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: $1,715 in Monterrey versus $1,201 in Zihuatanejo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,683 in Monterrey versus $1,963 in Zihuatanejo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,652 in Monterrey versus $2,725 in Zihuatanejo.

Living in Monterrey is roughly 43% more expensive than in Zihuatanejo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monterrey is 25% above, Zihuatanejo is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.60 MX$246

$12.01 MX$203

21.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$904

$44.46 MX$750

20.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.95 MX$202

$8.38 MX$141

42.60%

Cappuccino

$4.29 MX$72.4

$4.13 MX$69.8

3.87%

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

$1.73 MX$29.15

$1.63 MX$27.51

6.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 MX$17.95

$1.17 MX$19.79

-9.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$49.84

$2.82 MX$47.51

4.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.73 MX$79.8

$4.69 MX$79.2

0.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 MX$33.70

$1.73 MX$29.18

15.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.15 MX$53.1

$2.80 MX$47.18

12.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$34.86

$1.59 MX$26.77

30.19%

Eggs

$2.78 MX$46.99

$2.52 MX$42.49

10.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.18 MX$222

$7.55 MX$127

74.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$7.69 MX$130

31.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 MX$236

$11.38 MX$192

22.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.49 MX$58.9

$2.51 MX$42.35

39.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 MX$27.64

$1.61 MX$27.17

1.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 MX$38.41

$1.91 MX$32.15

19.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.60 MX$43.85

$1.96 MX$33.15

32.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 MX$42.75

$1.82 MX$30.66

39.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 MX$48.03

$1.80 MX$30.31

58.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 MX$26.30

$1.35 MX$22.77

15.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 MX$21.74

$1.26 MX$21.20

2.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.21 MX$87.9

$4.59 MX$77.4

13.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.84 MX$250

$11.92 MX$201

24.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 MX$33.96

$2.00 MX$33.73

0.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 MX$52.9

$3.01 MX$50.8

3.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 MX$15.13

$0.72 MX$12.21

25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.72 MX$569

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 MX$31.28

$2.52 MX$42.50

-26.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 MX$20.14

$2.08 MX$35.03

-42.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.82 MX$199

$10.73 MX$181

10.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.67 MX$28.26

$1.44 MX$24.22

15.97%

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

$22.6K MX$381.0K

$19.7K MX$332.8K

14.47%

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

$27.1K MX$457.6K

$27.5K MX$463.9K

-1.36%

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

$128 MX$2,161

$61.9 MX$1,044

107.02%

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

$28.03 MX$473

$24.29 MX$410

15.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.47 MX$481

$32.42 MX$547

-12.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.66 MX$551

$33.58 MX$567

-2.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.24 MX$392

$23.82 MX$402

-2.43%

Cinema Ticket

$5.58 MX$94.2

$5.90 MX$99.6

-5.42%

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

$734 MX$12.4K

$235 MX$3,965

212.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K MX$204.5K

$4,285 MX$72.3K

182.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.5 MX$1,342

$53.6 MX$904

48.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.39 MX$783

$45.86 MX$774

1.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 MX$2,024

$100 MX$1,690

19.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 MX$2,252

$105 MX$1,770

27.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 MX$17.8K

$627 MX$10.6K

67.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$739 MX$12.5K

$440 MX$7,429

67.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 MX$34.1K

$1,117 MX$18.8K

80.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,358 MX$22.9K

$769 MX$13.0K

76.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,486 MX$75.7K

$2,206 MX$37.2K

103.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,663 MX$44.9K

$1,158 MX$19.5K

129.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,153 MX$19.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.56

11.3

2.30%

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

Last update for Monterrey: August 31, 2026

Last update for Zihuatanejo: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,052 in Monterrey and $627 in Zihuatanejo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Monterrey vs $44.00 in Zihuatanejo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $266 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 43% in total monthly costs ($1,715 vs $1,201 including rent). Zihuatanejo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,572 in Monterrey and $1,801 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: $1,052 in Monterrey versus $627 in Zihuatanejo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $734 in Monterrey versus $235 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 $44.00 versus $54.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,201 in Zihuatanejo versus $1,715 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 43% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.