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: $1,069 in Tlalnepantla versus $1,615 in Monterrey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,695 in Tlalnepantla versus $2,601 in Monterrey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,320 in Tlalnepantla versus $3,587 in Monterrey.

Living in Tlalnepantla costs roughly 34% less than in Monterrey, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tlalnepantla is 20% below, Monterrey is 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$185

$13.05 MX$227

-18.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.94 MX$834

$52.1 MX$907

-7.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.86 MX$137

$10.14 MX$177

-22.49%

Cappuccino

$3.44 MX$59.9

$3.57 MX$62.2

-3.64%

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

$1.36 MX$23.67

$1.40 MX$24.38

-2.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 MX$17.20

$1.03 MX$17.99

-3.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.89 MX$50.3

$2.69 MX$46.82

7.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.71 MX$81.9

$4.12 MX$71.7

14.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.57

$1.60 MX$27.85

-15.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 MX$46.32

$2.58 MX$44.96

3.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$33.68

$1.87 MX$32.46

3.74%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.17

$2.70 MX$47.02

-5.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.98 MX$174

$10.40 MX$181

-4.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.16 MX$142

$8.78 MX$153

-7.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$208

$13.45 MX$234

-11.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$52.5

$3.22 MX$56.1

-6.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 MX$29.46

$1.40 MX$24.43

20.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.37

$2.01 MX$34.99

-1.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.68

$2.15 MX$37.38

-7.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.53

$2.35 MX$40.97

-8.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.30

$2.45 MX$42.63

-7.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 MX$24.51

$1.50 MX$26.11

-6.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.07 MX$18.66

23.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$72.3

$4.19 MX$72.9

-0.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.44 MX$303

$14.43 MX$251

20.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.11

$1.77 MX$30.87

-2.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 MX$61.1

$3.18 MX$55.4

10.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 MX$10.71

$0.75 MX$13.07

-17.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.41 MX$407

$40.81 MX$710

-42.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 MX$27.40

$1.67 MX$29.11

-5.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 MX$20.93

$0.94 MX$16.33

27.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.56 MX$96.7

$10.65 MX$185

-47.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$22.34

$1.31 MX$22.82

-2.29%

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

$18.1K MX$315.4K

$26.1K MX$455.0K

-30.68%

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

$21.3K MX$370.9K

$26.3K MX$457.4K

-18.91%

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

$40.79 MX$710

$123 MX$2,133

-66.73%

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

$26.80 MX$466

$27.94 MX$486

-4.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.64 MX$603

$29.69 MX$517

16.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.90 MX$625

$37.16 MX$647

-3.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.56 MX$271

$21.68 MX$377

-28.23%

Cinema Ticket

$6.32 MX$110

$5.88 MX$102

7.48%

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

$344 MX$5,978

$339 MX$5,904

1.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,546 MX$61.7K

$8,746 MX$152.2K

-59.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 MX$1,011

$59.4 MX$1,033

-2.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.25 MX$787

$42.83 MX$745

5.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,833

$107 MX$1,865

-1.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 MX$1,836

$125 MX$2,180

-15.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$479 MX$8,337

$894 MX$15.6K

-46.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$263 MX$4,584

$652 MX$11.4K

-59.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$639 MX$11.1K

$1,613 MX$28.1K

-60.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$416 MX$7,235

$1,380 MX$24.0K

-69.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,847 MX$32.1K

$4,271 MX$74.3K

-56.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,240 MX$21.6K

$2,825 MX$49.2K

-56.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,028 MX$17.9K

$1,112 MX$19.3K

-7.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

11.55

-1.82%

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

Last update for Tlalnepantla: July 22, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: July 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $479 in Tlalnepantla and $894 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 8% 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: $48.00 in Tlalnepantla vs $52.0 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $294 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 51% in total monthly costs ($1,069 vs $1,615 including rent). Tlalnepantla is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 8% 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: $479 in Tlalnepantla versus $894 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 $48.00 versus $52.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,069 per month in Tlalnepantla versus $1,615 in Monterrey – a 51% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,069 in Tlalnepantla versus $1,615 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 51% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.