Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tlaxcala and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Tlaxcala: $758 a month against $1,647 in Monterrey, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Tlaxcala
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Tlaxcala Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index

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Tlaxcala

🇲🇽 Mexico

$758

/mo nomad

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,647

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $758 in Tlaxcala versus $1,647 in Monterrey.

Tlaxcala $758
Monterrey $1,647

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,237 in Tlaxcala versus $2,591 in Monterrey.

Tlaxcala $1,237
Monterrey $2,591

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,717 in Tlaxcala versus $3,536 in Monterrey.

Tlaxcala $1,717
Monterrey $3,536

Living in Tlaxcala costs roughly 54% less than in Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tlaxcala is 44% below, Monterrey is 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.28 MX$98.5

$13.45 MX$251

-60.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.57 MX$421

$48.43 MX$903

-53.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.41 MX$120

$10.90 MX$203

-41.19%

Cappuccino

$2.82 MX$52.6

$3.82 MX$71.2

-26.18%

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

$1.34 MX$25.00

$1.67 MX$31.06

-19.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 MX$18.38

$0.98 MX$18.32

1.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.86 MX$34.71

$2.35 MX$43.81

-20.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 MX$42.26

$4.41 MX$82.2

-48.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$30.17

$1.80 MX$33.58

-10.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.99 MX$37.13

$2.79 MX$52.1

-28.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.78

$1.82 MX$34.02

-20.88%

Eggs

$2.26 MX$42.11

$2.51 MX$46.84

-9.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.98 MX$130

$12.09 MX$225

-42.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.99 MX$112

$9.41 MX$175

-36.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.61 MX$198

$12.71 MX$237

-16.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.77

$3.21 MX$59.8

-31.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 MX$21.58

$1.50 MX$27.92

-22.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 MX$31.64

$2.14 MX$39.97

-20.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.18 MX$22.07

$2.32 MX$43.28

-49.14%

Potato (1kg)

$0.90 MX$16.78

$2.20 MX$41.04

-59.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 MX$19.74

$2.60 MX$48.43

-59.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.82 MX$15.32

$1.44 MX$26.85

-43.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 MX$21.16

$1.17 MX$21.88

-2.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.37 MX$81.5

$4.79 MX$89.3

-8.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.40 MX$175

$13.22 MX$247

-28.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 MX$26.88

$1.94 MX$36.21

-25.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 MX$28.99

$2.89 MX$53.8

-46.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 MX$8.25

$0.87 MX$16.26

-49.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.14 MX$581

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 MX$49.73

$1.66 MX$30.88

60.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.77 MX$32.96

$1.09 MX$20.39

62.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.55 MX$103

$10.67 MX$199

-47.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 MX$26.40

$1.47 MX$27.47

-3.40%

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

$23.7K MX$441.0K

$24.2K MX$451.9K

-2.42%

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

$25.3K MX$472.5K

$23.6K MX$439.1K

7.63%

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

$32.88 MX$613

$118 MX$2,197

-72.10%

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

$19.21 MX$358

$25.55 MX$476

-24.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.93 MX$633

$26.43 MX$493

28.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.44 MX$605

$30.77 MX$574

5.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.49 MX$401

$21.07 MX$393

1.99%

Cinema Ticket

$4.71 MX$87.9

$5.09 MX$94.9

-7.47%

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

$242 MX$4,512

$694 MX$12.9K

-65.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K MX$211.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.97 MX$559

$72.5 MX$1,351

-58.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.21 MX$917

$41.51 MX$774

18.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$2,150

$110 MX$2,046

5.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 MX$1,684

$115 MX$2,143

-21.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$253 MX$4,711

$1,056 MX$19.7K

-76.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$155 MX$2,893

$721 MX$13.4K

-78.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$492 MX$9,175

$1,999 MX$37.3K

-75.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$356 MX$6,630

$1,435 MX$26.7K

-75.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,219 MX$78.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,731 MX$50.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$648 MX$12.1K

$1,149 MX$21.4K

-43.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.87

11.79

-7.80%

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

Last update for Tlaxcala: October 24, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Tlaxcala

$215 28.4%

Monterrey

$303 18.4% 41.1% $88

Accommodation & Living

Tlaxcala

$155 20.5%

Monterrey

$721 43.8% 365% $566

Clothing & Footwear

Tlaxcala

$128 16.9%

Monterrey

$152 9.3% 18.9% $24

Eating Out

Tlaxcala

$119 15.6%

Monterrey

$217 13.2% 83.4% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tlaxcala

$86 11.4%

Monterrey

$170 10.3% 97.5% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Tlaxcala

$42 5.5%

Monterrey

$41 2.5% 2.2% $0.9

Getting Around

Tlaxcala

$13 * 1.8%

Monterrey

$42 2.5% 215% $28

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 $253 in Tlaxcala and $1,056 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 77% 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: $23 in Tlaxcala vs $48 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $215 vs $303 per month, with Tlaxcala cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Tlaxcala

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🕒 Local time

11:42 11:42 AM

Same time as Tlaxcala

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,555

1,142,994

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Tlaxcala Monterrey 740 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Tlaxcala
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

Tlaxcala vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tlaxcala and Monterrey differ by about 117% in total monthly costs ($758 vs $1,647 including rent). Tlaxcala is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 44% lower in Tlaxcala. 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: $253 in Tlaxcala versus $1,056 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $242 in Tlaxcala versus $694 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 $23 versus $48 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $758 in Tlaxcala versus $1,647 in Monterrey, a $1,000 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.

It comes down to priorities – Tlaxcala wins on affordability, Monterrey on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.