Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Paul, MN and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,607 a month against $2,438 in Saint Paul, MN, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

116

Cost of Living Index in Saint Paul, MN
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Saint Paul, MN Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index

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Saint Paul, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,438

/mo nomad

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,438 in Saint Paul, MN versus $1,607 in Monterrey.

Saint Paul, MN $2,438
Monterrey $1,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,743 in Saint Paul, MN versus $2,512 in Monterrey.

Saint Paul, MN $3,743
Monterrey $2,512

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,048 in Saint Paul, MN versus $3,417 in Monterrey.

Saint Paul, MN $5,048
Monterrey $3,417

Living in Saint Paul, MN is roughly 52% more expensive than in Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Saint Paul, MN 82% above, Monterrey 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 $15.75

$13.75 MX$252

14.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.6 $68.6

$50.2 MX$921

36.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.11 $10.11

$11.13 MX$204

-9.16%

Cappuccino

$5.26 $5.26

$4.04 MX$74.2

30.20%

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

$2.98 $2.98

$1.70 MX$31.29

75.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 $2.68

$0.99 MX$18.17

170.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.14 $6.14

$2.41 MX$44.21

154.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.65 $7.65

$4.48 MX$82.3

70.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.92 MX$35.31

-49.48%

White Bread (500g)

$3.95 $3.95

$2.89 MX$53.1

36.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.30 $3.30

$1.94 MX$35.67

70.10%

Eggs

$3.06 $3.06

$2.50 MX$45.90

22.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.41 $9.41

$12.30 MX$226

-23.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.71 $9.71

$9.33 MX$171

4.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.16 $13.16

$13.07 MX$240

0.69%

Apples (1kg)

$4.91 $4.91

$3.38 MX$62.1

45.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.58 MX$29.02

-26.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.94 $5.94

$2.20 MX$40.45

170.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.89 $4.89

$2.45 MX$44.89

99.59%

Potato (1kg)

$3.90 $3.90

$2.26 MX$41.47

72.57%

Onion (1kg)

$3.56 $3.56

$2.74 MX$50.4

29.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.53 MX$28.09

35.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.26 MX$23.16

38.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.21 $12.21

$4.84 MX$88.9

152.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.34 $14.34

$13.59 MX$249

5.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$1.91 MX$35.01

-12.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 $3.43

$3.06 MX$56.3

12.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.19 $2.19

$0.80 MX$14.60

173.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$122 $122

$31.77 MX$583

284.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 $2.52

$1.62 MX$29.78

55.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.10 MX$20.17

45.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.97 $30.97

$10.97 MX$201

182.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.52 MX$27.93

-35.53%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$21.4K MX$392.4K

69.30%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$25.5K MX$467.6K

0.22%

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

$226 $226

$120 MX$2,198

88.51%

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

$51.4 $51.4

$27.08 MX$497

89.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.9 $65.9

$26.70 MX$490

146.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.79 $33.79

$31.15 MX$572

8.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.29 $8.29

$21.95 MX$403

-62.23%

Cinema Ticket

$12.96 $12.96

$5.14 MX$94.4

152.14%

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

$1,499 $1,499

$688 MX$12.6K

117.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.1K $28.1K

$11.4K MX$209.8K

145.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.97 $40.97

$71.9 MX$1,321

-43.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.24 $40.24

$43.30 MX$795

-7.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.5 $79.5

$112 MX$2,059

-29.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 $109

$122 MX$2,236

-10.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 $1,355

$957 MX$17.6K

41.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,100 $1,100

$670 MX$12.3K

64.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,529 $2,529

$1,887 MX$34.7K

34.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,265 $2,265

$1,305 MX$24.0K

73.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,903 $2,903

$4,159 MX$76.4K

-30.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 $2,195

$2,437 MX$44.7K

-9.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,120 $4,120

$1,133 MX$20.8K

263.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.31

11.79

-46.48%

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

Last update for Saint Paul, MN: October 4, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Saint Paul, MN

$1.1K 45.5%

Monterrey

$670 41.4% 39.1% $430

Groceries & Markets

Saint Paul, MN

$363 15%

Monterrey

$312 19.3% 13.8% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saint Paul, MN

$343 14.2%

Monterrey

$174 10.7% 49.4% $169

Eating Out

Saint Paul, MN

$288 11.9%

Monterrey

$224 13.8% 22.4% $64

Getting Around

Saint Paul, MN

$141 5.9%

Monterrey

$42 2.6% 70.2% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Saint Paul, MN

$122 5%

Monterrey

$157 9.7% 29.3% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Saint Paul, MN

$60 2.5%

Monterrey

$41 2.6% 30.6% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,355 in Saint Paul, MN and $957 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint Paul, MN pays 264% 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: $69.0 in Saint Paul, MN vs $50.0 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $363 vs $312 per month, with Monterrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Saint Paul, MN

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🕒 Local time

02:40 2:40 AM

01:40 1:40 AM

1 h behind Saint Paul, MN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

285,068

1,142,994

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.59 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Saint Paul, MN Monterrey 2,240 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Saint Paul, MN
Monterrey

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

Saint Paul, MN vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saint Paul, MN and Monterrey differ by about 52% in total monthly costs ($2,438 vs $1,607 including rent). Monterrey is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 264% higher in Saint Paul, MN, 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: $1,355 in Saint Paul, MN versus $957 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 $50.0 versus $69.0 in Saint Paul, MN. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,438 per month in Saint Paul, MN versus $1,607 in Monterrey – a 52% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,607 in Monterrey versus $2,438 in Saint Paul, MN, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Monterrey but tight or insufficient in Saint Paul, MN. 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.

Safety-wise, Saint Paul, MN 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 Monterrey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Saint Paul, MN. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.