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: $1,151 in Toluca versus $1,596 in Monterrey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,873 in Toluca versus $2,550 in Monterrey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,594 in Toluca versus $3,504 in Monterrey.

Living in Toluca costs roughly 28% less than in Monterrey, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Toluca is 14% below, Monterrey is 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.53 MX$165

$13.45 MX$233

-29.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.84 MX$742

$52.8 MX$915

-18.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.09 MX$140

$10.25 MX$178

-21.07%

Cappuccino

$2.92 MX$50.6

$3.74 MX$64.8

-21.93%

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

$1.16 MX$20.02

$1.40 MX$24.28

-17.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 MX$13.93

$1.04 MX$17.98

-23.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.07 MX$35.82

$2.66 MX$46.07

-22.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 MX$58.8

$4.33 MX$75.1

-21.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 MX$23.75

$1.59 MX$27.59

-13.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.42 MX$59.2

$2.62 MX$45.41

30.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$33.54

$1.94 MX$33.66

Eggs

$2.62 MX$45.43

$2.68 MX$46.39

-2.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.77 MX$99.9

$10.37 MX$180

-44.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.90 MX$172

$9.24 MX$160

7.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.86 MX$205

$13.47 MX$234

-11.95%

Apples (1kg)

$4.24 MX$73.5

$3.19 MX$55.3

32.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.60

$1.45 MX$25.06

17.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 MX$33.73

$2.07 MX$35.92

-5.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.62

$2.07 MX$35.88

4.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 MX$42.59

$2.27 MX$39.37

8.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 MX$41.35

$2.57 MX$44.60

-7.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.89 MX$32.74

$1.50 MX$26.00

26.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 MX$17.78

$1.08 MX$18.68

-4.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.79 MX$83.0

$4.29 MX$74.3

11.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.33 MX$231

$11.95 MX$207

11.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 MX$33.30

$1.72 MX$29.85

11.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 MX$58.6

$3.14 MX$54.4

7.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 MX$11.39

$0.82 MX$14.27

-19.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.89 MX$709

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 MX$55.3

$1.68 MX$29.18

89.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.23 MX$38.68

$1.01 MX$17.45

120.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.97 MX$138

$10.41 MX$180

-23.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 MX$21.58

$1.35 MX$23.31

-7.41%

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

$27.7K MX$479.3K

$25.9K MX$449.3K

6.67%

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

$28.6K MX$496.1K

$26.2K MX$454.0K

9.29%

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

$46.78 MX$811

$121 MX$2,095

-61.31%

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

$21.78 MX$377

$27.83 MX$482

-21.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.22 MX$593

$30.04 MX$521

13.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.3 MX$872

$37.56 MX$651

33.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.93 MX$397

$21.96 MX$381

4.42%

Cinema Ticket

$7.00 MX$121

$5.75 MX$99.7

21.74%

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

$167 MX$2,893

$336 MX$5,820

-50.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,102 MX$88.4K

$9,005 MX$156.0K

-43.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.9 MX$968

$59.7 MX$1,034

-6.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.4 MX$1,047

$42.75 MX$741

41.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 MX$1,629

$108 MX$1,875

-13.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 MX$1,787

$127 MX$2,199

-18.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$643 MX$11.1K

$908 MX$15.7K

-29.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$386 MX$6,684

$663 MX$11.5K

-41.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$941 MX$16.3K

$1,572 MX$27.2K

-40.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$764 MX$13.2K

$1,424 MX$24.7K

-46.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,351 MX$23.4K

$4,254 MX$73.7K

-68.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$957 MX$16.6K

$2,862 MX$49.6K

-66.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,366 MX$23.7K

$1,129 MX$19.6K

20.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.12

11.55

-3.72%

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

Last update for Toluca: April 22, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $643 in Toluca and $908 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toluca pays 21% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43 in Toluca vs $53 in Monterrey. Groceries flip the comparison at $294 vs $291, with Monterrey cheaper for home cooking.

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 39% in total monthly costs ($1,151 vs $1,596 including rent). Toluca is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Toluca pays 21% more on average, 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: $643 in Toluca versus $908 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $167 in Toluca versus $336 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 $43.00 versus $53.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,151 in Toluca versus $1,596 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 39% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.