Cost of Living Comparison Between Queretaro and Monterrey Cost of Living Comparison Between Queretaro and Monterrey

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Queretaro versus $1,618 in Monterrey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,993 in Queretaro versus $2,585 in Monterrey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,692 in Queretaro versus $3,552 in Monterrey.

Living in Queretaro costs roughly 20% less than in Monterrey, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Queretaro is 3% below, Monterrey is 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.43 MX$165

$13.41 MX$234

-29.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.49 MX$795

$52.7 MX$921

-13.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.73 MX$135

$10.11 MX$177

-23.54%

Cappuccino

$3.53 MX$61.7

$3.73 MX$65.2

-5.36%

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

$1.31 MX$22.95

$1.44 MX$25.23

-9.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.96 MX$16.78

$1.00 MX$17.55

-4.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 MX$41.91

$2.67 MX$46.66

-10.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 MX$74.8

$4.20 MX$73.4

1.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$28.09

$1.66 MX$29.10

-3.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 MX$45.55

$2.72 MX$47.48

-4.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.76

$1.95 MX$34.07

-1.03%

Eggs

$2.32 MX$40.64

$2.66 MX$46.56

-12.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 MX$148

$10.21 MX$179

-17.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.42 MX$165

$8.91 MX$156

5.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.11 MX$229

$13.78 MX$241

-4.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 MX$62.6

$3.04 MX$53.1

17.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.48

$1.40 MX$24.53

4.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$33.28

$2.02 MX$35.23

-5.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.88

$2.07 MX$36.25

-17.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 MX$30.23

$2.32 MX$40.53

-25.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.84 MX$32.11

$2.55 MX$44.64

-27.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 MX$22.77

$1.51 MX$26.40

-13.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 MX$19.94

$1.08 MX$18.87

5.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.4

$4.25 MX$74.2

-1.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.06 MX$298

$14.28 MX$250

19.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 MX$33.93

$1.79 MX$31.22

8.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 MX$57.0

$3.18 MX$55.5

2.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.67

$0.77 MX$13.50

-28.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.65 MX$414

$40.89 MX$715

-42.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.9

$1.76 MX$30.71

85.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 MX$21.60

$0.99 MX$17.34

25.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.30 MX$163

$10.39 MX$182

-10.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.98

$1.34 MX$23.47

-5.97%

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

$19.7K MX$344.8K

$26.6K MX$465.9K

-25.98%

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

$20.5K MX$358.8K

$25.6K MX$446.9K

-19.72%

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

$62.5 MX$1,093

$121 MX$2,122

-48.50%

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

$23.75 MX$415

$27.40 MX$479

-13.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.25 MX$494

$29.75 MX$520

-5.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.1 MX$875

$37.46 MX$655

33.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.33 MX$460

$21.78 MX$381

20.89%

Cinema Ticket

$6.12 MX$107

$5.75 MX$100

6.43%

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

$314 MX$5,483

$348 MX$6,079

-9.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,841 MX$84.7K

$8,983 MX$157.1K

-46.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.8 MX$889

$59.1 MX$1,034

-14.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.93 MX$733

$41.88 MX$732

0.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.4 MX$1,720

$107 MX$1,874

-8.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.4 MX$1,720

$128 MX$2,242

-23.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$654 MX$11.4K

$889 MX$15.5K

-26.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 MX$8,578

$646 MX$11.3K

-24.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,200 MX$21.0K

$1,577 MX$27.6K

-23.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$810 MX$14.2K

$1,378 MX$24.1K

-41.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,327 MX$40.7K

$4,238 MX$74.1K

-45.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,318 MX$23.0K

$2,757 MX$48.2K

-52.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$914 MX$16.0K

$1,133 MX$19.8K

-19.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

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

Last update for Queretaro: July 14, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $654 in Queretaro and $889 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 24% 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: $45.00 in Queretaro vs $53.0 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $296 per month, with Queretaro 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

Queretaro vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Queretaro and Monterrey differ by about 25% in total monthly costs ($1,294 vs $1,618 including rent). Queretaro is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 24% 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: $654 in Queretaro versus $889 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Queretaro – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $53.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,294 per month in Queretaro versus $1,618 in Monterrey – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,294 in Queretaro versus $1,618 in Monterrey, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Queretaro but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes Queretaro 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, Queretaro 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 Queretaro gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.