Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Plano, TX and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,599 a month against $2,597 in Plano, TX, rent and utilities included – about $12,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Plano, TX
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Plano, TX Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index

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Plano, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,597

/mo nomad

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,599

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,597 in Plano, TX versus $1,599 in Monterrey.

Plano, TX $2,597
Monterrey $1,599

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,016 in Plano, TX versus $2,493 in Monterrey.

Plano, TX $4,016
Monterrey $2,493

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,435 in Plano, TX versus $3,387 in Monterrey.

Plano, TX $5,435
Monterrey $3,387

Living in Plano, TX is roughly 62% more expensive than in Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Plano, TX 92% above, Monterrey 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.95 $19.95

$13.80 MX$255

44.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.1 $77.1

$47.99 MX$887

60.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 $10.19

$10.65 MX$197

-4.32%

Cappuccino

$5.51 $5.51

$3.99 MX$73.7

38.10%

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

$2.66 $2.66

$1.66 MX$30.76

60.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.99 MX$18.21

137.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.80 $6.80

$2.36 MX$43.64

188.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.65 $7.65

$4.43 MX$81.8

72.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.82 MX$33.58

-47.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 $3.22

$2.83 MX$52.4

13.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$1.92 MX$35.44

151.56%

Eggs

$4.81 $4.81

$2.48 MX$45.78

93.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.31 $13.31

$11.74 MX$217

13.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.29 $11.29

$9.10 MX$168

24.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 $18.73

$12.53 MX$232

49.48%

Apples (1kg)

$4.58 $4.58

$3.34 MX$61.6

37.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.57 MX$29.10

-1.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.16 MX$39.86

29.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.47 MX$45.65

22.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 $2.32

$2.31 MX$42.64

0.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.68 MX$49.47

-6.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 $1.92

$1.46 MX$26.90

31.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.83 $2.83

$1.19 MX$22.07

137.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.21 $10.21

$4.75 MX$87.8

114.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.91 $15.91

$13.58 MX$251

17.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.92 MX$35.52

-10.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 $3.22

$2.88 MX$53.2

11.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.61 $4.61

$0.79 MX$14.66

483.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$31.36 MX$579

239.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.59 MX$29.44

83.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.06 MX$19.58

63.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.92 $14.92

$10.80 MX$200

38.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.55 MX$28.59

-40.65%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$24.2K MX$446.4K

12.29%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$24.3K MX$449.4K

6.35%

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

$194 $194

$117 MX$2,159

65.83%

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

$47.18 $47.18

$26.38 MX$488

78.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.7 $54.7

$26.04 MX$481

109.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.8 $91.8

$30.26 MX$559

203.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.93 $3.93

$21.25 MX$393

-81.51%

Cinema Ticket

$15.01 $15.01

$5.23 MX$96.6

187.00%

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

$1,312 $1,312

$673 MX$12.4K

95.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.3K $24.3K

$11.1K MX$205.2K

118.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 $58.5

$72.1 MX$1,332

-18.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.94 $37.94

$42.38 MX$783

-10.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.2 $87.2

$112 MX$2,066

-21.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.3 $68.3

$119 MX$2,200

-42.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,550 $1,550

$949 MX$17.5K

63.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,212 $1,212

$666 MX$12.3K

81.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,748 $2,748

$1,821 MX$33.7K

50.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,374 $2,374

$1,271 MX$23.5K

86.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,365 $2,365

$4,050 MX$74.8K

-41.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,423 $2,423

$2,348 MX$43.4K

3.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,756 $5,756

$1,155 MX$21.3K

398.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

11.79

-44.78%

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

Last update for Plano, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Plano, TX

$1.2K 46.7%

Monterrey

$666 41.7% 45% $546

Groceries & Markets

Plano, TX

$392 15.1%

Monterrey

$304 19% 22.3% $87

Eating Out

Plano, TX

$326 12.5%

Monterrey

$221 13.9% 32% $104

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Plano, TX

$296 11.4%

Monterrey

$169 10.6% 42.7% $126

Getting Around

Plano, TX

$136 5.3%

Monterrey

$41 2.6% 69.6% $95

Sport & Entertainment

Plano, TX

$122 4.7%

Monterrey

$41 2.6% 66.6% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Plano, TX

$113 4.4%

Monterrey

$155 9.7% 37.1% $42

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,550 in Plano, TX and $949 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Plano, TX pays 398% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $77.0 in Plano, TX vs $48.00 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $392 vs $304 per month, with Monterrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Plano, TX

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🕒 Local time

17:38 5:38 PM

16:38 4:38 PM

1 h behind Plano, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

288,253

1,142,994

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 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 October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Plano, TX Monterrey 890 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Plano, TX
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

Plano, TX vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Plano, TX and Monterrey differ by about 62% in total monthly costs ($2,597 vs $1,599 including rent). Monterrey is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 398% higher in Plano, TX, 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: $1,550 in Plano, TX versus $949 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 $48.00 versus $77.0 in Plano, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,597 per month in Plano, TX versus $1,599 in Monterrey – a 62% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,599 in Monterrey versus $2,597 in Plano, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Monterrey but tight or insufficient in Plano, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Monterrey 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 Monterrey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Plano, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.