Cost of Living Comparison Between San Fernando and Monterrey Cost of Living Comparison Between San Fernando and Monterrey

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,106 in San Fernando versus $1,596 in Monterrey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,770 in San Fernando versus $2,550 in Monterrey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,435 in San Fernando versus $3,504 in Monterrey.

Living in San Fernando costs roughly 31% less than in Monterrey, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Fernando is 17% below, Monterrey is 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.66 MX$185

$13.45 MX$233

-20.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.85 MX$673

$52.8 MX$915

-26.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.04 MX$139

$10.25 MX$178

-21.56%

Cappuccino

$3.33 MX$57.7

$3.74 MX$64.8

-10.96%

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

$1.24 MX$21.45

$1.40 MX$24.28

-11.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.51

$1.04 MX$17.98

-8.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.31 MX$40.05

$2.66 MX$46.07

-13.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 MX$68.8

$4.33 MX$75.1

-8.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$24.88

$1.59 MX$27.59

-9.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 MX$44.09

$2.62 MX$45.41

-3.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.85

$1.94 MX$33.66

-17.01%

Eggs

$2.39 MX$41.50

$2.68 MX$46.39

-10.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.98 MX$138

$10.37 MX$180

-23.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.75 MX$134

$9.24 MX$160

-16.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.60 MX$184

$13.47 MX$234

-21.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 MX$45.42

$3.19 MX$55.3

-17.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$24.88

$1.45 MX$25.06

-0.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$2.07 MX$35.92

-17.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 MX$28.77

$2.07 MX$35.88

-19.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 MX$31.67

$2.27 MX$39.37

-19.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 MX$33.29

$2.57 MX$44.60

-25.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 MX$20.83

$1.50 MX$26.00

-20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 MX$16.93

$1.08 MX$18.68

-9.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.09 MX$70.9

$4.29 MX$74.3

-4.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 MX$178

$11.95 MX$207

-13.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 MX$27.67

$1.72 MX$29.85

-6.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.86

$3.14 MX$54.4

-8.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 MX$11.40

$0.82 MX$14.27

-19.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.89 MX$709

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 MX$44.16

$1.68 MX$29.18

51.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 MX$27.39

$1.01 MX$17.45

56.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.38 MX$145

$10.41 MX$180

-19.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.90

$1.35 MX$23.31

-2.22%

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

$21.0K MX$364.1K

$25.9K MX$449.3K

-18.97%

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

$22.4K MX$387.9K

$26.2K MX$454.0K

-14.56%

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

$57.6 MX$997

$121 MX$2,095

-52.40%

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

$22.39 MX$388

$27.83 MX$482

-19.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.89 MX$483

$30.04 MX$521

-7.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.08 MX$625

$37.56 MX$651

-3.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.99 MX$277

$21.96 MX$381

-27.19%

Cinema Ticket

$4.74 MX$82.2

$5.75 MX$99.7

-17.57%

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

$205 MX$3,556

$336 MX$5,820

-38.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,549 MX$61.5K

$9,005 MX$156.0K

-60.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 MX$932

$59.7 MX$1,034

-9.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.25 MX$698

$42.75 MX$741

-5.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.1 MX$1,527

$108 MX$1,875

-18.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.3 MX$1,373

$127 MX$2,199

-37.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$510 MX$8,832

$908 MX$15.7K

-43.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$400 MX$6,934

$663 MX$11.5K

-39.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$916 MX$15.9K

$1,572 MX$27.2K

-41.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$768 MX$13.3K

$1,424 MX$24.7K

-46.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,231 MX$38.7K

$4,254 MX$73.7K

-47.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,219 MX$21.1K

$2,862 MX$49.6K

-57.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,129 MX$19.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.48

11.55

-0.61%

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

Last update for San Fernando: April 21, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $510 in San Fernando and $908 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $39 in San Fernando vs $53 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $247 vs $291 per month, with San Fernando cheaper across the board.

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 Fernando vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Fernando and Monterrey differ by about 44% in total monthly costs ($1,106 vs $1,596 including rent). San Fernando is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,658 in San Fernando and $2,393 in Monterrey to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $510 in San Fernando versus $908 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $205 in San Fernando versus $336 in Monterrey. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in San Fernando – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $53.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,106 in San Fernando versus $1,596 in Monterrey, a $1,500 budget is realistic in San Fernando but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes San Fernando 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 San Fernando gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.