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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,557 in Puerto Vallarta versus $1,601 in Monterrey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,373 in Puerto Vallarta versus $2,585 in Monterrey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,190 in Puerto Vallarta versus $3,568 in Monterrey.

Living in Puerto Vallarta costs roughly 3% less than in Monterrey, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Puerto Vallarta 16% above, Monterrey 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.45 MX$181

$13.01 MX$225

-19.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.75 MX$826

$53.8 MX$930

-11.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.62 MX$166

$10.21 MX$177

-5.78%

Cappuccino

$3.49 MX$60.4

$3.68 MX$63.7

-5.16%

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

$1.79 MX$30.99

$1.46 MX$25.30

22.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 MX$21.73

$1.00 MX$17.28

26.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 MX$45.40

$2.70 MX$46.62

-2.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 MX$76.6

$4.27 MX$73.9

3.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 MX$28.42

$1.67 MX$28.81

-1.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.56 MX$61.7

$2.68 MX$46.35

32.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.44 MX$42.19

$1.93 MX$33.35

26.42%

Eggs

$2.07 MX$35.75

$2.63 MX$45.49

-21.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.18 MX$193

$10.34 MX$179

8.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.37 MX$179

$9.22 MX$159

12.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.64 MX$288

$13.84 MX$239

20.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.42 MX$41.93

$3.15 MX$54.5

-23.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$24.87

$1.39 MX$24.01

3.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 MX$27.67

$2.00 MX$34.59

-20.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 MX$38.88

$2.14 MX$37.03

5.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$2.27 MX$39.19

-3.52%

Onion (1kg)

$3.08 MX$53.2

$2.54 MX$44.00

21.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 MX$25.75

$1.57 MX$27.09

-5.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.12

$1.07 MX$18.49

8.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.1

$4.25 MX$73.5

-0.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.63 MX$218

$14.36 MX$248

-12.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$34.25

$1.78 MX$30.81

11.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 MX$58.2

$3.14 MX$54.4

7.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$8.92

$0.80 MX$13.87

-35.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.16 MX$280

$40.54 MX$701

-60.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 MX$51.7

$1.68 MX$29.06

77.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.61 MX$45.15

$0.94 MX$16.28

177.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.11 MX$71.1

$10.76 MX$186

-61.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.74

$1.37 MX$23.68

-8.03%

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

$15.0K MX$258.8K

$26.7K MX$462.6K

-44.05%

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

$22.3K MX$385.7K

$25.6K MX$442.5K

-12.83%

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

$95.8 MX$1,657

$122 MX$2,104

-21.26%

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

$23.74 MX$411

$27.19 MX$470

-12.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.98 MX$536

$29.82 MX$516

3.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.32 MX$611

$38.49 MX$666

-8.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.43 MX$232

$21.46 MX$371

-37.42%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 MX$141

$5.92 MX$102

37.50%

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

$360 MX$6,225

$346 MX$5,979

4.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,276 MX$108.6K

$8,997 MX$155.6K

-30.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 MX$931

$58.4 MX$1,010

-7.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.85 MX$568

$42.55 MX$736

-22.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 MX$1,724

$109 MX$1,892

-8.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 MX$1,578

$129 MX$2,231

-29.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 MX$17.2K

$913 MX$15.8K

8.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$670 MX$11.6K

$647 MX$11.2K

3.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,987 MX$34.4K

$1,565 MX$27.1K

27.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,249 MX$21.6K

$1,401 MX$24.2K

-10.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,323 MX$92.1K

$4,371 MX$75.6K

21.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,609 MX$45.1K

$2,839 MX$49.1K

-8.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,032 MX$17.9K

$1,104 MX$19.1K

-6.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.5

11.55

-0.43%

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

Last update for Puerto Vallarta: June 2, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $994 in Puerto Vallarta and $913 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 7% 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 Vallarta vs $54.0 in Monterrey. Groceries flip the comparison at $318 vs $298, with Monterrey cheaper for home cooking.

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 Vallarta vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Puerto Vallarta and Monterrey differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($1,557 vs $1,601 including rent). Puerto Vallarta is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Monterrey earns 7% less. 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: $994 in Puerto Vallarta versus $913 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Puerto Vallarta – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $54.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,557 per month in Puerto Vallarta versus $1,601 in Monterrey – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,557 in Puerto Vallarta versus $1,601 in Monterrey, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Puerto Vallarta but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes Puerto Vallarta 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 Vallarta 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 Vallarta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.