Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Escondido and Monterrey Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Escondido and Monterrey

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,242 in Puerto Escondido versus $1,790 in Monterrey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,977 in Puerto Escondido versus $2,785 in Monterrey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,711 in Puerto Escondido versus $3,780 in Monterrey.

Living in Puerto Escondido costs roughly 31% less than in Monterrey, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Puerto Escondido is 9% below, Monterrey is 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.36 MX$193

$14.74 MX$250

-22.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.76 MX$809

$52.2 MX$884

-8.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.17 MX$155

$11.81 MX$200

-22.35%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$62.8

$4.27 MX$72.4

-13.35%

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

$1.46 MX$24.74

$1.58 MX$26.80

-7.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 MX$19.24

$1.12 MX$18.90

1.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.31 MX$56.1

$3.02 MX$51.1

9.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$75.6

$4.70 MX$79.7

-5.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 MX$34.65

$2.06 MX$34.87

-0.97%

White Bread (500g)

$3.15 MX$53.4

$3.17 MX$53.7

-0.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.14

$2.05 MX$34.71

-16.10%

Eggs

$2.95 MX$49.91

$2.78 MX$47.17

6.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.90 MX$151

$12.93 MX$219

-31.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.82 MX$200

$10.08 MX$171

17.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.30 MX$208

$14.37 MX$243

-14.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.00 MX$50.8

$3.70 MX$62.8

-18.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$30.70

$1.66 MX$28.16

9.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$34.38

$2.37 MX$40.19

-14.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 MX$33.05

$2.55 MX$43.13

-23.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 MX$29.46

$2.48 MX$41.99

-29.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$36.72

$2.64 MX$44.75

-17.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 MX$26.48

$1.64 MX$27.78

-4.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.50

$1.33 MX$22.55

-13.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.78 MX$81.0

$4.95 MX$83.9

-3.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.90 MX$185

$14.66 MX$248

-25.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$43.77

$2.04 MX$34.50

26.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 MX$57.8

$3.14 MX$53.3

8.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 MX$15.34

$0.90 MX$15.32

1.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.40 MX$566

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.49 MX$42.25

$1.87 MX$31.64

33.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.33 MX$39.49

$1.16 MX$19.61

100.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.71 MX$181

$11.62 MX$197

-7.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.27

$1.60 MX$27.19

-10.63%

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

$22.1K MX$374.8K

$22.4K MX$379.0K

-1.09%

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

$29.1K MX$492.9K

$27.3K MX$462.8K

6.50%

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

$60.2 MX$1,020

$132 MX$2,241

-54.48%

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

$23.90 MX$405

$29.16 MX$494

-18.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.40 MX$668

$29.32 MX$497

34.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.03 MX$492

$35.76 MX$606

-18.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.88 MX$354

$23.05 MX$391

-9.41%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$83.6

$5.50 MX$93.2

-10.36%

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

$252 MX$4,278

$730 MX$12.4K

-65.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,537 MX$93.8K

$12.3K MX$207.8K

-54.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.9 MX$1,032

$77.8 MX$1,319

-21.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.11 MX$815

$48.40 MX$820

-0.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 MX$1,700

$122 MX$2,069

-17.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.3 MX$1,394

$151 MX$2,563

-45.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$652 MX$11.1K

$1,021 MX$17.3K

-36.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$431 MX$7,305

$716 MX$12.1K

-39.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,135 MX$19.2K

$1,954 MX$33.1K

-41.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$855 MX$14.5K

$1,359 MX$23.0K

-37.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,084 MX$35.3K

$4,350 MX$73.7K

-52.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,385 MX$23.5K

$2,868 MX$48.6K

-51.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$351 MX$5,955

$1,147 MX$19.4K

-69.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

11.47

-1.48%

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

Last update for Puerto Escondido: August 16, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $652 in Puerto Escondido and $1,021 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 226% 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: $48.00 in Puerto Escondido vs $52.0 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $308 vs $336 per month, with Puerto Escondido 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

Puerto Escondido vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Puerto Escondido and Monterrey differ by about 44% in total monthly costs ($1,242 vs $1,790 including rent). Puerto Escondido is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 226% lower in Monterrey. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $652 in Puerto Escondido versus $1,021 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $252 in Puerto Escondido 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 Puerto Escondido – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $52.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,242 in Puerto Escondido versus $1,790 in Monterrey, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Puerto Escondido but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes Puerto Escondido 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, Puerto Escondido 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 Puerto Escondido gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.