Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Zihuatanejo Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterrey and Zihuatanejo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,596 in Monterrey versus $1,109 in Zihuatanejo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,550 in Monterrey versus $1,760 in Zihuatanejo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,504 in Monterrey versus $2,412 in Zihuatanejo.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 44% more expensive than Zihuatanejo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 19% above, Zihuatanejo is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.45 MX$233

$10.72 MX$186

25.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.8 MX$915

$38.23 MX$663

38.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.25 MX$178

$7.73 MX$134

32.60%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$64.8

$3.22 MX$55.8

16.15%

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

$1.40 MX$24.28

$1.23 MX$21.30

13.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$17.98

$0.95 MX$16.55

9.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.66 MX$46.07

$2.31 MX$40.11

15.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 MX$75.1

$3.79 MX$65.7

14.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 MX$27.59

$1.44 MX$25.03

10.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.62 MX$45.41

$3.40 MX$59.0

-22.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$33.66

$1.56 MX$26.95

24.36%

Eggs

$2.68 MX$46.39

$4.30 MX$74.5

-37.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.37 MX$180

$8.11 MX$141

27.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.24 MX$160

$7.67 MX$133

20.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 MX$234

$10.77 MX$187

25.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 MX$55.3

$2.69 MX$46.69

18.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 MX$25.06

$1.38 MX$23.92

5.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.92

$1.72 MX$29.84

20.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.88

$1.66 MX$28.72

24.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.37

$1.92 MX$33.19

18.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.57 MX$44.60

$2.01 MX$34.89

27.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 MX$26.00

$1.20 MX$20.81

25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.68

$1.02 MX$17.62

5.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$74.3

$4.30 MX$74.6

-0.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.95 MX$207

$11.89 MX$206

0.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.85

$1.57 MX$27.12

9.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 MX$54.4

$2.87 MX$49.66

9.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 MX$14.27

$0.65 MX$11.20

26.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.89 MX$709

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 MX$29.18

$2.66 MX$46.05

-36.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 MX$17.45

$1.53 MX$26.60

-33.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.41 MX$180

$8.08 MX$140

28.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.31

$1.32 MX$22.84

2.27%

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

$25.9K MX$449.3K

$21.1K MX$365.6K

22.91%

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

$26.2K MX$454.0K

$22.2K MX$384.6K

18.04%

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

$121 MX$2,095

$56.2 MX$973

115.30%

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

$27.83 MX$482

$10.51 MX$182

164.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.04 MX$521

$28.40 MX$492

5.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.56 MX$651

$35.91 MX$622

4.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.96 MX$381

$15.58 MX$270

40.95%

Cinema Ticket

$5.75 MX$99.7

$4.68 MX$81.1

22.86%

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

$336 MX$5,820

$203 MX$3,521

65.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,005 MX$156.0K

$3,542 MX$61.4K

154.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 MX$1,034

$53.9 MX$934

10.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 MX$741

$40.13 MX$695

6.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$1,875

$90.0 MX$1,560

20.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 MX$2,199

$80.7 MX$1,398

57.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 MX$15.7K

$513 MX$8,890

77.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 MX$11.5K

$390 MX$6,764

69.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,572 MX$27.2K

$917 MX$15.9K

71.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,424 MX$24.7K

$771 MX$13.4K

84.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,254 MX$73.7K

$2,232 MX$38.7K

90.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,862 MX$49.6K

$1,294 MX$22.4K

121.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,129 MX$19.6K

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: April 21, 2026

Last update for Zihuatanejo: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $908 in Monterrey and $513 in Zihuatanejo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $53 in Monterrey vs $38 in Zihuatanejo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $268 per month, with Zihuatanejo 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 Zihuatanejo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterrey and Zihuatanejo differ by about 44% in total monthly costs ($1,596 vs $1,109 including rent). Zihuatanejo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,393 in Monterrey and $1,663 in Zihuatanejo 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: $908 in Monterrey versus $513 in Zihuatanejo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $336 in Monterrey versus $203 in Zihuatanejo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Zihuatanejo – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $53.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,109 in Zihuatanejo versus $1,596 in Monterrey, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Zihuatanejo but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes Zihuatanejo 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 Zihuatanejo 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 Zihuatanejo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.