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: $1,615 in Monterrey versus $1,093 in Zihuatanejo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,601 in Monterrey versus $1,766 in Zihuatanejo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,587 in Monterrey versus $2,439 in Zihuatanejo.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 48% more expensive than in Zihuatanejo, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 21% above, Zihuatanejo is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.05 MX$227

$10.49 MX$183

24.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.1 MX$907

$39.79 MX$692

30.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.14 MX$177

$7.95 MX$138

27.55%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$62.2

$3.25 MX$56.5

9.85%

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

$1.40 MX$24.38

$1.23 MX$21.39

13.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 MX$17.99

$0.92 MX$16.09

11.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.69 MX$46.82

$2.34 MX$40.66

14.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.12 MX$71.7

$3.83 MX$66.6

7.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 MX$27.85

$1.50 MX$26.02

6.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 MX$44.96

$3.46 MX$60.3

-25.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.46

$1.55 MX$26.99

20.65%

Eggs

$2.70 MX$47.02

$4.14 MX$72.0

-34.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.40 MX$181

$8.27 MX$144

25.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.78 MX$153

$7.91 MX$138

11.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.45 MX$234

$10.70 MX$186

25.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.22 MX$56.1

$2.66 MX$46.30

21.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 MX$24.43

$1.43 MX$24.93

-2.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.99

$1.72 MX$29.90

16.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.38

$1.67 MX$29.02

28.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.35 MX$40.97

$1.92 MX$33.47

22.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.45 MX$42.63

$1.99 MX$34.54

23.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 MX$26.11

$1.21 MX$21.02

23.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.66

$0.99 MX$17.20

8.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.9

$4.11 MX$71.5

1.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.43 MX$251

$12.12 MX$211

19.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 MX$30.87

$1.60 MX$27.87

10.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 MX$55.4

$2.75 MX$47.80

15.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 MX$13.07

$0.61 MX$10.66

22.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.81 MX$710

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.67 MX$29.11

$2.60 MX$45.30

-35.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 MX$16.33

$1.61 MX$28.07

-41.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.65 MX$185

$8.28 MX$144

28.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.82

$1.31 MX$22.71

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

$26.1K MX$455.0K

$21.4K MX$372.5K

22.17%

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

$26.3K MX$457.4K

$22.2K MX$386.8K

18.26%

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

$123 MX$2,133

$56.7 MX$986

116.30%

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

$27.94 MX$486

$10.51 MX$183

165.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$517

$27.64 MX$481

7.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.16 MX$647

$36.23 MX$630

2.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.68 MX$377

$15.57 MX$271

39.24%

Cinema Ticket

$5.88 MX$102

$4.69 MX$81.5

25.37%

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

$339 MX$5,904

$207 MX$3,599

64.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,746 MX$152.2K

$3,567 MX$62.1K

145.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.4 MX$1,033

$52.7 MX$917

12.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.83 MX$745

$40.25 MX$700

6.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 MX$1,865

$90.7 MX$1,579

18.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 MX$2,180

$80.7 MX$1,404

55.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$894 MX$15.6K

$505 MX$8,783

77.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$652 MX$11.4K

$395 MX$6,874

65.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,613 MX$28.1K

$925 MX$16.1K

74.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,380 MX$24.0K

$754 MX$13.1K

83.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,271 MX$74.3K

$1,701 MX$29.6K

151.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,825 MX$49.2K

$1,312 MX$22.8K

115.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,112 MX$19.3K

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: July 19, 2026

Last update for Zihuatanejo: July 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $894 in Monterrey and $505 in Zihuatanejo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Monterrey vs $40.00 in Zihuatanejo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $294 vs $270 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 48% in total monthly costs ($1,615 vs $1,093 including rent). Zihuatanejo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,423 in Monterrey and $1,639 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: $894 in Monterrey versus $505 in Zihuatanejo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $339 in Monterrey versus $207 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 $40.00 versus $52.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,093 in Zihuatanejo versus $1,615 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 48% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.