Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Texarkana, AR and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,599 a month against $2,522 in Texarkana, AR, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Texarkana, AR
🇺🇸 United States
$2,522
/mo nomad
Monterrey
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,599
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,522 in Texarkana, AR versus $1,599 in Monterrey.

  • Texarkana, AR $2,522
  • Monterrey $1,599

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,696 in Texarkana, AR versus $2,493 in Monterrey.

  • Texarkana, AR $3,696
  • Monterrey $2,493

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,870 in Texarkana, AR versus $3,387 in Monterrey.

  • Texarkana, AR $4,870
  • Monterrey $3,387

Living in Texarkana, AR is roughly 58% more expensive than in Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Texarkana, AR
Monterrey
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.56 $14.56
$13.80 MX$255
5.51%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$44.58 $44.58
$47.99 MX$887
-7.11%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.96 $10.96
$10.65 MX$197
2.91%
Cappuccino
$4.60 $4.60
$3.99 MX$73.7
15.29%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.63 $2.63
$1.66 MX$30.76
58.43%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.73 $1.73
$0.99 MX$18.21
74.75%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.97 $4.97
$2.36 MX$43.64
110.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.13 $5.13
$4.43 MX$81.8
15.80%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Texarkana, AR
Monterrey
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.77 $0.77
$1.82 MX$33.58
-57.69%
White Bread (500g)
$2.78 $2.78
$2.83 MX$52.4
-1.77%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.75 $3.75
$1.92 MX$35.44
95.31%
Eggs
$4.33 $4.33
$2.48 MX$45.78
74.60%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.89 $10.89
$11.74 MX$217
-7.24%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$15.62 $15.62
$9.10 MX$168
71.65%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$23.85 $23.85
$12.53 MX$232
90.34%
Apples (1kg)
$4.33 $4.33
$3.34 MX$61.6
29.64%
Banana (1kg)
$1.76 $1.76
$1.57 MX$29.10
12.10%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.51 $4.51
$2.16 MX$39.86
108.80%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.72 $2.72
$2.47 MX$45.65
10.12%
Potato (1kg)
$2.15 $2.15
$2.31 MX$42.64
-6.93%
Onion (1kg)
$1.65 $1.65
$2.68 MX$49.47
-38.43%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.96 $1.96
$1.46 MX$26.90
34.25%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.96 $1.96
$1.19 MX$22.07
64.71%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$8.57 $8.57
$4.75 MX$87.8
80.42%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.66 $10.66
$13.58 MX$251
-21.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.71 $1.71
$1.92 MX$35.52
-10.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.42 $3.42
$2.88 MX$53.2
18.75%
🚌 Getting Around
Texarkana, AR
Monterrey
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.00 $2.00
$0.79 MX$14.66
153.16%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$31.36 MX$579
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.53 $3.53
$1.59 MX$29.44
122.01%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.95 $1.95
$1.06 MX$19.58
83.96%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$26.73 $26.73
$10.80 MX$200
147.50%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.88 $0.88
$1.55 MX$28.59
-43.23%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.3K $28.3K
$24.2K MX$446.4K
16.98%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.3K $25.3K
$24.3K MX$449.4K
4.05%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Texarkana, AR
Monterrey
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$297 $297
$117 MX$2,159
154.31%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$49.93 $49.93
$26.38 MX$488
89.27%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$67.7 $67.7
$26.04 MX$481
159.95%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Texarkana, AR
Monterrey
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.73 $42.73
$30.26 MX$559
41.21%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$21.25 MX$393
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.13 $7.13
$5.23 MX$96.6
36.33%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Texarkana, AR
Monterrey
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,258 $1,258
$673 MX$12.4K
87.09%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$24.8K $24.8K
$11.1K MX$205.2K
123.28%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Texarkana, AR
Monterrey
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$22.88 $22.88
$72.1 MX$1,332
-68.26%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.31 $25.31
$42.38 MX$783
-40.28%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$65.4 $65.4
$112 MX$2,066
-41.52%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.6 $97.6
$119 MX$2,200
-18.04%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Texarkana, AR
Monterrey
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,802 $1,802
$949 MX$17.5K
89.93%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,285 $1,285
$666 MX$12.3K
92.85%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,480 $2,480
$1,821 MX$33.7K
36.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,382 $2,382
$1,271 MX$23.5K
87.41%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,529 $2,529
$4,050 MX$74.8K
-37.56%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,275 $2,275
$2,348 MX$43.4K
-3.11%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Texarkana, AR
Monterrey
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,155 MX$21.3K
-
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 Texarkana, AR: October 17, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Texarkana, AR
$1.3K
Monterrey
$666 48.1% $619
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Texarkana, AR
$415
Monterrey
$169 59.2% $245
Groceries & Markets
Texarkana, AR
$392
Monterrey
$304 22.3% $87
Eating Out
Texarkana, AR
$257
Monterrey
$221 13.9% $36
Clothing & Footwear
Texarkana, AR
$95
Monterrey
$155 63.5% $60
Sport & Entertainment
Texarkana, AR
$57
Monterrey
$41 28.6% $16
Getting Around
Texarkana, AR
$21 *
Monterrey
$41 94.8% $20

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,802 in Texarkana, AR and $949 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Texarkana, AR vs $48.00 in Monterrey. Groceries flip the comparison at $392 vs $304, with Monterrey cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Texarkana, AR
🇲🇽 Monterrey
🕒 Local time
09:45 9:45 AM
08:45 8:45 AM
1 h behind Texarkana, AR
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
36,193
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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 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
  • Texarkana, AR Monterrey 1,050 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Texarkana, AR
  • 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
Texarkana, AR vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Texarkana, AR and in Monterrey?
Texarkana, AR and Monterrey differ by about 58% in total monthly costs ($2,522 vs $1,599 including rent). Monterrey is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Texarkana, AR compared to Monterrey?
You'd need roughly $3,783 in Texarkana, AR and $2,399 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Texarkana, AR and in Monterrey?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,802 in Texarkana, AR versus $949 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Texarkana, AR and Monterrey?
Childcare runs $1,258 in Texarkana, AR versus $673 in Monterrey. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Monterrey – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $45.00 in Texarkana, AR. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,599 in Monterrey versus $2,522 in Texarkana, AR, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Monterrey but tight or insufficient in Texarkana, AR. The gap between the two cities makes Monterrey the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Texarkana, AR 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: Texarkana, AR or Monterrey?
Expats usually find Monterrey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Texarkana, AR. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Texarkana, AR vs other spots: cost of living compared

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