Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Reynosa and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Reynosa: $1,183 a month against $1,608 in Monterrey, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Reynosa
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Reynosa Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index

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Reynosa

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,183

/mo nomad

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Reynosa and in Monterrey

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Reynosa and in Monterrey actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,183 in Reynosa versus $1,608 in Monterrey.

Reynosa $1,183
Monterrey $1,608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,784 in Reynosa versus $2,521 in Monterrey.

Reynosa $1,784
Monterrey $2,521

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,386 in Reynosa versus $3,433 in Monterrey.

Reynosa $2,386
Monterrey $3,433

Living in Reynosa costs roughly 26% less than in Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Reynosa is 12% below, Monterrey is 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.82 MX$200

$13.85 MX$256

-21.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.95 MX$627

$49.70 MX$918

-31.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.72 MX$106

$11.05 MX$204

-48.24%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$64.6

$4.09 MX$75.6

-14.43%

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

$0.96 MX$17.75

$1.68 MX$30.97

-42.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 MX$10.52

$1.03 MX$18.98

-44.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.37 MX$25.31

$2.40 MX$44.28

-42.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 MX$36.20

$4.35 MX$80.3

-54.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.23

$1.92 MX$35.55

-20.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.24 MX$41.37

$2.94 MX$54.2

-23.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 MX$21.85

$1.88 MX$34.66

-37.23%

Eggs

$1.84 MX$34.00

$2.55 MX$47.06

-27.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.89 MX$164

$11.84 MX$219

-24.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.28 MX$116

$9.36 MX$173

-32.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.90 MX$183

$13.10 MX$242

-24.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 MX$41.50

$3.38 MX$62.5

-33.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.14 MX$21.13

$1.52 MX$28.13

-25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 MX$49.40

$2.19 MX$40.51

21.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.34 MX$24.84

$2.36 MX$43.63

-43.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 MX$31.97

$2.26 MX$41.76

-23.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 MX$46.86

$2.73 MX$50.5

-6.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 MX$26.49

$1.52 MX$28.17

-5.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 MX$18.67

$1.24 MX$22.90

-18.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.95 MX$73.1

$4.75 MX$87.8

-16.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.38 MX$192

$13.66 MX$252

-24.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 MX$32.17

$1.89 MX$34.95

-7.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 MX$29.71

$2.99 MX$55.2

-46.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 MX$12.73

$0.85 MX$15.78

-18.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.95 MX$572

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 MX$47.19

$1.68 MX$30.98

51.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 MX$35.87

$1.13 MX$20.87

71.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.76 MX$199

$11.15 MX$206

-3.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$23.28

$1.56 MX$28.91

-19.23%

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

$19.0K MX$352.0K

$21.4K MX$395.8K

-11.07%

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

$23.4K MX$431.7K

$25.1K MX$463.2K

-6.81%

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

$48.27 MX$892

$119 MX$2,206

-59.57%

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

$11.00 MX$203

$26.21 MX$484

-58.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.64 MX$548

$26.78 MX$495

10.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.79 MX$624

$31.03 MX$573

8.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.47 MX$397

$21.43 MX$396

0.19%

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 MX$91.5

$5.29 MX$97.7

-6.43%

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

$163 MX$3,012

$691 MX$12.8K

-76.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,612 MX$48.3K

$11.5K MX$212.1K

-77.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.0 MX$1,034

$72.3 MX$1,335

-22.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.6 MX$1,064

$42.72 MX$789

34.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 MX$1,562

$110 MX$2,024

-22.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 MX$2,330

$117 MX$2,158

7.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$608 MX$11.2K

$970 MX$17.9K

-37.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$493 MX$9,109

$664 MX$12.3K

-25.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 MX$19.0K

$1,857 MX$34.3K

-44.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$781 MX$14.4K

$1,287 MX$23.8K

-39.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,885 MX$34.8K

$4,162 MX$76.9K

-54.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,033 MX$19.1K

$2,349 MX$43.4K

-56.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$607 MX$11.2K

$1,146 MX$21.2K

-47.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.53

11.79

-10.69%

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

Last update for Reynosa: October 11, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Reynosa

$493 41.7%

Monterrey

$664 41.3% 34.7% $171

Groceries & Markets

Reynosa

$234 19.8%

Monterrey

$310 19.3% 32.8% $77

Eating Out

Reynosa

$163 13.7%

Monterrey

$225 14% 38.1% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Reynosa

$146 12.3%

Monterrey

$154 9.6% 5.3% $7.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Reynosa

$89 7.5%

Monterrey

$172 10.7% 93.9% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Reynosa

$44 3.7%

Monterrey

$42 2.6% 4.8% $2.1

Getting Around

Reynosa

$15 * 1.3%

Monterrey

$42 2.6% 178% $27

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $608 in Reynosa and $970 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 89% 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: $34.00 in Reynosa vs $50.0 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $310 per month, with Reynosa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Reynosa

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🕒 Local time

21:03 9:03 PM

20:03 8:03 PM

1 h behind Reynosa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

691,557

1,142,994

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Reynosa Monterrey 210 km

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Reynosa
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 36% in total monthly costs ($1,183 vs $1,608 including rent). Reynosa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 89% 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: $608 in Reynosa versus $970 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $163 in Reynosa versus $691 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 $34.00 versus $50.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,183 in Reynosa versus $1,608 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 36% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.