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: $1,601 in Monterrey versus $1,099 in Zihuatanejo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Monterrey versus $1,774 in Zihuatanejo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,568 in Monterrey versus $2,449 in Zihuatanejo.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 46% more expensive than Zihuatanejo, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 20% above, Zihuatanejo is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.01 MX$227

$10.60 MX$185

22.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$939

$39.40 MX$688

36.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.21 MX$178

$7.72 MX$135

32.25%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$64.3

$3.26 MX$56.9

12.88%

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

$1.46 MX$25.54

$1.25 MX$21.75

16.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 MX$17.45

$0.90 MX$15.80

11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 MX$47.07

$2.41 MX$42.08

12.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 MX$74.6

$3.96 MX$69.1

7.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 MX$29.09

$1.43 MX$24.94

16.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 MX$46.80

$3.53 MX$61.7

-24.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.67

$1.54 MX$26.95

25.32%

Eggs

$2.63 MX$45.93

$4.14 MX$72.3

-36.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.34 MX$181

$7.85 MX$137

31.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.22 MX$161

$8.03 MX$140

14.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.84 MX$242

$10.53 MX$184

31.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 MX$55.0

$2.62 MX$45.69

20.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 MX$24.24

$1.43 MX$24.99

-2.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.92

$1.78 MX$31.13

12.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$37.39

$1.57 MX$27.47

36.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.57

$1.93 MX$33.76

17.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 MX$44.43

$1.94 MX$33.86

30.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 MX$27.35

$1.27 MX$22.12

23.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.67

$1.02 MX$17.86

4.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 MX$74.2

$4.25 MX$74.3

Wine (Bottle)

$14.36 MX$251

$11.39 MX$199

26.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 MX$31.11

$1.60 MX$27.98

11.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 MX$54.9

$2.72 MX$47.50

15.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 MX$14.00

$0.65 MX$11.28

23.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.54 MX$708

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 MX$29.34

$2.63 MX$45.91

-36.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 MX$16.44

$1.60 MX$27.90

-41.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.76 MX$188

$8.18 MX$143

31.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 MX$23.91

$1.26 MX$21.98

8.73%

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

$26.7K MX$467.1K

$21.5K MX$375.9K

24.26%

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

$25.6K MX$446.8K

$22.5K MX$393.2K

13.63%

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

$122 MX$2,125

$56.8 MX$991

114.38%

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

$27.19 MX$475

$10.47 MX$183

159.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.82 MX$521

$27.82 MX$486

7.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.49 MX$672

$35.67 MX$623

7.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.46 MX$375

$15.82 MX$276

35.65%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 MX$103

$4.60 MX$80.3

28.70%

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

$346 MX$6,037

$210 MX$3,667

64.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,997 MX$157.1K

$3,536 MX$61.8K

154.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.4 MX$1,020

$52.9 MX$925

10.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.55 MX$743

$39.31 MX$686

8.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$1,910

$89.8 MX$1,569

21.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 MX$2,253

$80.0 MX$1,398

61.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$913 MX$15.9K

$518 MX$9,049

76.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$647 MX$11.3K

$404 MX$7,047

60.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,565 MX$27.3K

$926 MX$16.2K

69.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,401 MX$24.5K

$757 MX$13.2K

85.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,371 MX$76.3K

$1,920 MX$33.5K

127.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,839 MX$49.6K

$1,086 MX$19.0K

161.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,104 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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Zihuatanejo: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $913 in Monterrey and $518 in Zihuatanejo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Monterrey vs $39.00 in Zihuatanejo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 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 46% in total monthly costs ($1,601 vs $1,099 including rent). Zihuatanejo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,402 in Monterrey and $1,649 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: $913 in Monterrey versus $518 in Zihuatanejo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $346 in Monterrey versus $210 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 $39.00 versus $54.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,099 in Zihuatanejo versus $1,601 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 46% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.