Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mundelein, IL and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,599 a month against $2,438 in Mundelein, IL, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mundelein, IL
🇺🇸 United States
$2,438
/mo nomad
Monterrey
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,599
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mundelein, IL and in Monterrey

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mundelein, IL and in Monterrey actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,438 in Mundelein, IL versus $1,599 in Monterrey.

  • Mundelein, IL $2,438
  • Monterrey $1,599

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,620 in Mundelein, IL versus $2,493 in Monterrey.

  • Mundelein, IL $3,620
  • Monterrey $2,493

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,802 in Mundelein, IL versus $3,387 in Monterrey.

  • Mundelein, IL $4,802
  • Monterrey $3,387

Living in Mundelein, IL is roughly 52% more expensive than in Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mundelein, IL 80% above, Monterrey 18% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mundelein, IL
Monterrey
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.19 $16.19
$13.80 MX$255
17.32%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$54.1 $54.1
$47.99 MX$887
12.67%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.90 $7.90
$10.65 MX$197
-25.82%
Cappuccino
$5.76 $5.76
$3.99 MX$73.7
44.36%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.20 $3.20
$1.66 MX$30.76
92.77%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.45 $2.45
$0.99 MX$18.21
147.47%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.90 $6.90
$2.36 MX$43.64
192.37%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.91 $7.91
$4.43 MX$81.8
78.56%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mundelein, IL
Monterrey
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.75 $0.75
$1.82 MX$33.58
-58.79%
White Bread (500g)
$3.48 $3.48
$2.83 MX$52.4
22.97%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.17 $2.17
$1.92 MX$35.44
13.02%
Eggs
$3.78 $3.78
$2.48 MX$45.78
52.42%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.69 $14.69
$11.74 MX$217
25.13%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.93 $12.93
$9.10 MX$168
42.09%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.83 $19.83
$12.53 MX$232
58.26%
Apples (1kg)
$4.38 $4.38
$3.34 MX$61.6
31.14%
Banana (1kg)
$1.65 $1.65
$1.57 MX$29.10
5.10%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.18 $5.18
$2.16 MX$39.86
139.81%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.77 $4.77
$2.47 MX$45.65
93.12%
Potato (1kg)
$2.75 $2.75
$2.31 MX$42.64
19.05%
Onion (1kg)
$3.07 $3.07
$2.68 MX$49.47
14.55%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.11 $2.11
$1.46 MX$26.90
44.52%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.32 $2.32
$1.19 MX$22.07
94.96%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.62 $10.62
$4.75 MX$87.8
123.58%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.81 $15.81
$13.58 MX$251
16.42%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.71 $2.71
$1.92 MX$35.52
41.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.55 $4.55
$2.88 MX$53.2
57.99%
🚌 Getting Around
Mundelein, IL
Monterrey
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.24 $2.24
$0.79 MX$14.66
183.54%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$31.36 MX$579
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.92 $3.92
$1.59 MX$29.44
146.54%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.04 $2.04
$1.06 MX$19.58
92.45%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$43.95 $43.95
$10.80 MX$200
306.94%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.05 $1.05
$1.55 MX$28.59
-32.26%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$31.0K $31.0K
$24.2K MX$446.4K
28.39%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.7K $25.7K
$24.3K MX$449.4K
5.60%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mundelein, IL
Monterrey
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$177 $177
$117 MX$2,159
51.21%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$53.5 $53.5
$26.38 MX$488
102.73%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$45.43 $45.43
$26.04 MX$481
74.46%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mundelein, IL
Monterrey
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.55 $45.55
$30.26 MX$559
50.53%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$21.25 MX$393
-
Cinema Ticket
$15.18 $15.18
$5.23 MX$96.6
190.25%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mundelein, IL
Monterrey
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,713 $1,713
$673 MX$12.4K
154.62%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.0K $23.0K
$11.1K MX$205.2K
107.20%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mundelein, IL
Monterrey
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$65.0 $65.0
$72.1 MX$1,332
-9.88%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.73 $49.73
$42.38 MX$783
17.34%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 $105
$112 MX$2,066
-5.77%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$123 $123
$119 MX$2,200
3.28%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mundelein, IL
Monterrey
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,483 $1,483
$949 MX$17.5K
56.23%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,199 $1,199
$666 MX$12.3K
79.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,267 $2,267
$1,821 MX$33.7K
24.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,114 $2,114
$1,271 MX$23.5K
66.30%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,043 $3,043
$4,050 MX$74.8K
-24.88%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,086 $2,086
$2,348 MX$43.4K
-11.16%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mundelein, IL
Monterrey
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,155 MX$21.3K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.69
11.79
-43.26%

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

Last update for Mundelein, IL: October 20, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mundelein, IL
$1.2K
Monterrey
$666 44.4% $532
Groceries & Markets
Mundelein, IL
$416
Monterrey
$304 26.8% $111
Eating Out
Mundelein, IL
$295
Monterrey
$221 25% $74
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mundelein, IL
$276
Monterrey
$169 38.6% $106
Clothing & Footwear
Mundelein, IL
$154
Monterrey
$155 0.7% $1
Sport & Entertainment
Mundelein, IL
$76
Monterrey
$41 46.4% $35
Getting Around
Mundelein, IL
$23 *
Monterrey
$41 79.4% $18

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,483 in Mundelein, IL and $949 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mundelein, IL vs $48.00 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $416 vs $304 per month, with Monterrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Mundelein, IL
🇲🇽 Monterrey
🕒 Local time
02:36 2:36 AM
01:36 1:36 AM
1 h behind Mundelein, IL
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
31,560
1,142,994
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mundelein, IL Monterrey 2,160 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Mundelein, IL
  • Monterrey

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Mundelein, IL vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Mundelein, IL and in Monterrey?
Mundelein, IL and Monterrey differ by about 52% in total monthly costs ($2,438 vs $1,599 including rent). Monterrey is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Mundelein, IL compared to Monterrey?
You'd need roughly $3,658 in Mundelein, IL and $2,399 in Monterrey 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Mundelein, IL and in Monterrey?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,483 in Mundelein, IL versus $949 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Mundelein, IL and Monterrey?
Childcare runs $1,713 in Mundelein, IL versus $673 in Monterrey. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Monterrey – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $54.0 in Mundelein, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,599 in Monterrey versus $2,438 in Mundelein, IL, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Monterrey but tight or insufficient in Mundelein, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Monterrey the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Mundelein, IL and Monterrey?
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.
Is Mundelein, IL or Monterrey safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Mundelein, IL and Monterrey are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Mundelein, IL or Monterrey?
Expats usually find Monterrey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Mundelein, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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