Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Zamora de Hidalgo Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Zamora de Hidalgo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,607 in Monterrey versus $1,202 in Zamora de Hidalgo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,512 in Monterrey versus $1,844 in Zamora de Hidalgo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,417 in Monterrey versus $2,486 in Zamora de Hidalgo.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 34% more expensive than in Zamora de Hidalgo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 20% above, Zamora de Hidalgo is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.75 MX$249

$8.31 MX$150

65.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.2 MX$907

$19.74 MX$357

154.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.13 MX$201

$9.12 MX$165

22.04%

Cappuccino

$4.04 MX$73.1

$3.68 MX$66.6

9.78%

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

$1.70 MX$30.80

$1.76 MX$31.82

-3.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 MX$17.88

$1.04 MX$18.86

-4.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 MX$43.52

$1.69 MX$30.55

42.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 MX$81.1

$2.75 MX$49.75

62.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 MX$34.76

$1.88 MX$34.01

2.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 MX$52.3

$2.70 MX$48.77

7.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$35.12

$2.03 MX$36.73

-4.43%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$45.19

$2.85 MX$51.5

-12.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.30 MX$222

$8.85 MX$160

38.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.33 MX$169

$9.03 MX$163

3.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.07 MX$236

$13.92 MX$252

-6.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 MX$61.1

$3.51 MX$63.5

-3.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$28.57

$1.69 MX$30.55

-6.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$39.82

$2.22 MX$40.04

-0.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$44.20

$1.91 MX$34.54

28.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$40.83

$1.89 MX$34.13

19.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.74 MX$49.57

$1.86 MX$33.53

47.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 MX$27.66

$1.55 MX$27.95

-1.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 MX$22.80

$1.24 MX$22.38

1.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.84 MX$87.5

$4.48 MX$81.0

8.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.59 MX$246

$17.96 MX$325

-24.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 MX$34.47

$2.37 MX$42.92

-19.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 MX$55.4

$4.14 MX$74.8

-26.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 MX$14.38

$0.70 MX$12.58

14.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.77 MX$574

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 MX$29.32

$3.32 MX$60.0

-51.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 MX$19.86

$2.62 MX$47.42

-58.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.97 MX$198

$10.93 MX$198

0.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$27.50

$1.50 MX$27.20

1.33%

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

$21.4K MX$386.3K

$21.2K MX$383.6K

0.71%

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

$25.5K MX$460.4K

$24.3K MX$438.3K

5.02%

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

$120 MX$2,164

$61.9 MX$1,119

93.38%

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

$27.08 MX$490

$28.01 MX$506

-3.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.70 MX$483

$25.48 MX$461

4.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.15 MX$563

$34.15 MX$617

-8.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.95 MX$397

$20.75 MX$375

5.78%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$92.9

$7.60 MX$137

-32.37%

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

$688 MX$12.4K

$268 MX$4,844

156.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$206.5K

$5,019 MX$90.7K

127.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.9 MX$1,300

$54.5 MX$986

31.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.30 MX$783

$44.92 MX$812

-3.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$2,027

$102 MX$1,845

9.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,202

$100 MX$1,812

21.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$957 MX$17.3K

$608 MX$11.0K

57.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$670 MX$12.1K

$401 MX$7,250

67.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 MX$34.1K

$1,037 MX$18.7K

81.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,305 MX$23.6K

$789 MX$14.3K

65.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,159 MX$75.2K

$1,871 MX$33.8K

122.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,437 MX$44.1K

$1,150 MX$20.8K

111.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,133 MX$20.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.79

11.99

-1.67%

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

Last update for Monterrey: October 4, 2026

Last update for Zamora de Hidalgo: October 3, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $957 in Monterrey and $608 in Zamora de Hidalgo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $50.0 in Monterrey vs $20.00 in Zamora de Hidalgo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $312 vs $311 per month, with Zamora de Hidalgo 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 Zamora de Hidalgo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey and Zamora de Hidalgo differ by about 34% in total monthly costs ($1,607 vs $1,202 including rent). Zamora de Hidalgo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,411 in Monterrey and $1,803 in Zamora de Hidalgo to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $957 in Monterrey versus $608 in Zamora de Hidalgo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Monterrey versus $268 in Zamora de Hidalgo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Zamora de Hidalgo – a meal for two runs $20.00 versus $50.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,202 in Zamora de Hidalgo versus $1,607 in Monterrey, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Zamora de Hidalgo but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes Zamora de Hidalgo 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 Zamora de Hidalgo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.