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: $1,072 in Tlalnepantla versus $1,596 in Monterrey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,706 in Tlalnepantla versus $2,550 in Monterrey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,339 in Tlalnepantla versus $3,504 in Monterrey.

Living in Tlalnepantla costs roughly 33% less than in Monterrey, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tlalnepantla is 20% below, Monterrey is 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 MX$185

$13.45 MX$233

-20.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.37 MX$821

$52.8 MX$915

-10.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.01 MX$139

$10.25 MX$178

-21.85%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$3.74 MX$64.8

-5.08%

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

$1.38 MX$23.87

$1.40 MX$24.28

-1.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 MX$17.07

$1.04 MX$17.98

-4.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.94 MX$51.0

$2.66 MX$46.07

10.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.70 MX$81.4

$4.33 MX$75.1

8.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.42

$1.59 MX$27.59

-15.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 MX$46.06

$2.62 MX$45.41

1.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.23

$1.94 MX$33.66

-4.12%

Eggs

$2.63 MX$45.58

$2.68 MX$46.39

-1.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.56 MX$166

$10.37 MX$180

-7.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.27 MX$143

$9.24 MX$160

-10.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.79 MX$204

$13.47 MX$234

-12.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.1

$3.19 MX$55.3

-5.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.50

$1.45 MX$25.06

13.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.22

$2.07 MX$35.92

0.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.66

$2.07 MX$35.88

-3.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.91

$2.27 MX$39.37

-6.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 MX$38.43

$2.57 MX$44.60

-13.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 MX$23.97

$1.50 MX$26.00

-8.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$23.00

$1.08 MX$18.68

23.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.5

$4.29 MX$74.3

-2.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.46 MX$251

$11.95 MX$207

21.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$29.01

$1.72 MX$29.85

-2.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 MX$61.4

$3.14 MX$54.4

12.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 MX$10.71

$0.82 MX$14.27

-24.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.80 MX$395

$40.89 MX$709

-44.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.58 MX$27.36

$1.68 MX$29.18

-5.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 MX$20.54

$1.01 MX$17.45

17.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.52 MX$95.6

$10.41 MX$180

-46.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.52

$1.35 MX$23.31

-3.70%

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

$18.3K MX$316.7K

$25.9K MX$449.3K

-29.52%

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

$21.0K MX$363.9K

$26.2K MX$454.0K

-19.85%

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

$40.99 MX$710

$121 MX$2,095

-66.10%

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

$27.36 MX$474

$27.83 MX$482

-1.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.53 MX$598

$30.04 MX$521

14.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.86 MX$621

$37.56 MX$651

-4.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.07 MX$278

$21.96 MX$381

-26.82%

Cinema Ticket

$6.46 MX$112

$5.75 MX$99.7

12.35%

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

$349 MX$6,054

$336 MX$5,820

4.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,581 MX$62.1K

$9,005 MX$156.0K

-60.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.4 MX$995

$59.7 MX$1,034

-3.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.75 MX$776

$42.75 MX$741

4.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 MX$1,769

$108 MX$1,875

-5.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,837

$127 MX$2,199

-16.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 MX$8,407

$908 MX$15.7K

-46.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$268 MX$4,645

$663 MX$11.5K

-59.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$636 MX$11.0K

$1,572 MX$27.2K

-59.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$424 MX$7,348

$1,424 MX$24.7K

-70.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,718 MX$29.8K

$4,254 MX$73.7K

-59.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,440 MX$24.9K

$2,862 MX$49.6K

-49.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,129 MX$19.6K

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $485 in Tlalnepantla and $908 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47 in Tlalnepantla vs $53 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $291 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 49% in total monthly costs ($1,072 vs $1,596 including rent). Tlalnepantla is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,609 in Tlalnepantla and $2,393 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $485 in Tlalnepantla versus $908 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 $47.00 versus $53.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,072 per month in Tlalnepantla versus $1,596 in Monterrey – a 49% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,072 in Tlalnepantla versus $1,596 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 49% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.