Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Topeka, KS and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,608 a month against $1,922 in Topeka, KS, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

94

Cost of Living Index in Topeka, KS
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Topeka, KS Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index

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Topeka, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$1,922

/mo nomad

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,922 in Topeka, KS versus $1,608 in Monterrey.

Topeka, KS $1,922
Monterrey $1,608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,865 in Topeka, KS versus $2,521 in Monterrey.

Topeka, KS $2,865
Monterrey $2,521

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,807 in Topeka, KS versus $3,433 in Monterrey.

Topeka, KS $3,807
Monterrey $3,433

Living in Topeka, KS is roughly 20% more expensive than in Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Topeka, KS 42% above, Monterrey 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.47 $13.47

$13.85 MX$256

-2.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.7 $51.7

$49.70 MX$918

4.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.87 $9.87

$11.05 MX$204

-10.68%

Cappuccino

$3.40 $3.40

$4.09 MX$75.6

-16.87%

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

$2.26 $2.26

$1.68 MX$30.97

34.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.03 MX$18.98

67.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.40 MX$44.28

87.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$4.35 MX$80.3

102.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$1.92 MX$35.55

-57.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 $2.68

$2.94 MX$54.2

-8.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$1.88 MX$34.66

59.04%

Eggs

$3.97 $3.97

$2.55 MX$47.06

55.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.99 $8.99

$11.84 MX$219

-24.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.24 $8.24

$9.36 MX$173

-11.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.74 $14.74

$13.10 MX$242

12.52%

Apples (1kg)

$4.67 $4.67

$3.38 MX$62.5

38.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.52 MX$28.13

3.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.14 $5.14

$2.19 MX$40.51

134.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.21 $4.21

$2.36 MX$43.63

78.39%

Potato (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$2.26 MX$41.76

50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.53 $2.53

$2.73 MX$50.5

-7.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.52 MX$28.17

21.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 $0.84

$1.24 MX$22.90

-32.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.85 $8.85

$4.75 MX$87.8

86.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.23 $12.23

$13.66 MX$252

-10.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.89 MX$34.95

-2.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 $1.64

$2.99 MX$55.2

-45.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.02 $4.02

$0.85 MX$15.78

372.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.3 $50.3

$30.95 MX$572

62.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.76 $2.76

$1.68 MX$30.98

64.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.13 MX$20.87

38.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.70 $33.70

$11.15 MX$206

202.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.56 MX$28.91

-39.74%

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

$24.0K $24.0K

$21.4K MX$395.8K

12.04%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$25.1K MX$463.2K

-0.41%

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

$143 $143

$119 MX$2,206

20.02%

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

$48.04 $48.04

$26.21 MX$484

83.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.0 $66.0

$26.78 MX$495

146.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.74 $44.74

$31.03 MX$573

44.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.30 $15.30

$21.43 MX$396

-28.60%

Cinema Ticket

$15.25 $15.25

$5.29 MX$97.7

188.28%

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

$438 $438

$691 MX$12.8K

-36.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K MX$212.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.30 $38.30

$72.3 MX$1,335

-46.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.87 $28.87

$42.72 MX$789

-32.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.8 $88.8

$110 MX$2,024

-18.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.8 $80.8

$117 MX$2,158

-30.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$790 $790

$970 MX$17.9K

-18.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$853 $853

$664 MX$12.3K

28.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,302 $1,302

$1,857 MX$34.3K

-29.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,467 $1,467

$1,287 MX$23.8K

13.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,292 $1,292

$4,162 MX$76.9K

-68.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,342 $1,342

$2,349 MX$43.4K

-42.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,554 $3,554

$1,146 MX$21.2K

210.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.24

11.79

-47.07%

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

Last update for Topeka, KS: October 12, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Topeka, KS

$853 44.4%

Monterrey

$664 41.3% 22.2% $189

Groceries & Markets

Topeka, KS

$319 16.6%

Monterrey

$310 19.3% 2.7% $8.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Topeka, KS

$257 13.4%

Monterrey

$172 10.7% 33% $85

Eating Out

Topeka, KS

$234 12.2%

Monterrey

$225 14% 4.2% $9.8

Clothing & Footwear

Topeka, KS

$107 5.5%

Monterrey

$154 9.6% 44.2% $47

Getting Around

Topeka, KS

$77 4%

Monterrey

$42 2.6% 45.9% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Topeka, KS

$75 3.9%

Monterrey

$42 2.6% 44.7% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $790 in Topeka, KS and $970 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Topeka, KS pays 210% 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: $52.0 in Topeka, KS vs $50.0 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $310 per month, with Monterrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Topeka, KS

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🕒 Local time

11:39 11:39 AM

10:39 10:39 AM

1 h behind Topeka, KS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

124,331

1,142,994

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Topeka, KS Monterrey 1,550 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Topeka, KS
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

Topeka, KS vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Topeka, KS and Monterrey differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($1,922 vs $1,608 including rent). Monterrey is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 210% higher in Topeka, KS, 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: $790 in Topeka, KS versus $970 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Monterrey – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $52.0 in Topeka, KS. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,922 per month in Topeka, KS versus $1,608 in Monterrey – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,608 in Monterrey versus $1,922 in Topeka, KS, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Monterrey but tight or insufficient in Topeka, KS. The gap between the two cities makes Monterrey 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 Monterrey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Topeka, KS. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.