Cost of Living Comparison Between Oaxaca de Juarez and Monterrey Cost of Living Comparison Between Oaxaca de Juarez and Monterrey

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,046 in Oaxaca de Juarez versus $1,574 in Monterrey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,630 in Oaxaca de Juarez versus $2,529 in Monterrey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,214 in Oaxaca de Juarez versus $3,484 in Monterrey.

Living in Oaxaca de Juarez costs roughly 34% less than in Monterrey, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Oaxaca de Juarez is 22% below, Monterrey is 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 MX$102

$13.42 MX$230

-55.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.52 MX$455

$53.9 MX$924

-50.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.07 MX$139

$10.32 MX$177

-21.80%

Cappuccino

$2.57 MX$44.15

$3.58 MX$61.4

-28.21%

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

$1.18 MX$20.32

$1.43 MX$24.60

-17.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 MX$12.60

$0.99 MX$17.00

-26.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 MX$37.85

$2.59 MX$44.41

-14.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 MX$60.3

$4.27 MX$73.4

-17.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.26

$1.67 MX$28.69

-22.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.74 MX$47.02

$2.64 MX$45.30

3.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.07 MX$18.37

$1.87 MX$32.15

-42.78%

Eggs

$1.60 MX$27.52

$2.67 MX$45.90

-40.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.23 MX$107

$10.49 MX$180

-40.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.63 MX$79.4

$9.13 MX$157

-49.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 MX$191

$13.85 MX$238

-19.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.90

$3.04 MX$52.3

-29.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 MX$20.42

$1.40 MX$24.09

-15.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 MX$29.03

$2.12 MX$36.41

-20.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 MX$9.49

$2.06 MX$35.33

-73.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.41

$2.23 MX$38.25

-2.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.10

$2.56 MX$43.99

-26.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.49

$1.53 MX$26.22

-29.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$13.36

$1.07 MX$18.45

-27.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.1

$4.13 MX$70.8

-1.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.88 MX$170

$14.34 MX$246

-31.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 MX$22.40

$1.79 MX$30.68

-26.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 MX$47.91

$3.18 MX$54.5

-12.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.38

$0.77 MX$13.16

-28.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.85 MX$701

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 MX$45.28

$1.73 MX$29.77

52.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 MX$42.83

$0.96 MX$16.44

160.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.66 MX$183

$10.72 MX$184

-0.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$21.96

$1.36 MX$23.36

-5.88%

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

$22.8K MX$390.8K

$26.5K MX$454.9K

-14.08%

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

$24.5K MX$420.4K

$25.9K MX$443.8K

-5.26%

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

$66.2 MX$1,137

$123 MX$2,113

-46.21%

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

$10.61 MX$182

$27.98 MX$480

-62.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.32 MX$400

$29.71 MX$510

-21.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.32 MX$538

$37.13 MX$637

-15.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.18 MX$278

$21.88 MX$376

-26.05%

Cinema Ticket

$5.20 MX$89.3

$5.71 MX$97.9

-8.93%

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

$364 MX$6,245

$348 MX$5,972

4.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,530 MX$60.6K

$8,997 MX$154.4K

-60.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.31 MX$658

$59.9 MX$1,028

-36.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.7 MX$1,007

$43.22 MX$742

35.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.1 MX$1,152

$109 MX$1,878

-38.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.4 MX$1,706

$130 MX$2,228

-23.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$590 MX$10.1K

$894 MX$15.3K

-34.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$431 MX$7,390

$656 MX$11.3K

-34.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,040 MX$17.9K

$1,578 MX$27.1K

-34.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$849 MX$14.6K

$1,422 MX$24.4K

-40.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,316 MX$74.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,873 MX$49.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,101 MX$18.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.25

11.55

-2.60%

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

Last update for Oaxaca de Juarez: June 7, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $590 in Oaxaca de Juarez and $894 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $27.00 in Oaxaca de Juarez vs $54.0 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $297 per month, with Oaxaca de Juarez 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

Oaxaca de Juarez vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Oaxaca de Juarez and Monterrey differ by about 51% in total monthly costs ($1,046 vs $1,574 including rent). Oaxaca de Juarez is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,568 in Oaxaca de Juarez and $2,361 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: $590 in Oaxaca de Juarez versus $894 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $364 in Oaxaca de Juarez versus $348 in Monterrey. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Oaxaca de Juarez – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $54.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,046 in Oaxaca de Juarez versus $1,574 in Monterrey, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Oaxaca de Juarez but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes Oaxaca de Juarez 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, Oaxaca de Juarez 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 Oaxaca de Juarez gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.