Cost of Living Comparison Between Reynosa and Monterrey Cost of Living Comparison Between Reynosa and Monterrey

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,213 in Reynosa versus $1,618 in Monterrey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,831 in Reynosa versus $2,585 in Monterrey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,448 in Reynosa versus $3,552 in Monterrey.

Living in Reynosa costs roughly 25% less than in Monterrey, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Reynosa is 9% below, Monterrey is 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 MX$278

$13.41 MX$234

18.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.38 MX$512

$52.7 MX$917

-44.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.62 MX$97.8

$10.11 MX$176

-44.41%

Cappuccino

$4.08 MX$71.1

$3.73 MX$64.9

9.38%

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

$0.87 MX$15.09

$1.44 MX$25.12

-39.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 MX$8.84

$1.00 MX$17.48

-49.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.55 MX$27.03

$2.67 MX$46.47

-41.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 MX$68.3

$4.20 MX$73.1

-6.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 MX$21.37

$1.66 MX$28.98

-25.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.95

$2.72 MX$47.28

-2.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.27

$1.95 MX$33.93

-19.49%

Eggs

$1.68 MX$29.27

$2.66 MX$46.37

-36.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.91 MX$138

$10.21 MX$178

-22.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.92 MX$138

$8.91 MX$155

-11.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.51 MX$183

$13.78 MX$240

-23.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 MX$45.70

$3.04 MX$52.9

-13.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$1.40 MX$24.42

4.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 MX$31.00

$2.02 MX$35.09

-11.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 MX$27.56

$2.07 MX$36.10

-23.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.46

$2.32 MX$40.36

-19.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 MX$33.83

$2.55 MX$44.45

-23.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 MX$22.03

$1.51 MX$26.29

-15.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.91

$1.08 MX$18.80

-10.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.06 MX$70.7

$4.25 MX$73.9

-4.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.54 MX$184

$14.28 MX$249

-26.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 MX$26.96

$1.79 MX$31.09

-13.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$50.1

$3.18 MX$55.3

-9.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 MX$10.77

$0.77 MX$13.44

-19.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.89 MX$712

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.57 MX$44.77

$1.76 MX$30.58

46.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 MX$27.62

$0.99 MX$17.27

60.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.27 MX$144

$10.39 MX$181

-20.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 MX$20.35

$1.34 MX$23.37

-12.69%

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

$21.1K MX$368.2K

$26.6K MX$463.9K

-20.63%

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

$22.5K MX$391.6K

$25.6K MX$445.0K

-12.01%

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

$57.0 MX$992

$121 MX$2,113

-53.05%

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

$22.24 MX$387

$27.40 MX$477

-18.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.55 MX$497

$29.75 MX$518

-4.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.21 MX$631

$37.46 MX$652

-3.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.95 MX$278

$21.78 MX$379

-26.77%

Cinema Ticket

$4.76 MX$82.9

$5.75 MX$100

-17.22%

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

$207 MX$3,613

$348 MX$6,054

-40.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,570 MX$62.2K

$8,983 MX$156.4K

-60.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.1 MX$907

$59.1 MX$1,029

-11.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.20 MX$700

$41.88 MX$729

-4.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.0 MX$1,568

$107 MX$1,867

-16.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.6 MX$1,404

$128 MX$2,232

-37.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$503 MX$8,759

$889 MX$15.5K

-43.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$475 MX$8,264

$646 MX$11.2K

-26.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 MX$16.1K

$1,577 MX$27.5K

-41.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$749 MX$13.0K

$1,378 MX$24.0K

-45.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,981 MX$34.5K

$4,238 MX$73.8K

-53.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,131 MX$19.7K

$2,757 MX$48.0K

-58.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 MX$10.9K

$1,133 MX$19.7K

-44.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.48

11.55

-0.61%

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

Last update for Reynosa: July 13, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $503 in Reynosa and $889 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 82% 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: $29.00 in Reynosa vs $53.0 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $244 vs $296 per month, with Reynosa 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

Reynosa vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Reynosa and Monterrey differ by about 33% in total monthly costs ($1,213 vs $1,618 including rent). Reynosa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 82% 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: $503 in Reynosa versus $889 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $207 in Reynosa versus $348 in Monterrey. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Reynosa – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $53.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,213 in Reynosa versus $1,618 in Monterrey, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Reynosa but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes Reynosa 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.

Expats usually find Reynosa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.