Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Salina, KS and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,599 a month against $1,997 in Salina, KS, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

96

Cost of Living Index in Salina, KS
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Salina, KS Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index

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Salina, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$1,997

/mo nomad

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,599

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,997 in Salina, KS versus $1,599 in Monterrey.

Salina, KS $1,997
Monterrey $1,599

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,997 in Salina, KS versus $2,493 in Monterrey.

Salina, KS $2,997
Monterrey $2,493

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,997 in Salina, KS versus $3,387 in Monterrey.

Salina, KS $3,997
Monterrey $3,387

Living in Salina, KS is roughly 25% more expensive than in Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Salina, KS 47% above, Monterrey 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.03 $15.03

$13.80 MX$255

8.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 $41.89

$47.99 MX$887

-12.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.28 $9.28

$10.65 MX$197

-12.86%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$3.99 MX$73.7

37.34%

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

$2.06 $2.06

$1.66 MX$30.76

24.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 $1.73

$0.99 MX$18.21

74.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.09 $5.09

$2.36 MX$43.64

115.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.21 $9.21

$4.43 MX$81.8

107.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.82 MX$33.58

-47.25%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.83 MX$52.4

12.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.27 $6.27

$1.92 MX$35.44

226.56%

Eggs

$4.69 $4.69

$2.48 MX$45.78

89.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.78 $11.78

$11.74 MX$217

0.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.65 $8.65

$9.10 MX$168

-4.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.60 $14.60

$12.53 MX$232

16.52%

Apples (1kg)

$6.90 $6.90

$3.34 MX$61.6

106.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.57 MX$29.10

37.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.78 $5.78

$2.16 MX$39.86

167.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$2.47 MX$45.65

68.02%

Potato (1kg)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.31 MX$42.64

49.35%

Onion (1kg)

$3.85 $3.85

$2.68 MX$49.47

43.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.46 MX$26.90

23.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.19 MX$22.07

73.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 $7.96

$4.75 MX$87.8

67.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.31 $17.31

$13.58 MX$251

27.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 $1.83

$1.92 MX$35.52

-4.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 $2.57

$2.88 MX$53.2

-10.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$0.79 MX$14.66

155.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.08 $25.08

$31.36 MX$579

-20.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.10 $5.10

$1.59 MX$29.44

220.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.06 MX$19.58

19.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.35 $35.35

$10.80 MX$200

227.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.55 MX$28.59

-41.94%

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

$24.6K $24.6K

$24.2K MX$446.4K

1.98%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$24.3K MX$449.4K

4.44%

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

$145 $145

$117 MX$2,159

24.26%

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

$47.14 $47.14

$26.38 MX$488

78.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.2 $65.2

$26.04 MX$481

150.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.86 $41.86

$30.26 MX$559

38.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.08 $34.08

$21.25 MX$393

60.38%

Cinema Ticket

$14.87 $14.87

$5.23 MX$96.6

184.32%

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

$822 $822

$673 MX$12.4K

22.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,761 $9,761

$11.1K MX$205.2K

-12.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.15 $48.15

$72.1 MX$1,332

-33.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.46 $34.46

$42.38 MX$783

-18.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.2 $76.2

$112 MX$2,066

-31.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 $118

$119 MX$2,200

-0.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$762 $762

$949 MX$17.5K

-19.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$828 $828

$666 MX$12.3K

24.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,298 $1,298

$1,821 MX$33.7K

-28.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,476 $1,476

$1,271 MX$23.5K

16.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,417 $1,417

$4,050 MX$74.8K

-65.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 $1,697

$2,348 MX$43.4K

-27.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,030 $3,030

$1,155 MX$21.3K

162.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.37

11.79

-45.97%

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

Last update for Salina, KS: 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

Salina, KS

$828 41.5%

Monterrey

$666 41.7% 19.5% $161

Groceries & Markets

Salina, KS

$398 19.9%

Monterrey

$304 19% 23.4% $93

Eating Out

Salina, KS

$273 13.7%

Monterrey

$221 13.9% 18.8% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Salina, KS

$257 12.9%

Monterrey

$169 10.6% 34.3% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Salina, KS

$125 6.2%

Monterrey

$155 9.7% 24.6% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Salina, KS

$72 3.6%

Monterrey

$41 2.6% 43.1% $31

Getting Around

Salina, KS

$45 2.2%

Monterrey

$41 2.6% 7.1% $3.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $762 in Salina, KS and $949 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Salina, KS pays 162% 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: $42.00 in Salina, KS vs $48.00 in Monterrey. Groceries flip the comparison at $398 vs $304, with Monterrey cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Salina, KS

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🕒 Local time

12:57 12:57 PM

11:57 11:57 AM

1 h behind Salina, KS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

47,707

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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Salina, KS Monterrey 1,490 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Salina, KS
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

Salina, KS vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Salina, KS and Monterrey differ by about 25% in total monthly costs ($1,997 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 162% higher in Salina, KS, 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: $762 in Salina, KS 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 $42.00 in Salina, KS. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,997 per month in Salina, KS versus $1,599 in Monterrey – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,599 in Monterrey versus $1,997 in Salina, KS, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Monterrey but tight or insufficient in Salina, KS. 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 25% less than in Salina, KS. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.