Cost of Living Comparison Between Toluca and Monterrey Cost of Living Comparison Between Toluca and Monterrey

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,198 in Toluca versus $1,715 in Monterrey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,976 in Toluca versus $2,683 in Monterrey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,754 in Toluca versus $3,652 in Monterrey.

Living in Toluca costs roughly 30% less than in Monterrey, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.65 MX$197

$14.60 MX$246

-20.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.24 MX$780

$53.5 MX$904

-13.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.78 MX$148

$11.95 MX$202

-26.53%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$58.2

$4.29 MX$72.4

-19.58%

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

$1.35 MX$22.87

$1.73 MX$29.15

-21.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 MX$13.54

$1.06 MX$17.95

-24.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.05 MX$34.56

$2.95 MX$49.84

-30.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 MX$62.4

$4.73 MX$79.8

-21.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 MX$32.56

$2.00 MX$33.70

-3.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.34 MX$56.4

$3.15 MX$53.1

6.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.45 MX$41.31

$2.07 MX$34.86

18.36%

Eggs

$3.35 MX$56.5

$2.78 MX$46.99

20.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.53 MX$144

$13.18 MX$222

-35.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.87 MX$150

$10.11 MX$171

-12.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.99 MX$169

$13.97 MX$236

-28.49%

Apples (1kg)

$4.35 MX$73.4

$3.49 MX$58.9

24.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.75

$1.64 MX$27.64

29.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.35 MX$39.69

$2.28 MX$38.41

3.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 MX$41.74

$2.60 MX$43.85

-5.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.09 MX$52.2

$2.53 MX$42.75

22.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 MX$42.94

$2.85 MX$48.03

-10.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 MX$29.91

$1.56 MX$26.30

13.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 MX$17.93

$1.29 MX$21.74

-17.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.04 MX$85.1

$5.21 MX$87.9

-3.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.67 MX$231

$14.84 MX$250

-7.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 MX$33.66

$2.01 MX$33.96

-1.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 MX$66.4

$3.13 MX$52.9

25.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 MX$13.72

$0.90 MX$15.13

-10.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.72 MX$569

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.47 MX$58.7

$1.85 MX$31.28

87.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.06 MX$34.70

$1.19 MX$20.14

73.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.75 MX$181

$11.82 MX$199

-9.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 MX$25.32

$1.67 MX$28.26

-10.18%

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

$29.1K MX$491.3K

$22.6K MX$381.0K

28.96%

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

$25.5K MX$430.1K

$27.1K MX$457.6K

-6.01%

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

$61.6 MX$1,040

$128 MX$2,161

-51.86%

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

$27.52 MX$464

$28.03 MX$473

-1.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.50 MX$582

$28.47 MX$481

21.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.5 MX$885

$32.66 MX$551

60.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.62 MX$416

$23.24 MX$392

5.94%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 MX$131

$5.58 MX$94.2

39.43%

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

$244 MX$4,126

$734 MX$12.4K

-66.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,632 MX$95.1K

$12.1K MX$204.5K

-53.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 MX$1,182

$79.5 MX$1,342

-11.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 MX$982

$46.39 MX$783

25.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 MX$1,861

$120 MX$2,024

-8.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 MX$1,930

$133 MX$2,252

-14.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$778 MX$13.1K

$1,052 MX$17.8K

-26.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$314 MX$5,306

$739 MX$12.5K

-57.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,039 MX$17.5K

$2,020 MX$34.1K

-48.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$761 MX$12.8K

$1,358 MX$22.9K

-44.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,404 MX$23.7K

$4,486 MX$75.7K

-68.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$994 MX$16.8K

$2,663 MX$44.9K

-62.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,385 MX$23.4K

$1,153 MX$19.5K

20.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.07

11.56

-4.24%

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

Last update for Toluca: August 31, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $778 in Toluca and $1,052 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toluca pays 20% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Toluca vs $54.0 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $311 vs $333 per month, with Toluca 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

Toluca vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Toluca and Monterrey differ by about 43% in total monthly costs ($1,198 vs $1,715 including rent). Toluca is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 20% higher in Toluca, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $778 in Toluca versus $1,052 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $244 in Toluca versus $734 in Monterrey. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Toluca – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $54.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,198 in Toluca versus $1,715 in Monterrey, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Toluca but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes Toluca 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 Toluca 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.