Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New Braunfels, TX and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,607 a month against $2,489 in New Braunfels, TX, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in New Braunfels, TX
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New Braunfels, TX Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index

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New Braunfels, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,489

/mo nomad

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New Braunfels, TX 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 New Braunfels, TX and in Monterrey actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,489 in New Braunfels, TX versus $1,607 in Monterrey.

New Braunfels, TX $2,489
Monterrey $1,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,594 in New Braunfels, TX versus $2,512 in Monterrey.

New Braunfels, TX $3,594
Monterrey $2,512

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,698 in New Braunfels, TX versus $3,417 in Monterrey.

New Braunfels, TX $4,698
Monterrey $3,417

Living in New Braunfels, TX is roughly 55% more expensive than in Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New Braunfels, TX 86% above, Monterrey 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.92 $14.92

$13.75 MX$253

8.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.8 $68.8

$50.2 MX$923

37.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.05 $12.05

$11.13 MX$205

8.27%

Cappuccino

$5.53 $5.53

$4.04 MX$74.3

36.88%

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

$2.92 $2.92

$1.70 MX$31.33

71.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.99 MX$18.19

79.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.14 $5.14

$2.41 MX$44.27

113.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.05 $6.05

$4.48 MX$82.5

35.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.80 $0.80

$1.92 MX$35.36

-58.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.11 $3.11

$2.89 MX$53.2

7.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.94 MX$35.72

6.19%

Eggs

$2.93 $2.93

$2.50 MX$45.97

17.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.20 $12.20

$12.30 MX$226

-0.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.64 $9.64

$9.33 MX$172

3.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.76 $12.76

$13.07 MX$240

-2.37%

Apples (1kg)

$6.47 $6.47

$3.38 MX$62.2

91.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.58 MX$29.07

-24.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.20 MX$40.51

44.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.45 MX$44.96

47.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.26 MX$41.54

5.31%

Onion (1kg)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.74 MX$50.4

9.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.53 MX$28.13

16.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.26 MX$23.19

28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.40 $6.40

$4.84 MX$89.0

32.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.97 $13.97

$13.59 MX$250

2.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.91 MX$35.06

-7.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 $3.79

$3.06 MX$56.4

23.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 MX$14.62

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$151 $151

$31.77 MX$584

375.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.12 $10.12

$1.62 MX$29.82

524.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.83 $1.83

$1.10 MX$20.20

66.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.83 $29.83

$10.97 MX$202

171.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.52 MX$27.98

-41.45%

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

$36.4K $36.4K

$21.4K MX$393.0K

70.50%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$25.5K MX$468.3K

-1.51%

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

$181 $181

$120 MX$2,201

50.98%

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

$40.56 $40.56

$27.08 MX$498

49.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.5 $54.5

$26.70 MX$491

104.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.74 $32.74

$31.15 MX$573

5.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.95 MX$404

Cinema Ticket

$11.40 $11.40

$5.14 MX$94.5

121.79%

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

$745 $745

$688 MX$12.6K

8.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.4K $18.4K

$11.4K MX$210.1K

60.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.1 $57.1

$71.9 MX$1,323

-20.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.31 $25.31

$43.30 MX$796

-41.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 $84.5

$112 MX$2,062

-24.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$122 MX$2,240

0.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 $1,594

$957 MX$17.6K

66.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,308 $1,308

$670 MX$12.3K

95.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,329 $2,329

$1,887 MX$34.7K

23.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,018 $2,018

$1,305 MX$24.0K

54.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,379 $2,379

$4,159 MX$76.5K

-42.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,809 $2,809

$2,437 MX$44.8K

15.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,399 $4,399

$1,133 MX$20.8K

288.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

11.79

-44.27%

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

Last update for New Braunfels, TX: October 4, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

New Braunfels, TX

$1.3K 51.2%

Monterrey

$670 41.4% 48.8% $638

Groceries & Markets

New Braunfels, TX

$337 13.2%

Monterrey

$312 19.3% 7.2% $24

Eating Out

New Braunfels, TX

$278 10.9%

Monterrey

$224 13.8% 19.7% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New Braunfels, TX

$276 10.8%

Monterrey

$174 10.7% 37.1% $102

Getting Around

New Braunfels, TX

$170 * 6.7%

Monterrey

$42 2.6% 75.3% $128

Clothing & Footwear

New Braunfels, TX

$130 5.1%

Monterrey

$157 9.7% 20.9% $27

Sport & Entertainment

New Braunfels, TX

$56 2.2%

Monterrey

$41 2.6% 25.4% $14

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 $1,594 in New Braunfels, TX and $957 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New Braunfels, TX pays 288% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $69.0 in New Braunfels, TX vs $50.0 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $337 vs $312 per month, with Monterrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New Braunfels, TX

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🕒 Local time

16:08 4:08 PM

15:08 3:08 PM

1 h behind New Braunfels, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

90,403

1,142,994

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100 MXN = 5.44 USD

100 MXN = 4.85 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 11, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 11, 2026: 1 USD = 18.39 MXN (100 MXN = 5.44 USD). 1 EUR = 20.61 MXN (100 MXN = 4.85 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

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New Braunfels, TX Monterrey 500 km

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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

New Braunfels, TX vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New Braunfels, TX and Monterrey differ by about 55% in total monthly costs ($2,489 vs $1,607 including rent). Monterrey is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 288% higher in New Braunfels, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,594 in New Braunfels, TX versus $957 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Monterrey – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $69.0 in New Braunfels, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,489 per month in New Braunfels, TX versus $1,607 in Monterrey – a 55% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,607 in Monterrey versus $2,489 in New Braunfels, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Monterrey but tight or insufficient in New Braunfels, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Monterrey 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, New Braunfels, TX 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.

Expats usually find Monterrey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in New Braunfels, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.