Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Streamwood, IL and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,599 a month against $2,519 in Streamwood, IL, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Streamwood, IL
🇺🇸 United States
$2,519
/mo nomad
Monterrey
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,599
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,519 in Streamwood, IL versus $1,599 in Monterrey.

  • Streamwood, IL $2,519
  • Monterrey $1,599

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,740 in Streamwood, IL versus $2,493 in Monterrey.

  • Streamwood, IL $3,740
  • Monterrey $2,493

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,961 in Streamwood, IL versus $3,387 in Monterrey.

  • Streamwood, IL $4,961
  • Monterrey $3,387

Living in Streamwood, IL is roughly 58% more expensive than in Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Streamwood, IL 86% above, Monterrey 18% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Streamwood, IL
Monterrey
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.86 $19.86
$13.80 MX$255
43.91%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$76.0 $76.0
$47.99 MX$887
58.28%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.94 $11.94
$10.65 MX$197
12.11%
Cappuccino
$5.39 $5.39
$3.99 MX$73.7
35.09%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.04 $3.04
$1.66 MX$30.76
83.13%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 $2.50
$0.99 MX$18.21
152.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.85 $5.85
$2.36 MX$43.64
147.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.80 $7.80
$4.43 MX$81.8
76.07%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Streamwood, IL
Monterrey
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.93 $0.93
$1.82 MX$33.58
-48.90%
White Bread (500g)
$3.49 $3.49
$2.83 MX$52.4
23.32%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.93 $2.93
$1.92 MX$35.44
52.60%
Eggs
$3.57 $3.57
$2.48 MX$45.78
43.95%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.14 $10.14
$11.74 MX$217
-13.63%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.30 $11.30
$9.10 MX$168
24.18%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.36 $14.36
$12.53 MX$232
14.60%
Apples (1kg)
$4.78 $4.78
$3.34 MX$61.6
43.11%
Banana (1kg)
$1.67 $1.67
$1.57 MX$29.10
6.37%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.46 $4.46
$2.16 MX$39.86
106.48%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.81 $4.81
$2.47 MX$45.65
94.74%
Potato (1kg)
$2.75 $2.75
$2.31 MX$42.64
19.05%
Onion (1kg)
$3.09 $3.09
$2.68 MX$49.47
15.30%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.54 $1.54
$1.46 MX$26.90
5.48%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.49 $1.49
$1.19 MX$22.07
25.21%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.86 $10.86
$4.75 MX$87.8
128.63%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.14 $12.14
$13.58 MX$251
-10.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.70 $1.70
$1.92 MX$35.52
-11.46%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.38 $4.38
$2.88 MX$53.2
52.08%
🚌 Getting Around
Streamwood, IL
Monterrey
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.04 $2.04
$0.79 MX$14.66
158.23%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$40.10 $40.10
$31.36 MX$579
27.87%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.08 $4.08
$1.59 MX$29.44
156.60%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 $2.05
$1.06 MX$19.58
93.40%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$44.25 $44.25
$10.80 MX$200
309.72%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.09 $1.09
$1.55 MX$28.59
-29.68%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$25.0K $25.0K
$24.2K MX$446.4K
3.29%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.2K $25.2K
$24.3K MX$449.4K
3.48%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Streamwood, IL
Monterrey
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$173 $173
$117 MX$2,159
48.15%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$51.0 $51.0
$26.38 MX$488
93.14%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$54.9 $54.9
$26.04 MX$481
110.87%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Streamwood, IL
Monterrey
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.70 $41.70
$30.26 MX$559
37.81%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$8.19 $8.19
$21.25 MX$393
-61.46%
Cinema Ticket
$15.23 $15.23
$5.23 MX$96.6
191.20%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Streamwood, IL
Monterrey
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,505 $1,505
$673 MX$12.4K
123.76%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.3K $23.3K
$11.1K MX$205.2K
109.78%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Streamwood, IL
Monterrey
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$56.8 $56.8
$72.1 MX$1,332
-21.17%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.21 $45.21
$42.38 MX$783
6.68%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.2 $98.2
$112 MX$2,066
-12.17%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$102 $102
$119 MX$2,200
-14.42%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Streamwood, IL
Monterrey
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,616 $1,616
$949 MX$17.5K
70.23%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,287 $1,287
$666 MX$12.3K
93.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,495 $2,495
$1,821 MX$33.7K
37.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,185 $2,185
$1,271 MX$23.5K
71.91%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,723 $2,723
$4,050 MX$74.8K
-32.77%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,365 $2,365
$2,348 MX$43.4K
0.76%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Streamwood, IL
Monterrey
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$7,119 $7,119
$1,155 MX$21.3K
516.28%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.43
11.79
-45.46%

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

Last update for Streamwood, IL: October 20, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Streamwood, IL
$1.3K
Monterrey
$666 48.2% $621
Groceries & Markets
Streamwood, IL
$356
Monterrey
$304 14.5% $51
Eating Out
Streamwood, IL
$326
Monterrey
$221 32.2% $105
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Streamwood, IL
$279
Monterrey
$169 39.3% $110
Clothing & Footwear
Streamwood, IL
$136
Monterrey
$155 14.3% $19
Sport & Entertainment
Streamwood, IL
$72
Monterrey
$41 43.6% $31
Getting Around
Streamwood, IL
$63
Monterrey
$41 33.8% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,616 in Streamwood, IL and $949 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Streamwood, IL pays 516% 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 Streamwood, IL vs $48.00 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $356 vs $304 per month, with Monterrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Streamwood, IL
🇲🇽 Monterrey
🕒 Local time
13:31 1:31 PM
12:31 12:31 PM
1 h behind Streamwood, IL
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
37,535
1,142,994
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Streamwood, IL Monterrey 2,130 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Streamwood, IL
  • 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
Streamwood, IL vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Streamwood, IL and in Monterrey?
Streamwood, IL and Monterrey differ by about 58% in total monthly costs ($2,519 vs $1,599 including rent). Monterrey is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Streamwood, IL or Monterrey?
Average pay runs 516% higher in Streamwood, IL, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Streamwood, IL and in Monterrey?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,616 in Streamwood, IL versus $949 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Monterrey – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $76.0 in Streamwood, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Streamwood, IL or Monterrey?
All in, you'll spend $2,519 per month in Streamwood, IL versus $1,599 in Monterrey – a 58% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,599 in Monterrey versus $2,519 in Streamwood, IL, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Monterrey but tight or insufficient in Streamwood, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Monterrey the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Streamwood, IL and Monterrey?
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.
Where should expats move: Streamwood, IL or Monterrey?
Expats usually find Monterrey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Streamwood, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Streamwood, IL vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?