Cost of Living Comparison Between Tlalnepantla and Monterrey Cost of Living Comparison Between Tlalnepantla and Monterrey

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,196 in Tlalnepantla versus $1,715 in Monterrey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,069 in Tlalnepantla versus $2,683 in Monterrey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,942 in Tlalnepantla versus $3,652 in Monterrey.

Living in Tlalnepantla costs roughly 30% less than in Monterrey, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tlalnepantla is 13% below, Monterrey is 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.11 MX$204

$14.60 MX$246

-17.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.73 MX$755

$53.5 MX$904

-16.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.86 MX$183

$11.95 MX$202

-9.12%

Cappuccino

$4.04 MX$68.2

$4.29 MX$72.4

-5.83%

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

$1.73 MX$29.19

$1.73 MX$29.15

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.47

$1.06 MX$17.95

2.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.31 MX$55.9

$2.95 MX$49.84

12.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.04 MX$102

$4.73 MX$79.8

27.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 MX$27.05

$2.00 MX$33.70

-20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.24 MX$54.6

$3.15 MX$53.1

2.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 MX$33.89

$2.07 MX$34.86

-2.90%

Eggs

$2.98 MX$50.2

$2.78 MX$46.99

7.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.85 MX$166

$13.18 MX$222

-25.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.21 MX$172

$10.11 MX$171

0.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.20 MX$273

$13.97 MX$236

15.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 MX$58.1

$3.49 MX$58.9

-1.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$28.79

$1.64 MX$27.64

4.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.20

$2.28 MX$38.41

-8.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.44 MX$41.23

$2.60 MX$43.85

-6.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$36.42

$2.53 MX$42.75

-14.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$31.95

$2.85 MX$48.03

-33.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 MX$20.35

$1.56 MX$26.30

-22.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 MX$23.95

$1.29 MX$21.74

10.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.68 MX$78.9

$5.21 MX$87.9

-10.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.50 MX$295

$14.84 MX$250

17.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 MX$35.66

$2.01 MX$33.96

4.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.17 MX$70.5

$3.13 MX$52.9

33.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 MX$20.62

$0.90 MX$15.13

35.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.02 MX$439

$33.72 MX$569

-22.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.92 MX$66.2

$1.85 MX$31.28

111.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 MX$30.26

$1.19 MX$20.14

50.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.80 MX$98.0

$11.82 MX$199

-50.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 MX$26.31

$1.67 MX$28.26

-6.59%

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

$22.5K MX$379.6K

$22.6K MX$381.0K

-0.37%

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

$25.7K MX$433.8K

$27.1K MX$457.6K

-5.20%

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

$45.26 MX$764

$128 MX$2,161

-64.65%

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

$30.53 MX$515

$28.03 MX$473

8.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.85 MX$723

$28.47 MX$481

50.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.99 MX$675

$32.66 MX$551

22.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.61 MX$382

$23.24 MX$392

-2.71%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$119

$5.58 MX$94.2

26.16%

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

$178 MX$3,004

$734 MX$12.4K

-75.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,015 MX$84.6K

$12.1K MX$204.5K

-58.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.25 MX$798

$79.5 MX$1,342

-40.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.6 MX$939

$46.39 MX$783

19.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.3 MX$1,541

$120 MX$2,024

-23.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 MX$1,853

$133 MX$2,252

-17.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$494 MX$8,342

$1,052 MX$17.8K

-53.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$292 MX$4,928

$739 MX$12.5K

-60.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$672 MX$11.3K

$2,020 MX$34.1K

-66.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$859 MX$14.5K

$1,358 MX$22.9K

-36.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,832 MX$30.9K

$4,486 MX$75.7K

-59.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,273 MX$21.5K

$2,663 MX$44.9K

-52.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,039 MX$17.5K

$1,153 MX$19.5K

-9.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

11.56

-2.25%

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

Last update for Tlalnepantla: August 31, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $494 in Tlalnepantla and $1,052 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 11% 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: $45.00 in Tlalnepantla vs $54.0 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $333 per month, with Tlalnepantla 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

Tlalnepantla vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tlalnepantla and Monterrey differ by about 43% in total monthly costs ($1,196 vs $1,715 including rent). Tlalnepantla is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 11% lower in Monterrey. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $494 in Tlalnepantla versus $1,052 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Tlalnepantla – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $54.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,196 per month in Tlalnepantla versus $1,715 in Monterrey – a 43% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,196 in Tlalnepantla versus $1,715 in Monterrey, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tlalnepantla but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes Tlalnepantla 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 Tlalnepantla gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.