Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Palma Soriano and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Palma Soriano: $1,549 a month against $1,641 in Monterrey, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. The total is higher in Monterrey despite lower rent and utilities.

Palma Soriano, Cuba
Monterrey, Mexico
Palma Soriano
🇨🇺 Cuba
$1,549
/mo nomad
Monterrey
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,641
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,549 in Palma Soriano versus $1,641 in Monterrey.

  • Palma Soriano $1,549
  • Monterrey $1,641

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,861 in Palma Soriano versus $2,573 in Monterrey.

  • Palma Soriano $1,861
  • Monterrey $2,573

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,174 in Palma Soriano versus $3,504 in Monterrey.

  • Palma Soriano $2,174
  • Monterrey $3,504

Living in Palma Soriano costs roughly 6% less than in Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Palma Soriano 15% above, Monterrey 21% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Palma Soriano
Monterrey
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.07 CUP 122
$13.37 MX$250
-62.08%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.87 CUP 597
$47.95 MX$897
-48.13%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.13 CUP 123
$10.79 MX$202
-52.46%
Cappuccino
$3.13 CUP 75.2
$3.77 MX$70.4
-16.98%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28 CUP 30.63
$1.51 MX$28.26
-15.23%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.93 CUP 22.24
$1.03 MX$19.25
-9.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.95 CUP 70.9
$2.48 MX$46.41
18.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.51 CUP 60.2
$4.36 MX$81.5
-42.43%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Palma Soriano
Monterrey
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.96 CUP 47.02
$1.89 MX$35.43
3.70%
White Bread (500g)
$1.41 CUP 33.93
$2.85 MX$53.3
-50.53%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.99 CUP 23.72
$1.86 MX$34.71
-46.77%
Eggs
$1.16 CUP 27.95
$2.47 MX$46.12
-53.04%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.15 CUP 148
$11.81 MX$221
-47.93%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.07 CUP 146
$8.97 MX$168
-32.33%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.15 CUP 268
$12.57 MX$235
-11.30%
Apples (1kg)
$1.82 CUP 43.78
$3.20 MX$59.8
-43.13%
Banana (1kg)
$1.22 CUP 29.38
$1.50 MX$28.12
-18.67%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.48 CUP 35.50
$2.12 MX$39.74
-30.19%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.48 CUP 35.52
$2.33 MX$43.64
-36.48%
Potato (1kg)
$1.02 CUP 24.58
$2.22 MX$41.58
-54.05%
Onion (1kg)
$1.01 CUP 24.29
$2.58 MX$48.34
-60.85%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.98 CUP 23.42
$1.45 MX$27.04
-32.41%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.07 CUP 25.78
$1.22 MX$22.85
-12.30%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.97 CUP 71.3
$4.80 MX$89.7
-38.12%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.06 CUP 241
$13.30 MX$249
-24.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.98 CUP 71.6
$1.93 MX$36.14
54.40%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.98 CUP 47.58
$2.86 MX$53.4
-30.77%
🚌 Getting Around
Palma Soriano
Monterrey
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.24 CUP 5.74
$0.80 MX$14.94
-70.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.59 CUP 710
$30.94 MX$579
-4.36%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.77 CUP 42.38
$1.83 MX$34.28
-3.28%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.34 CUP 8.05
$1.06 MX$19.78
-67.92%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$12.99 CUP 312
$10.82 MX$202
20.06%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.12 CUP 26.79
$1.47 MX$27.54
-23.81%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$67.2K CUP 1.6M
$24.1K MX$450.4K
178.93%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$46.8K CUP 1.1M
$23.5K MX$440.2K
98.91%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Palma Soriano
Monterrey
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$54.3 CUP 1,303
$115 MX$2,144
-52.61%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.99 CUP 240
$26.37 MX$493
-62.12%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$147 CUP 3,538
$25.70 MX$481
473.66%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Palma Soriano
Monterrey
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$39.52 CUP 948
$30.53 MX$571
29.45%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.06 CUP 242
$21.27 MX$398
-52.70%
Cinema Ticket
$0.99 CUP 23.73
$4.96 MX$92.8
-80.04%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Palma Soriano
Monterrey
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$101 CUP 2,432
$679 MX$12.7K
-85.07%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.8K CUP 284.0K
$14.2K MX$265.3K
-16.57%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Palma Soriano
Monterrey
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$64.0 CUP 1,536
$72.2 MX$1,350
-11.36%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.66 CUP 856
$41.94 MX$784
-14.97%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$85.4 CUP 2,049
$107 MX$2,011
-20.56%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$108 CUP 2,598
$119 MX$2,219
-8.77%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Palma Soriano
Monterrey
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$868 CUP 20.8K
$1,018 MX$19.0K
-14.68%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$792 CUP 19.0K
$722 MX$13.5K
9.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$759 CUP 18.2K
$1,966 MX$36.8K
-61.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$652 CUP 15.6K
$1,416 MX$26.5K
-53.96%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$321 CUP 7,705
$4,203 MX$78.6K
-92.36%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$330 CUP 7,924
$2,782 MX$52.0K
-88.13%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Palma Soriano
Monterrey
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$40.78 CUP 979
$1,096 MX$20.5K
-96.28%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.33
11.79
-29.35%

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

Last update for Palma Soriano: November 3, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Palma Soriano
$792
Monterrey
$722 8.9% $71
Groceries & Markets
Palma Soriano
$215
Monterrey
$302 40.4% $87
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Palma Soriano
$212
Monterrey
$167 21.3% $45
Clothing & Footwear
Palma Soriano
$132
Monterrey
$153 16% $21
Eating Out
Palma Soriano
$122
Monterrey
$216 76.7% $94
Sport & Entertainment
Palma Soriano
$41
Monterrey
$40 2.5% $1
Getting Around
Palma Soriano
$34
Monterrey
$41 21.4% $7.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $868 in Palma Soriano and $1,018 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays about 27 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $25 in Palma Soriano vs $48 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $215 vs $302 per month, with Palma Soriano cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇺 Palma Soriano
🇲🇽 Monterrey
🕒 Local time
17:28 5:28 PM
16:28 4:28 PM
1 h behind Palma Soriano
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,930
1,142,994
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to CUP – Cuban Peso Converter

Cuban Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 24 CUP (100 CUP = 4.17 USD). 1 EUR = 26.82 CUP (100 CUP = 3.73 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.7 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 20.9 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Palma Soriano Monterrey 2,560 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Palma Soriano
  • Monterrey

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Palma Soriano vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Palma Soriano and in Monterrey?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,549 in Palma Soriano and $1,641 in Monterrey, so Palma Soriano is about 6% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 96% lower in Palma Soriano. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Palma Soriano and in Monterrey?
Rent for a central apartment: $868 in Palma Soriano versus $1,018 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Palma Soriano – a meal for two runs $25 versus $48 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Palma Soriano or Monterrey?
All in, you’ll spend $1,549 per month in Palma Soriano versus $1,641 in Monterrey – Palma Soriano is about 6% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Which city is feasible on a $1,000 budget?
Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Palma Soriano is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
How does quality of life compare between Palma Soriano and Monterrey?
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.
Where should expats move: Palma Soriano or Monterrey?
Expats usually find Palma Soriano gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Palma Soriano vs other spots: cost of living compared

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