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: $1,026 in Oaxaca de Juarez versus $1,595 in Monterrey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,637 in Oaxaca de Juarez versus $2,536 in Monterrey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,247 in Oaxaca de Juarez versus $3,477 in Monterrey.

Living in Oaxaca de Juarez costs roughly 36% less than in Monterrey, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Oaxaca de Juarez is 23% below, Monterrey is 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 MX$104

$13.02 MX$227

-53.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.09 MX$454

$53.6 MX$932

-51.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.08 MX$141

$10.17 MX$177

-20.55%

Cappuccino

$2.69 MX$46.82

$3.75 MX$65.2

-28.27%

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

$1.22 MX$21.25

$1.44 MX$25.09

-15.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 MX$11.90

$1.04 MX$18.06

-34.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 MX$38.08

$2.58 MX$44.86

-15.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 MX$59.7

$4.11 MX$71.5

-16.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.47

$1.67 MX$29.14

-19.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 MX$46.06

$2.63 MX$45.81

0.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.08 MX$18.78

$1.93 MX$33.62

-44.04%

Eggs

$1.62 MX$28.12

$2.60 MX$45.25

-37.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.48 MX$113

$10.47 MX$182

-38.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.83 MX$84.0

$9.07 MX$158

-46.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.05 MX$192

$13.42 MX$234

-17.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.38

$3.16 MX$54.9

-31.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 MX$20.37

$1.40 MX$24.44

-16.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.86

$2.09 MX$36.39

-17.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.51 MX$8.92

$2.09 MX$36.35

-75.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.88

$2.32 MX$40.40

-8.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.64

$2.53 MX$44.09

-25.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 MX$18.21

$1.55 MX$27.00

-32.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 MX$12.61

$1.11 MX$19.39

-35.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.00 MX$69.6

$4.25 MX$74.0

-5.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.22 MX$178

$11.83 MX$206

-13.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 MX$22.90

$1.80 MX$31.28

-26.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 MX$47.32

$3.12 MX$54.2

-12.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.75 MX$13.09

-32.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.49 MX$687

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 MX$46.00

$1.76 MX$30.61

50.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.87

$0.99 MX$17.25

143.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.71 MX$186

$10.60 MX$185

1.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 MX$22.44

$1.31 MX$22.75

-1.53%

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

$22.3K MX$388.0K

$26.6K MX$463.1K

-16.20%

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

$24.3K MX$423.5K

$25.7K MX$447.7K

-5.41%

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

$68.0 MX$1,183

$124 MX$2,151

-44.99%

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

$10.47 MX$182

$27.80 MX$484

-62.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.63 MX$411

$29.57 MX$514

-20.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.31 MX$562

$38.39 MX$668

-15.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.64 MX$272

$21.87 MX$380

-28.49%

Cinema Ticket

$5.26 MX$91.5

$5.95 MX$103

-11.60%

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

$363 MX$6,315

$337 MX$5,863

7.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,647 MX$63.5K

$8,908 MX$155.0K

-59.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.42 MX$686

$58.3 MX$1,014

-32.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.5 MX$1,035

$41.99 MX$731

41.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.2 MX$1,170

$108 MX$1,886

-37.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 MX$1,721

$126 MX$2,195

-21.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$591 MX$10.3K

$911 MX$15.8K

-35.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$416 MX$7,233

$660 MX$11.5K

-36.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 MX$18.4K

$1,570 MX$27.3K

-32.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$854 MX$14.9K

$1,426 MX$24.8K

-40.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,178 MX$72.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,845 MX$49.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,113 MX$19.4K

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $591 in Oaxaca de Juarez and $911 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $26.00 in Oaxaca de Juarez vs $54.0 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $292 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 55% in total monthly costs ($1,026 vs $1,595 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 $1,539 in Oaxaca de Juarez and $2,392 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: $591 in Oaxaca de Juarez versus $911 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $363 in Oaxaca de Juarez versus $337 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 $26.00 versus $54.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,026 in Oaxaca de Juarez versus $1,595 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 55% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.