Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Temple, TX and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,599 a month against $2,391 in Temple, TX, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

116

Cost of Living Index in Temple, TX
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Temple, TX Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index

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Temple, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,391

/mo nomad

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,599

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,391 in Temple, TX versus $1,599 in Monterrey.

Temple, TX $2,391
Monterrey $1,599

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,282 in Temple, TX versus $2,493 in Monterrey.

Temple, TX $3,282
Monterrey $2,493

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,174 in Temple, TX versus $3,387 in Monterrey.

Temple, TX $4,174
Monterrey $3,387

Living in Temple, TX is roughly 49% more expensive than in Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Temple, TX 76% above, Monterrey 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.60 $18.60

$13.80 MX$255

34.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.7 $50.7

$47.99 MX$887

5.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.78 $8.78

$10.65 MX$197

-17.56%

Cappuccino

$4.97 $4.97

$3.99 MX$73.7

24.56%

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

$2.79 $2.79

$1.66 MX$30.76

68.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$0.99 MX$18.21

70.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.54 $3.54

$2.36 MX$43.64

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 $4.03

$4.43 MX$81.8

-9.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.82 MX$33.58

-48.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.12 $2.12

$2.83 MX$52.4

-25.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.12 $4.12

$1.92 MX$35.44

114.58%

Eggs

$2.85 $2.85

$2.48 MX$45.78

14.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.81 $8.81

$11.74 MX$217

-24.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.70 $8.70

$9.10 MX$168

-4.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.42 $15.42

$12.53 MX$232

23.06%

Apples (1kg)

$5.01 $5.01

$3.34 MX$61.6

50.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.57 MX$29.10

-1.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$2.16 MX$39.86

92.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.65 $3.65

$2.47 MX$45.65

47.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 $2.15

$2.31 MX$42.64

-6.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.68 MX$49.47

-8.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.46 MX$26.90

9.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.19 MX$22.07

65.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.21 $10.21

$4.75 MX$87.8

114.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.15 $9.15

$13.58 MX$251

-32.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.92 MX$35.52

4.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.88 MX$53.2

-15.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$0.79 MX$14.66

148.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.2 $50.2

$31.36 MX$579

60.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.59 MX$29.44

93.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.06 MX$19.58

66.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.10 $24.10

$10.80 MX$200

123.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 $0.72

$1.55 MX$28.59

-53.55%

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)

$25.0K $25.0K

$24.3K MX$449.4K

2.88%

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

$211 $211

$117 MX$2,159

80.82%

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

$43.64 $43.64

$26.38 MX$488

65.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.0 $84.0

$26.04 MX$481

222.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.57 $17.57

$30.26 MX$559

-41.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.25 MX$393

Cinema Ticket

$12.10 $12.10

$5.23 MX$96.6

131.36%

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

$1,901 $1,901

$673 MX$12.4K

182.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.7K $27.7K

$11.1K MX$205.2K

149.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.22 $19.22

$72.1 MX$1,332

-73.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.07 $49.07

$42.38 MX$783

15.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.7 $86.7

$112 MX$2,066

-22.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 $83.7

$119 MX$2,200

-29.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,450 $1,450

$949 MX$17.5K

52.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 $1,236

$666 MX$12.3K

85.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 $2,048

$1,821 MX$33.7K

12.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,769 $1,769

$1,271 MX$23.5K

39.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,744 $1,744

$4,050 MX$74.8K

-56.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,710 $1,710

$2,348 MX$43.4K

-27.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,927 $3,927

$1,155 MX$21.3K

239.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

11.79

-43.85%

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

Last update for Temple, TX: 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

Temple, TX

$1.2K 51.7%

Monterrey

$666 41.7% 46.1% $569

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Temple, TX

$339 14.2%

Monterrey

$169 10.6% 50.1% $170

Groceries & Markets

Temple, TX

$318 13.3%

Monterrey

$304 19% 4.4% $14

Eating Out

Temple, TX

$278 11.7%

Monterrey

$221 13.9% 20.5% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Temple, TX

$107 4.5%

Monterrey

$155 9.7% 44.7% $48

Getting Around

Temple, TX

$70 2.9%

Monterrey

$41 2.6% 40.8% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Temple, TX

$42 1.8%

Monterrey

$41 2.6% 2.6% $1.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,450 in Temple, TX and $949 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Temple, TX pays 240% 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: $51.0 in Temple, TX vs $48.00 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $304 per month, with Monterrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Temple, TX

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🕒 Local time

14:50 2:50 PM

13:50 1:50 PM

1 h behind Temple, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

82,073

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

Temple, TX Monterrey 670 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Temple, TX
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

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

Temple, TX and Monterrey differ by about 49% in total monthly costs ($2,391 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 240% higher in Temple, 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: $1,450 in Temple, TX 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 $51.0 in Temple, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,391 per month in Temple, TX versus $1,599 in Monterrey – a 49% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,599 in Monterrey versus $2,391 in Temple, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Monterrey but tight or insufficient in Temple, 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 49% less than in Temple, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.