08 MX$140

165.59%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 MX$102

$4.11 MX$71.1

44.04%

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

$346 MX$5,979

$191 MX$3,304

80.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,997 MX$155.6K

$3,154 MX$54.6K

185.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.4 MX$1,010

$43.97 MX$761

32.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.55 MX$736

$42.04 MX$727

1.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$1,892

$86.9 MX$1,503

25.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 MX$2,231

$42.14 MX$729

206.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$913 MX$15.8K

$240 MX$4,151

280.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$647 MX$11.2K

$393 MX$6,796

64.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,565 MX$27.1K

$364 MX$6,293

330.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,401 MX$24.2K

$770 MX$13.3K

81.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,371 MX$75.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,839 MX$49.1K

$603 MX$10.4K

370.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,104 MX$19.1K

$910 MX$15.7K

21.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

11.48

0.61%

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

Last update for Monterrey: June 1, 2026

Last update for Zacatecas: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $913 in Monterrey and $240 in Zacatecas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 21% 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 $31.00 in Zacatecas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $220 per month, with Zacatecas 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 Zacatecas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey and Zacatecas differ by about 71% in total monthly costs ($1,601 vs $938 including rent). Zacatecas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Monterrey pays 21% 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: $913 in Monterrey versus $240 in Zacatecas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Zacatecas – a meal for two runs $31.00 versus $54.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,601 per month in Monterrey versus $938 in Zacatecas – a 71% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $938 in Zacatecas versus $1,601 in Monterrey, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Zacatecas but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes Zacatecas 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.

Safety-wise, Monterrey and Zacatecas are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Zacatecas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 71% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.