Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Antonio, TX and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,607 a month against $2,418 in San Antonio, TX, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in San Antonio, TX
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San Antonio, TX Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index

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San Antonio, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,418

/mo nomad

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,418 in San Antonio, TX versus $1,607 in Monterrey.

San Antonio, TX $2,418
Monterrey $1,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,672 in San Antonio, TX versus $2,512 in Monterrey.

San Antonio, TX $3,672
Monterrey $2,512

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,926 in San Antonio, TX versus $3,417 in Monterrey.

San Antonio, TX $4,926
Monterrey $3,417

Living in San Antonio, TX is roughly 50% more expensive than in Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Antonio, TX 80% above, Monterrey 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.28 $18.28

$13.75 MX$252

32.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.3 $75.3

$50.2 MX$921

50.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.10 $10.10

$11.13 MX$204

-9.25%

Cappuccino

$5.18 $5.18

$4.04 MX$74.2

28.22%

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

$2.63 $2.63

$1.70 MX$31.29

54.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$0.99 MX$18.17

71.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.47 $5.47

$2.41 MX$44.21

126.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.11 $6.11

$4.48 MX$82.3

36.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.92 MX$35.31

-37.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.39 $3.39

$2.89 MX$53.1

17.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.41 $4.41

$1.94 MX$35.67

127.32%

Eggs

$3.82 $3.82

$2.50 MX$45.90

52.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.94 $11.94

$12.30 MX$226

-2.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.49 $11.49

$9.33 MX$171

23.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.96 $17.96

$13.07 MX$240

37.41%

Apples (1kg)

$4.68 $4.68

$3.38 MX$62.1

38.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.58 MX$29.02

2.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.28 $4.28

$2.20 MX$40.45

94.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.44 $3.44

$2.45 MX$44.89

40.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 $2.53

$2.26 MX$41.47

11.95%

Onion (1kg)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.74 MX$50.4

11.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.53 MX$28.09

23.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.26 MX$23.16

81.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.56 $9.56

$4.84 MX$88.9

97.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.73 $14.73

$13.59 MX$249

8.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.91 MX$35.01

45.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$3.06 MX$56.3

13.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.26 $1.26

$0.80 MX$14.60

57.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.51 $37.51

$31.77 MX$583

18.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.47 $3.47

$1.62 MX$29.78

114.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.10 MX$20.17

60.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.13 $24.13

$10.97 MX$201

119.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.52 MX$27.93

-39.47%

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

$36.5K $36.5K

$21.4K MX$392.4K

70.72%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$25.5K MX$467.6K

1.70%

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

$216 $216

$120 MX$2,198

80.68%

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

$71.3 $71.3

$27.08 MX$497

163.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.5 $78.5

$26.70 MX$490

193.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.92 $36.92

$31.15 MX$572

18.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.24 $21.24

$21.95 MX$403

-3.23%

Cinema Ticket

$14.43 $14.43

$5.14 MX$94.4

180.74%

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

$1,306 $1,306

$688 MX$12.6K

89.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.2K $19.2K

$11.4K MX$209.8K

68.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.1 $52.1

$71.9 MX$1,321

-27.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.6 $50.6

$43.30 MX$795

16.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 $135

$112 MX$2,059

20.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$148 $148

$122 MX$2,236

21.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,460 $1,460

$957 MX$17.6K

52.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,054 $1,054

$670 MX$12.3K

57.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,925 $2,925

$1,887 MX$34.7K

55.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,021 $2,021

$1,305 MX$24.0K

54.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,389 $4,389

$4,159 MX$76.4K

5.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,854 $1,854

$2,437 MX$44.7K

-23.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,095 $4,095

$1,133 MX$20.8K

261.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.44

11.79

-45.38%

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

Last update for San Antonio, TX: 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

San Antonio, TX

$1.1K 43.9%

Monterrey

$670 41.4% 36.4% $384

Groceries & Markets

San Antonio, TX

$393 16.3%

Monterrey

$312 19.3% 20.4% $80

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Antonio, TX

$366 15.2%

Monterrey

$174 10.7% 52.6% $193

Eating Out

San Antonio, TX

$296 12.3%

Monterrey

$224 13.8% 24.3% $72

Clothing & Footwear

San Antonio, TX

$173 7.2%

Monterrey

$157 9.7% 9.3% $16

Sport & Entertainment

San Antonio, TX

$66 2.7%

Monterrey

$41 2.6% 37% $24

Getting Around

San Antonio, TX

$55 2.3%

Monterrey

$42 2.6% 23.2% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,460 in San Antonio, TX and $957 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Antonio, TX pays 261% 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: $75.0 in San Antonio, TX vs $50.0 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $393 vs $312 per month, with Monterrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Antonio, TX

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🕒 Local time

06:27 6:27 AM

05:27 5:27 AM

1 h behind San Antonio, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,434,625

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 = 20.57 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

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San Antonio, TX Monterrey 450 km

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San Antonio, TX
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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

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

San Antonio, TX and Monterrey differ by about 50% in total monthly costs ($2,418 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 261% higher in San Antonio, 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: $1,460 in San Antonio, TX 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 $75.0 in San Antonio, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,418 per month in San Antonio, TX versus $1,607 in Monterrey – a 50% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,607 in Monterrey versus $2,418 in San Antonio, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Monterrey but tight or insufficient in San Antonio, 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 50% less than in San Antonio, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.