Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Norfolk, VA and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,641 a month against $2,534 in Norfolk, VA, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Norfolk, VA
Learn more

Norfolk, VA Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
Learn more

Monterrey Living Index

Jump to prices

Norfolk, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,534

/mo nomad

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,534 in Norfolk, VA versus $1,641 in Monterrey.

Norfolk, VA $2,534
Monterrey $1,641

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,677 in Norfolk, VA versus $2,573 in Monterrey.

Norfolk, VA $3,677
Monterrey $2,573

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,820 in Norfolk, VA versus $3,504 in Monterrey.

Norfolk, VA $4,820
Monterrey $3,504

Living in Norfolk, VA is roughly 54% more expensive than in Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Norfolk, VA 87% above, Monterrey 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.65 $18.65

$13.37 MX$250

39.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.5 $91.5

$47.95 MX$897

90.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.45 $11.45

$10.79 MX$202

6.12%

Cappuccino

$5.82 $5.82

$3.77 MX$70.4

54.38%

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

$2.70 $2.70

$1.51 MX$28.26

78.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.03 MX$19.25

104.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 $5.86

$2.48 MX$46.41

136.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.08 $7.08

$4.36 MX$81.5

62.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.89 MX$35.43

-44.97%

White Bread (500g)

$3.71 $3.71

$2.85 MX$53.3

30.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.52 $5.52

$1.86 MX$34.71

196.77%

Eggs

$4.66 $4.66

$2.47 MX$46.12

88.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.48 $15.48

$11.81 MX$221

31.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.86 $9.86

$8.97 MX$168

9.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.09 $18.09

$12.57 MX$235

43.91%

Apples (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$3.20 MX$59.8

47.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.50 MX$28.12

-14.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$2.12 MX$39.74

133.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.82 $5.82

$2.33 MX$43.64

149.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.22 MX$41.58

2.70%

Onion (1kg)

$3.64 $3.64

$2.58 MX$48.34

41.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.45 MX$27.04

44.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.22 MX$22.85

74.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.73 $9.73

$4.80 MX$89.7

102.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$13.30 MX$249

13.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.93 MX$36.14

-5.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 $2.71

$2.86 MX$53.4

-5.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$0.80 MX$14.94

155.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.9 $70.9

$30.94 MX$579

129.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.85 $5.85

$1.83 MX$34.28

219.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.06 MX$19.78

43.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.26 $18.26

$10.82 MX$202

68.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.47 MX$27.54

-29.93%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$24.1K MX$450.4K

12.14%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$23.5K MX$440.2K

9.90%

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

$210 $210

$115 MX$2,144

83.58%

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

$57.4 $57.4

$26.37 MX$493

117.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.9 $66.9

$25.70 MX$481

160.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.31 $39.31

$30.53 MX$571

28.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.36 $17.36

$21.27 MX$398

-18.38%

Cinema Ticket

$11.92 $11.92

$4.96 MX$92.8

140.32%

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

$1,277 $1,277

$679 MX$12.7K

88.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K $23.3K

$14.2K MX$265.3K

64.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.4 $60.4

$72.2 MX$1,350

-16.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.29 $47.29

$41.94 MX$784

12.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$107 MX$2,011

-5.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$119 MX$2,219

1.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,520 $1,520

$1,018 MX$19.0K

49.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,168 $1,168

$722 MX$13.5K

61.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,628 $2,628

$1,966 MX$36.8K

33.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,727 $1,727

$1,416 MX$26.5K

21.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,659 $2,659

$4,203 MX$78.6K

-36.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,048 $2,048

$2,782 MX$52.0K

-26.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,570 $3,570

$1,096 MX$20.5K

225.86%

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 Norfolk, VA: November 1, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Norfolk, VA

$1.2K 46.1%

Monterrey

$722 44% 38.2% $446

Groceries & Markets

Norfolk, VA

$411 16.2%

Monterrey

$302 18.4% 26.5% $109

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Norfolk, VA

$335 13.2%

Monterrey

$167 10.2% 50.2% $168

Eating Out

Norfolk, VA

$316 12.5%

Monterrey

$216 13.2% 31.7% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Norfolk, VA

$148 5.9%

Monterrey

$153 9.3% 3.3% $4.8

Getting Around

Norfolk, VA

$92 3.7%

Monterrey

$41 2.5% 55.4% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Norfolk, VA

$63 2.5%

Monterrey

$40 2.5% 35.9% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,520 in Norfolk, VA and $1,018 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Norfolk, VA pays about 3.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $92 in Norfolk, VA vs $48 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $411 vs $302 per month, with Monterrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Norfolk, VA

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🕒 Local time

12:38 12:38 PM

11:38 11:38 AM

1 h behind Norfolk, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

242,803

1,142,994

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.76 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 November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.7 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 21.01 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Norfolk, VA Monterrey 2,590 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Norfolk, VA
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

Norfolk, VA vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,534 in Norfolk, VA and $1,641 in Monterrey, so Monterrey is about 35% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Norfolk, VA is about 3.3 times higher, 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: $1,520 in Norfolk, VA versus $1,018 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 $48 versus $92 in Norfolk, VA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,534 per month in Norfolk, VA versus $1,641 in Monterrey – Monterrey is about 35% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Monterrey gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 Monterrey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Norfolk, VA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.