Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Roma, TX and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,599 a month against $2,590 in Roma, TX, rent and utilities included – about $11,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Roma, TX
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Roma, TX Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index

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Roma, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,590

/mo nomad

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,599

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Roma, TX 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 Roma, TX and in Monterrey actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,590 in Roma, TX versus $1,599 in Monterrey.

Roma, TX $2,590
Monterrey $1,599

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,815 in Roma, TX versus $2,493 in Monterrey.

Roma, TX $3,815
Monterrey $2,493

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,040 in Roma, TX versus $3,387 in Monterrey.

Roma, TX $5,040
Monterrey $3,387

Living in Roma, TX is roughly 62% more expensive than in Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Roma, TX 91% above, Monterrey 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.08 $20.08

$13.80 MX$255

45.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.0 $76.0

$47.99 MX$887

58.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 $11.71

$10.65 MX$197

9.95%

Cappuccino

$5.35 $5.35

$3.99 MX$73.7

34.09%

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

$2.68 $2.68

$1.66 MX$30.76

61.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$0.99 MX$18.21

95.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.03 $6.03

$2.36 MX$43.64

155.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.16 $7.16

$4.43 MX$81.8

61.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.82 MX$33.58

-45.05%

White Bread (500g)

$3.47 $3.47

$2.83 MX$52.4

22.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.43 $4.43

$1.92 MX$35.44

130.73%

Eggs

$4.24 $4.24

$2.48 MX$45.78

70.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.47 $12.47

$11.74 MX$217

6.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.37 $11.37

$9.10 MX$168

24.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.81 $16.81

$12.53 MX$232

34.16%

Apples (1kg)

$5.05 $5.05

$3.34 MX$61.6

51.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.57 MX$29.10

1.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.41 $4.41

$2.16 MX$39.86

104.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.75 $4.75

$2.47 MX$45.65

92.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.75 $2.75

$2.31 MX$42.64

19.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 $2.94

$2.68 MX$49.47

9.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.46 MX$26.90

51.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.32 $2.32

$1.19 MX$22.07

94.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.77 $9.77

$4.75 MX$87.8

105.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.82 $14.82

$13.58 MX$251

9.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.92 MX$35.52

4.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.88 MX$53.2

14.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 $1.99

$0.79 MX$14.66

151.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.19 $26.19

$31.36 MX$579

-16.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 $3.17

$1.59 MX$29.44

99.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.06 MX$19.58

61.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.20 $32.20

$10.80 MX$200

198.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.55 MX$28.59

-37.42%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$24.2K MX$446.4K

13.74%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$24.3K MX$449.4K

6.49%

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

$195 $195

$117 MX$2,159

67.30%

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

$58.3 $58.3

$26.38 MX$488

120.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.8 $70.8

$26.04 MX$481

172.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.25 $42.25

$30.26 MX$559

39.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.19 $20.19

$21.25 MX$393

-4.99%

Cinema Ticket

$14.32 $14.32

$5.23 MX$96.6

173.80%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$673 MX$12.4K

116.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.9K $21.9K

$11.1K MX$205.2K

97.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.2 $53.2

$72.1 MX$1,332

-26.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 $40.88

$42.38 MX$783

-3.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.8 $89.8

$112 MX$2,066

-19.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 $115

$119 MX$2,200

-3.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,625 $1,625

$949 MX$17.5K

71.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,294 $1,294

$666 MX$12.3K

94.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,473 $2,473

$1,821 MX$33.7K

35.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,158 $2,158

$1,271 MX$23.5K

69.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,728 $2,728

$4,050 MX$74.8K

-32.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,377 $2,377

$2,348 MX$43.4K

1.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,310 $1,310

$1,155 MX$21.3K

13.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

11.79

-44.27%

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

Last update for Roma, TX: October 18, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Roma, TX

$1.3K 50%

Monterrey

$666 41.7% 48.5% $627

Groceries & Markets

Roma, TX

$397 15.3%

Monterrey

$304 19% 23.4% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Roma, TX

$325 12.5%

Monterrey

$169 10.6% 47.8% $155

Eating Out

Roma, TX

$323 12.5%

Monterrey

$221 13.9% 31.4% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Roma, TX

$135 5.2%

Monterrey

$155 9.7% 15.5% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Roma, TX

$71 2.7%

Monterrey

$41 2.6% 42.6% $30

Getting Around

Roma, TX

$46 1.8%

Monterrey

$41 2.6% 9.6% $4.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,625 in Roma, TX and $949 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Roma, TX pays 13% 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: $76.0 in Roma, TX vs $48.00 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $397 vs $304 per month, with Monterrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Roma, TX

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🕒 Local time

21:26 9:26 PM

20:26 8:26 PM

1 h behind Roma, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,561

1,142,994

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

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Roma, TX Monterrey 150 km

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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

Roma, TX vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Roma, TX and Monterrey differ by about 62% in total monthly costs ($2,590 vs $1,599 including rent). Monterrey is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 13% higher in Roma, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,625 in Roma, TX versus $949 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Monterrey – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $76.0 in Roma, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,590 per month in Roma, TX versus $1,599 in Monterrey – a 62% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,599 in Monterrey versus $2,590 in Roma, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Monterrey but tight or insufficient in Roma, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Monterrey 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 Monterrey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Roma, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.