Cost of Living Comparison Between Nogales and Monterrey Cost of Living Comparison Between Nogales and Monterrey

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,068 in Nogales versus $1,601 in Monterrey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,725 in Nogales versus $2,585 in Monterrey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,382 in Nogales versus $3,568 in Monterrey.

Living in Nogales costs roughly 33% less than in Monterrey, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.08 MX$159

$13.01 MX$227

-30.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.95 MX$750

$53.8 MX$939

-20.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.75 MX$135

$10.21 MX$178

-24.09%

Cappuccino

$3.23 MX$56.3

$3.68 MX$64.3

-12.23%

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

$1.35 MX$23.65

$1.46 MX$25.54

-7.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.26

$1.00 MX$17.45

-18.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.92 MX$33.58

$2.70 MX$47.07

-28.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 MX$70.1

$4.27 MX$74.6

-6.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$25.74

$1.67 MX$29.09

-11.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.50 MX$43.68

$2.68 MX$46.80

-6.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.44

$1.93 MX$33.67

-15.54%

Eggs

$2.34 MX$40.84

$2.63 MX$45.93

-11.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.92 MX$138

$10.34 MX$181

-23.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.89 MX$138

$9.22 MX$161

-14.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.63 MX$186

$13.84 MX$242

-23.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 MX$46.84

$3.15 MX$55.0

-14.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$25.02

$1.39 MX$24.24

2.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.91

$2.00 MX$34.92

-14.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 MX$27.93

$2.14 MX$37.39

-25.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 MX$31.96

$2.27 MX$39.57

-19.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$35.03

$2.54 MX$44.43

-20.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 MX$22.10

$1.57 MX$27.35

-19.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 MX$17.27

$1.07 MX$18.67

-7.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.6

$4.25 MX$74.2

0.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.69 MX$204

$14.36 MX$251

-18.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 MX$28.38

$1.78 MX$31.11

-8.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 MX$50.1

$3.14 MX$54.9

-8.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.50

$0.80 MX$14.00

-25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.54 MX$708

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.37 MX$58.9

$1.68 MX$29.34

100.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 MX$26.95

$0.94 MX$16.44

63.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.06 MX$141

$10.76 MX$188

-25.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.60

$1.37 MX$23.91

-1.46%

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

$21.0K MX$367.0K

$26.7K MX$467.1K

-21.43%

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

$22.3K MX$388.9K

$25.6K MX$446.8K

-12.97%

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

$57.4 MX$1,002

$122 MX$2,125

-52.84%

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

$22.34 MX$390

$27.19 MX$475

-17.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.83 MX$486

$29.82 MX$521

-6.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.58 MX$621

$38.49 MX$672

-7.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.58 MX$272

$21.46 MX$375

-27.40%

Cinema Ticket

$4.51 MX$78.8

$5.92 MX$103

-23.82%

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

$209 MX$3,646

$346 MX$6,037

-39.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,598 MX$62.8K

$8,997 MX$157.1K

-60.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 MX$930

$58.4 MX$1,020

-8.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.21 MX$685

$42.55 MX$743

-7.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 MX$1,577

$109 MX$1,910

-17.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.0 MX$1,396

$129 MX$2,253

-38.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$515 MX$8,996

$913 MX$15.9K

-43.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,809

$647 MX$11.3K

-39.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$921 MX$16.1K

$1,565 MX$27.3K

-41.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$772 MX$13.5K

$1,401 MX$24.5K

-44.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,935 MX$33.8K

$4,371 MX$76.3K

-55.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,233 MX$21.5K

$2,839 MX$49.6K

-56.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,104 MX$19.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.48

11.55

-0.61%

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

Last update for Nogales: May 30, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $515 in Nogales and $913 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Nogales vs $54.0 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $298 per month, with Nogales 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

Nogales vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nogales and Monterrey differ by about 50% in total monthly costs ($1,068 vs $1,601 including rent). Nogales is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,602 in Nogales and $2,402 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $515 in Nogales versus $913 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $209 in Nogales versus $346 in Monterrey. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Nogales – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $54.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,068 in Nogales versus $1,601 in Monterrey, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Nogales but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes Nogales 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.

Expats usually find Nogales gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.