Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ponca City, OK and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,599 a month against $2,470 in Ponca City, OK, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ponca City, OK
🇺🇸 United States
$2,470
/mo nomad
Monterrey
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,599
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,470 in Ponca City, OK versus $1,599 in Monterrey.

  • Ponca City, OK $2,470
  • Monterrey $1,599

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,571 in Ponca City, OK versus $2,493 in Monterrey.

  • Ponca City, OK $3,571
  • Monterrey $2,493

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,672 in Ponca City, OK versus $3,387 in Monterrey.

  • Ponca City, OK $4,672
  • Monterrey $3,387

Living in Ponca City, OK is roughly 54% more expensive than in Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ponca City, OK 82% above, Monterrey 18% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ponca City, OK
Monterrey
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.27 $16.27
$13.80 MX$255
17.90%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$56.0 $56.0
$47.99 MX$887
16.75%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.38 $9.38
$10.65 MX$197
-11.92%
Cappuccino
$5.54 $5.54
$3.99 MX$73.7
38.85%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.15 $2.15
$1.66 MX$30.76
29.52%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.62 $1.62
$0.99 MX$18.21
63.64%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.91 $5.91
$2.36 MX$43.64
150.42%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.89 $6.89
$4.43 MX$81.8
55.53%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ponca City, OK
Monterrey
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.97 $0.97
$1.82 MX$33.58
-46.70%
White Bread (500g)
$3.99 $3.99
$2.83 MX$52.4
40.99%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$6.02 $6.02
$1.92 MX$35.44
213.54%
Eggs
$5.27 $5.27
$2.48 MX$45.78
112.50%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.03 $8.03
$11.74 MX$217
-31.60%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.36 $8.36
$9.10 MX$168
-8.13%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.28 $13.28
$12.53 MX$232
5.99%
Apples (1kg)
$4.63 $4.63
$3.34 MX$61.6
38.62%
Banana (1kg)
$1.47 $1.47
$1.57 MX$29.10
-6.37%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.75 $2.75
$2.16 MX$39.86
27.31%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.80 $4.80
$2.47 MX$45.65
94.33%
Potato (1kg)
$1.98 $1.98
$2.31 MX$42.64
-14.29%
Onion (1kg)
$2.49 $2.49
$2.68 MX$49.47
-7.09%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.52 $1.52
$1.46 MX$26.90
4.11%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.96 $1.96
$1.19 MX$22.07
64.71%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.11 $9.11
$4.75 MX$87.8
91.79%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.89 $18.89
$13.58 MX$251
39.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.64 $2.64
$1.92 MX$35.52
37.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.42 $4.42
$2.88 MX$53.2
53.47%
🚌 Getting Around
Ponca City, OK
Monterrey
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.23 $2.23
$0.79 MX$14.66
182.28%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$31.36 MX$579
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.91 $4.91
$1.59 MX$29.44
208.81%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.92 $1.92
$1.06 MX$19.58
81.13%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$26.25 $26.25
$10.80 MX$200
143.06%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.82 $0.82
$1.55 MX$28.59
-47.10%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.5K $27.5K
$24.2K MX$446.4K
13.66%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K $26.7K
$24.3K MX$449.4K
9.85%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ponca City, OK
Monterrey
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$178 $178
$117 MX$2,159
52.74%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$55.8 $55.8
$26.38 MX$488
111.60%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$59.9 $59.9
$26.04 MX$481
129.88%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ponca City, OK
Monterrey
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.97 $46.97
$30.26 MX$559
55.22%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$21.25 MX$393
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.10 $10.10
$5.23 MX$96.6
93.12%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ponca City, OK
Monterrey
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,092 $1,092
$673 MX$12.4K
62.40%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.5K $21.5K
$11.1K MX$205.2K
93.52%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ponca City, OK
Monterrey
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.9 $59.9
$72.1 MX$1,332
-16.93%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.19 $49.19
$42.38 MX$783
16.07%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$111 $111
$112 MX$2,066
-0.98%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122 $122
$119 MX$2,200
2.54%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ponca City, OK
Monterrey
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$534 $534
$949 MX$17.5K
-43.77%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,281 $1,281
$666 MX$12.3K
92.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$822 $822
$1,821 MX$33.7K
-54.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,120 $2,120
$1,271 MX$23.5K
66.77%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,963 $2,963
$4,050 MX$74.8K
-26.85%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,413 $2,413
$2,348 MX$43.4K
2.79%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ponca City, OK
Monterrey
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,422 $2,422
$1,155 MX$21.3K
109.67%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.77
11.79
-42.58%

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

Last update for Ponca City, OK: 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
Ponca City, OK
$1.3K
Monterrey
$666 48% $614
Groceries & Markets
Ponca City, OK
$368
Monterrey
$304 17.2% $63
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ponca City, OK
$294
Monterrey
$169 42.5% $125
Eating Out
Ponca City, OK
$283
Monterrey
$221 21.8% $62
Clothing & Footwear
Ponca City, OK
$154
Monterrey
$155 1% $1.6
Sport & Entertainment
Ponca City, OK
$67
Monterrey
$41 39.4% $26
Getting Around
Ponca City, OK
$23 *
Monterrey
$41 76.7% $18

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $534 in Ponca City, OK and $949 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ponca City, OK pays 110% 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: $56.0 in Ponca City, OK vs $48.00 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $368 vs $304 per month, with Monterrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Ponca City, OK
🇲🇽 Monterrey
🕒 Local time
06:40 6:40 AM
05:40 5:40 AM
1 h behind Ponca City, OK
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
25,387
1,142,994
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ponca City, OK Monterrey 1,260 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ponca City, OK
  • 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
Ponca City, OK vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Ponca City, OK and in Monterrey?
Ponca City, OK and Monterrey differ by about 54% in total monthly costs ($2,470 vs $1,599 including rent). Monterrey is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Ponca City, OK or Monterrey?
Average pay runs 110% higher in Ponca City, OK, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Ponca City, OK and in Monterrey?
Rent for a central apartment: $534 in Ponca City, OK versus $949 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Ponca City, OK and Monterrey?
Childcare runs $1,092 in Ponca City, OK versus $673 in Monterrey. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Monterrey – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $56.0 in Ponca City, OK. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,599 in Monterrey versus $2,470 in Ponca City, OK, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Monterrey but tight or insufficient in Ponca City, OK. The gap between the two cities makes Monterrey the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Ponca City, OK 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: Ponca City, OK or Monterrey?
Expats usually find Monterrey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Ponca City, OK. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Ponca City, OK vs other spots: cost of living compared

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