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: $1,534 in Queretaro versus $1,728 in Monterrey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,362 in Queretaro versus $2,711 in Monterrey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,190 in Queretaro versus $3,694 in Monterrey.

Living in Queretaro costs roughly 11% less than in Monterrey, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Queretaro 11% above, Monterrey 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.01 MX$204

$14.63 MX$248

-17.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.4 MX$1,109

$53.1 MX$901

23.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 MX$161

$12.02 MX$204

-20.97%

Cappuccino

$3.97 MX$67.4

$4.18 MX$71.0

-5.02%

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

$1.84 MX$31.21

$1.70 MX$28.82

8.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$18.82

$1.12 MX$18.95

-0.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.94 MX$66.8

$2.92 MX$49.53

34.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.82 MX$98.8

$4.71 MX$79.9

23.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 MX$32.40

$1.97 MX$33.50

-3.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.84 MX$48.23

$3.16 MX$53.6

-10.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.92

$2.00 MX$34.00

6.00%

Eggs

$2.97 MX$50.4

$2.68 MX$45.44

10.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.68 MX$164

$13.14 MX$223

-26.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.54 MX$162

$9.98 MX$169

-4.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.54 MX$247

$13.79 MX$234

5.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.74 MX$63.4

$3.60 MX$61.1

3.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 MX$28.90

$1.65 MX$28.07

3.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 MX$39.26

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.02

$2.58 MX$43.71

-20.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.32

$2.50 MX$42.39

-16.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 MX$32.81

$2.95 MX$50.0

-34.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 MX$26.87

$1.62 MX$27.53

-2.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 MX$22.70

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.99 MX$84.7

$5.34 MX$90.7

-6.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.93 MX$321

$14.83 MX$252

27.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 MX$40.61

$2.02 MX$34.28

18.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.64 MX$78.6

$3.23 MX$54.8

43.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 MX$10.54

$0.87 MX$14.78

-28.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.65 MX$469

$33.53 MX$569

-17.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.59 MX$60.9

$1.88 MX$31.82

90.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.88 MX$48.90

$1.15 MX$19.52

150.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.68 MX$198

$11.99 MX$203

-2.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$27.50

$1.68 MX$28.58

-3.57%

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

$22.5K MX$382.2K

$22.7K MX$385.0K

-0.73%

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

$26.0K MX$441.7K

$27.3K MX$462.8K

-4.56%

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

$64.6 MX$1,096

$124 MX$2,109

-48.04%

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

$29.40 MX$499

$28.42 MX$482

3.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.07 MX$459

$28.37 MX$481

-4.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,044

$33.01 MX$560

86.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.66 MX$452

$23.10 MX$392

15.41%

Cinema Ticket

$8.17 MX$139

$5.51 MX$93.5

48.28%

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

$282 MX$4,785

$738 MX$12.5K

-61.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,531 MX$93.8K

$12.4K MX$211.1K

-55.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.9 MX$949

$80.9 MX$1,373

-30.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.80 MX$828

$45.74 MX$776

6.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$1,853

$121 MX$2,046

-9.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,831

$135 MX$2,295

-20.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$911 MX$15.4K

$1,045 MX$17.7K

-12.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$614 MX$10.4K

$728 MX$12.3K

-15.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,613 MX$27.4K

$2,014 MX$34.2K

-19.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$894 MX$15.2K

$1,403 MX$23.8K

-36.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,384 MX$40.4K

$4,411 MX$74.8K

-45.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,350 MX$22.9K

$2,630 MX$44.6K

-48.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$952 MX$16.2K

$1,170 MX$19.8K

-18.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.99

11.56

3.72%

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

Last update for Queretaro: September 6, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $911 in Queretaro and $1,045 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 23% 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: $65.0 in Queretaro vs $53.0 in Monterrey. Groceries flip the comparison at $328 vs $333, with Queretaro 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

Queretaro vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Queretaro and Monterrey differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($1,534 vs $1,728 including rent). Queretaro is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 23% 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: $911 in Queretaro versus $1,045 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 $65.0 versus $53.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,534 per month in Queretaro versus $1,728 in Monterrey – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,534 in Queretaro versus $1,728 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 13% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.