Cost of Living Comparison Between Tlaxcala and Monterrey Cost of Living Comparison Between Tlaxcala and Monterrey

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $853 in Tlaxcala versus $1,728 in Monterrey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,383 in Tlaxcala versus $2,711 in Monterrey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,913 in Tlaxcala versus $3,694 in Monterrey.

Living in Tlaxcala costs roughly 51% less than in Monterrey, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tlaxcala is 38% below, Monterrey is 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.85 MX$98.7

$14.63 MX$247

-60.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.53 MX$431

$53.1 MX$897

-51.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.13 MX$120

$12.02 MX$203

-40.68%

Cappuccino

$3.20 MX$54.0

$4.18 MX$70.6

-23.44%

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

$1.50 MX$25.35

$1.70 MX$28.68

-11.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.09

$1.12 MX$18.86

-4.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.10 MX$35.43

$2.92 MX$49.30

-28.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 MX$41.52

$4.71 MX$79.5

-47.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 MX$30.30

$1.97 MX$33.34

-9.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.17 MX$36.72

$3.16 MX$53.4

-31.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 MX$26.89

$2.00 MX$33.84

-20.50%

Eggs

$2.37 MX$40.02

$2.68 MX$45.23

-11.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.86 MX$133

$13.14 MX$222

-40.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.57 MX$111

$9.98 MX$169

-34.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.67 MX$197

$13.79 MX$233

-15.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.53 MX$42.73

$3.60 MX$60.8

-29.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 MX$21.87

$1.65 MX$27.94

-21.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 MX$30.93

$2.31 MX$39.07

-20.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 MX$21.99

$2.58 MX$43.50

-49.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 MX$16.81

$2.50 MX$42.19

-60.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 MX$19.40

$2.95 MX$49.79

-61.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 MX$14.39

$1.62 MX$27.40

-47.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$20.05

$1.34 MX$22.59

-11.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.85 MX$81.9

$5.34 MX$90.2

-9.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.18 MX$172

$14.83 MX$250

-31.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$26.63

$2.02 MX$34.12

-21.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.49

$3.23 MX$54.5

-47.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$8.79

$0.87 MX$14.71

-40.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.53 MX$566

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.88 MX$48.67

$1.88 MX$31.67

53.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 MX$32.20

$1.15 MX$19.42

66.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.05 MX$102

$11.99 MX$203

-49.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 MX$25.27

$1.68 MX$28.45

-10.71%

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

$25.4K MX$429.5K

$22.7K MX$383.2K

12.08%

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

$27.5K MX$464.4K

$27.3K MX$460.6K

0.82%

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

$36.14 MX$610

$124 MX$2,099

-70.93%

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

$20.94 MX$354

$28.42 MX$480

-26.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.94 MX$624

$28.37 MX$479

30.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.90 MX$589

$33.01 MX$557

5.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.84 MX$402

$23.10 MX$390

3.20%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$85.6

$5.51 MX$93.1

-7.99%

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

$263 MX$4,438

$738 MX$12.5K

-64.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K MX$210.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.07 MX$575

$80.9 MX$1,366

-57.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.4 MX$884

$45.74 MX$772

14.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 MX$2,132

$121 MX$2,036

4.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.8 MX$1,651

$135 MX$2,284

-27.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$274 MX$4,618

$1,045 MX$17.7K

-73.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$170 MX$2,873

$728 MX$12.3K

-76.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$549 MX$9,273

$2,014 MX$34.0K

-72.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$378 MX$6,383

$1,403 MX$23.7K

-73.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,411 MX$74.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,630 MX$44.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$715 MX$12.1K

$1,170 MX$19.8K

-38.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.87

11.56

-5.97%

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

Last update for Tlaxcala: September 5, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $274 in Tlaxcala and $1,045 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 64% 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: $26.00 in Tlaxcala vs $53.0 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $236 vs $333 per month, with Tlaxcala 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

Tlaxcala vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tlaxcala and Monterrey differ by about 103% in total monthly costs ($853 vs $1,728 including rent). Tlaxcala is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 64% 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: $274 in Tlaxcala versus $1,045 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $263 in Tlaxcala versus $738 in Monterrey. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tlaxcala – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $53.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $853 in Tlaxcala versus $1,728 in Monterrey, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tlaxcala but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes Tlaxcala 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.

Safety-wise, Tlaxcala and Monterrey are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Tlaxcala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 103% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.