Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tampa, FL and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,641 a month against $2,986 in Tampa, FL, rent and utilities included – about $16,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

142

Cost of Living Index in Tampa, FL
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Tampa, FL Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index

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Tampa, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,986

/mo nomad

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,986 in Tampa, FL versus $1,641 in Monterrey.

Tampa, FL $2,986
Monterrey $1,641

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,424 in Tampa, FL versus $2,573 in Monterrey.

Tampa, FL $4,424
Monterrey $2,573

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,861 in Tampa, FL versus $3,504 in Monterrey.

Tampa, FL $5,861
Monterrey $3,504

Living in Tampa, FL is roughly 82% more expensive than in Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Tampa, FL 121% above, Monterrey 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.87 $19.87

$13.37 MX$250

48.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.3 $74.3

$47.95 MX$897

54.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.06 $12.06

$10.79 MX$202

11.77%

Cappuccino

$5.70 $5.70

$3.77 MX$70.4

51.19%

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

$3.02 $3.02

$1.51 MX$28.26

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.03 MX$19.25

133.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.09 $7.09

$2.48 MX$46.41

185.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.08 $9.08

$4.36 MX$81.5

108.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.89 MX$35.43

-35.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.71 $3.71

$2.85 MX$53.3

30.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.87 $4.87

$1.86 MX$34.71

161.83%

Eggs

$3.51 $3.51

$2.47 MX$46.12

42.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.90 $13.90

$11.81 MX$221

17.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.32 $11.32

$8.97 MX$168

26.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.13 $20.13

$12.57 MX$235

60.14%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$3.20 MX$59.8

62.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.50 MX$28.12

19.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.44 $3.44

$2.12 MX$39.74

62.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.83 $3.83

$2.33 MX$43.64

64.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.22 MX$41.58

16.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.58 MX$48.34

15.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.37 $2.37

$1.45 MX$27.04

63.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$1.22 MX$22.85

88.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.08 $9.08

$4.80 MX$89.7

89.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.82 $14.82

$13.30 MX$249

11.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 $2.64

$1.93 MX$36.14

36.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.32 $5.32

$2.86 MX$53.4

86.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$0.80 MX$14.94

156.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.4 $64.4

$30.94 MX$579

108.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 $2.96

$1.83 MX$34.28

61.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.06 MX$19.78

68.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.15 $24.15

$10.82 MX$202

123.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.47 MX$27.54

-25.85%

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

$31.9K $31.9K

$24.1K MX$450.4K

32.62%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$23.5K MX$440.2K

15.75%

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

$207 $207

$115 MX$2,144

80.86%

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

$71.5 $71.5

$26.37 MX$493

171.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.6 $78.6

$25.70 MX$481

205.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.55 $46.55

$30.53 MX$571

52.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.63 $20.63

$21.27 MX$398

-3.01%

Cinema Ticket

$15.27 $15.27

$4.96 MX$92.8

207.86%

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

$1,458 $1,458

$679 MX$12.7K

114.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.4K $26.4K

$14.2K MX$265.3K

86.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 $55.1

$72.2 MX$1,350

-23.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.42 $43.42

$41.94 MX$784

3.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.5 $89.5

$107 MX$2,011

-16.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 $123

$119 MX$2,219

3.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,154 $2,154

$1,018 MX$19.0K

111.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 $1,573

$722 MX$13.5K

117.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,787 $3,787

$1,966 MX$36.8K

92.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,775 $2,775

$1,416 MX$26.5K

96.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,136 $6,136

$4,203 MX$78.6K

46.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,341 $2,341

$2,782 MX$52.0K

-15.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,611 $4,611

$1,096 MX$20.5K

320.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

11.79

-43.77%

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

Last update for Tampa, FL: November 2, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tampa, FL

$1.6K 52.7%

Monterrey

$722 44% 54.1% $851

Groceries & Markets

Tampa, FL

$415 13.9%

Monterrey

$302 18.4% 27.3% $113

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tampa, FL

$357 12%

Monterrey

$167 10.2% 53.4% $191

Eating Out

Tampa, FL

$339 11.4%

Monterrey

$216 13.2% 36.3% $123

Clothing & Footwear

Tampa, FL

$140 4.7%

Monterrey

$153 9.3% 9.5% $13

Getting Around

Tampa, FL

$85 2.8%

Monterrey

$41 2.5% 51.2% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Tampa, FL

$77 2.6%

Monterrey

$40 2.5% 47.5% $37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,154 in Tampa, FL and $1,018 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tampa, FL pays about 4.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $74 in Tampa, FL vs $48 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $415 vs $302 per month, with Monterrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Tampa, FL

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🕒 Local time

16:40 4:40 PM

15:40 3:40 PM

1 h behind Tampa, FL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

332,888

1,142,994

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 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 November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.7 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 20.9 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tampa, FL Monterrey 1,790 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Tampa, FL
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

Tampa, FL vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,986 in Tampa, FL and $1,641 in Monterrey, so Monterrey is about 45% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Tampa, FL is about 4.2 times higher, 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: $2,154 in Tampa, FL versus $1,018 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 versus $74 in Tampa, FL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,986 per month in Tampa, FL versus $1,641 in Monterrey – Monterrey is about 45% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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 45% less than in Tampa, FL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.