Cost of Living Comparison Between Piedras Negras and Monterrey Cost of Living Comparison Between Piedras Negras and Monterrey

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,214 in Piedras Negras versus $1,692 in Monterrey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,938 in Piedras Negras versus $2,638 in Monterrey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,662 in Piedras Negras versus $3,583 in Monterrey.

Living in Piedras Negras costs roughly 28% less than in Monterrey, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Piedras Negras is 11% below, Monterrey is 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.89 MX$204

$14.54 MX$250

-18.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.61 MX$800

$52.7 MX$904

-11.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.82 MX$151

$11.44 MX$196

-22.90%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$65.4

$4.29 MX$73.7

-11.19%

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

$1.50 MX$25.72

$1.72 MX$29.48

-12.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.34

$1.11 MX$19.00

-3.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.88 MX$49.36

$2.95 MX$50.7

-2.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 MX$74.3

$4.78 MX$82.1

-9.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 MX$30.38

$2.04 MX$35.10

-13.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 MX$49.21

$3.09 MX$53.0

-7.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 MX$29.94

$1.96 MX$33.72

-11.22%

Eggs

$2.60 MX$44.64

$2.65 MX$45.42

-1.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.74 MX$150

$12.69 MX$218

-31.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 MX$151

$9.80 MX$168

-9.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.31 MX$211

$13.53 MX$232

-9.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$50.9

$3.45 MX$59.3

-13.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 MX$28.72

$1.64 MX$28.14

1.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.80

$2.23 MX$38.35

-6.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$2.56 MX$43.87

-25.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$36.68

$2.40 MX$41.19

-10.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 MX$33.48

$2.88 MX$49.38

-32.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.59 MX$27.37

-5.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$20.51

$1.34 MX$22.96

-11.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.72 MX$81.0

$5.18 MX$88.9

-8.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.41 MX$196

$14.68 MX$252

-22.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 MX$34.12

$2.03 MX$34.91

-1.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 MX$58.7

$3.17 MX$54.4

7.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 MX$12.25

$0.92 MX$15.80

-22.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.50 MX$575

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.83 MX$48.64

$1.92 MX$33.04

47.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 MX$34.39

$1.19 MX$20.38

68.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.84 MX$203

$11.75 MX$202

0.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.53

$1.58 MX$27.05

-9.49%

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

$22.4K MX$384.3K

$22.2K MX$381.5K

0.73%

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

$25.8K MX$443.1K

$26.2K MX$449.6K

-1.45%

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

$69.6 MX$1,194

$124 MX$2,120

-43.66%

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

$24.19 MX$415

$28.25 MX$485

-14.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.11 MX$534

$27.93 MX$479

11.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.02 MX$635

$32.96 MX$566

12.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.73 MX$373

$23.09 MX$396

-5.89%

Cinema Ticket

$5.58 MX$95.7

$5.52 MX$94.8

1.09%

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

$244 MX$4,191

$730 MX$12.5K

-66.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,309 MX$74.0K

$11.8K MX$202.8K

-63.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 MX$995

$80.3 MX$1,379

-27.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.60 MX$766

$45.45 MX$780

-1.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$1,866

$119 MX$2,051

-9.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.8 MX$1,558

$130 MX$2,237

-30.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$652 MX$11.2K

$1,047 MX$18.0K

-37.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$420 MX$7,205

$728 MX$12.5K

-42.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,130 MX$19.4K

$1,975 MX$33.9K

-42.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$821 MX$14.1K

$1,385 MX$23.8K

-40.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,989 MX$34.1K

$4,432 MX$76.1K

-55.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,237 MX$21.2K

$2,622 MX$45.0K

-52.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,751 MX$30.1K

$1,168 MX$20.1K

49.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

11.56

-2.25%

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

Last update for Piedras Negras: September 13, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $652 in Piedras Negras and $1,047 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Piedras Negras pays 50% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Piedras Negras vs $53.0 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $284 vs $328 per month, with Piedras Negras 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

Piedras Negras vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Piedras Negras and Monterrey differ by about 39% in total monthly costs ($1,214 vs $1,692 including rent). Piedras Negras is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 50% higher in Piedras Negras, 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: $652 in Piedras Negras versus $1,047 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $244 in Piedras Negras versus $730 in Monterrey. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Piedras Negras – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $53.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,214 in Piedras Negras versus $1,692 in Monterrey, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Piedras Negras but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes Piedras Negras 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 Piedras Negras gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.