Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Trujillo and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Trujillo: $867 a month against $1,608 in Monterrey, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Trujillo
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Trujillo Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index

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Trujillo

🇵🇪 Peru

$867

/mo nomad

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $867 in Trujillo versus $1,608 in Monterrey.

Trujillo $867
Monterrey $1,608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,340 in Trujillo versus $2,521 in Monterrey.

Trujillo $1,340
Monterrey $2,521

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,814 in Trujillo versus $3,433 in Monterrey.

Trujillo $1,814
Monterrey $3,433

Living in Trujillo costs roughly 46% less than in Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Trujillo is 36% below, Monterrey is 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.50 PEN 12.01

$13.85 MX$256

-74.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.64 PEN 81.2

$49.70 MX$918

-52.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.01 PEN 24.07

$11.05 MX$204

-36.56%

Cappuccino

$3.25 PEN 11.17

$4.09 MX$75.6

-20.54%

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

$0.89 PEN 3.06

$1.68 MX$30.97

-47.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 PEN 2.12

$1.03 MX$18.98

-39.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.98 PEN 6.81

$2.40 MX$44.28

-17.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 PEN 11.89

$4.35 MX$80.3

-20.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 PEN 4.50

$1.92 MX$35.55

-31.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.06 PEN 7.08

$2.94 MX$54.2

-29.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 PEN 3.92

$1.88 MX$34.66

-39.36%

Eggs

$3.98 PEN 13.68

$2.55 MX$47.06

56.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.81 PEN 26.82

$11.84 MX$219

-34.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.54 PEN 22.46

$9.36 MX$173

-30.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.20 PEN 31.61

$13.10 MX$242

-29.77%

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 PEN 5.74

$3.38 MX$62.5

-50.59%

Banana (1kg)

$0.61 PEN 2.08

$1.52 MX$28.13

-59.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.60 PEN 2.06

$2.19 MX$40.51

-72.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.89 PEN 3.07

$2.36 MX$43.63

-62.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 PEN 3.42

$2.26 MX$41.76

-55.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 PEN 3.90

$2.73 MX$50.5

-58.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 PEN 4.24

$1.52 MX$28.17

-18.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 PEN 3.93

$1.24 MX$22.90

-8.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 PEN 14.49

$4.75 MX$87.8

-11.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 PEN 19.66

$13.66 MX$252

-58.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 PEN 5.88

$1.89 MX$34.95

-9.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 PEN 5.61

$2.99 MX$55.2

-45.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 PEN 1.94

$0.85 MX$15.78

-32.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.65 PEN 60.6

$30.95 MX$572

-42.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.53 PEN 8.68

$1.68 MX$30.98

50.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.21 PEN 7.58

$1.13 MX$20.87

95.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 PEN 20.55

$11.15 MX$206

-46.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 PEN 5.84

$1.56 MX$28.91

8.97%

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

$17.5K PEN 60.2K

$21.4K MX$395.8K

-18.20%

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

$27.8K PEN 95.3K

$25.1K MX$463.2K

10.76%

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

$97.9 PEN 336

$119 MX$2,206

-17.99%

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

$12.84 PEN 44.08

$26.21 MX$484

-51.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.05 PEN 92.9

$26.78 MX$495

1.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.49 PEN 136

$31.03 MX$573

27.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.79 PEN 19.89

$21.43 MX$396

-72.98%

Cinema Ticket

$4.40 PEN 15.11

$5.29 MX$97.7

-16.82%

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

$107 PEN 369

$691 MX$12.8K

-84.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,078 PEN 7,136

$11.5K MX$212.1K

-81.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.8 PEN 247

$72.3 MX$1,335

-0.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$14.35 PEN 49.28

$42.72 MX$789

-66.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$46.03 PEN 158

$110 MX$2,024

-57.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$43.97 PEN 151

$117 MX$2,158

-62.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$384 PEN 1,319

$970 MX$17.9K

-60.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$253 PEN 869

$664 MX$12.3K

-61.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$744 PEN 2,555

$1,857 MX$34.3K

-59.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$512 PEN 1,758

$1,287 MX$23.8K

-60.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,177 PEN 4,043

$4,162 MX$76.9K

-71.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,349 MX$43.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$548 PEN 1,884

$1,146 MX$21.2K

-52.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.7

11.79

-0.76%

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

Last update for Trujillo: October 11, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Trujillo

$253 29.2%

Monterrey

$664 41.3% 162% $411

Groceries & Markets

Trujillo

$204 23.5%

Monterrey

$310 19.3% 52.2% $106

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Trujillo

$138 15.9%

Monterrey

$172 10.7% 25.1% $35

Eating Out

Trujillo

$111 12.8%

Monterrey

$225 14% 102% $114

Clothing & Footwear

Trujillo

$79 9.2%

Monterrey

$154 9.6% 93.7% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Trujillo

$48 5.6%

Monterrey

$42 2.6% 13.8% $6.7

Getting Around

Trujillo

$33 3.9%

Monterrey

$42 2.6% 24.5% $8.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $384 in Trujillo and $970 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 109% 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: $24.00 in Trujillo vs $50.0 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $204 vs $310 per month, with Trujillo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Trujillo

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🕒 Local time

07:35 7:35 AM

06:35 6:35 AM

1 h behind Trujillo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

314,939

1,142,994

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Trujillo Monterrey 4,410 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Trujillo
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

Trujillo vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Trujillo and Monterrey differ by about 86% in total monthly costs ($867 vs $1,608 including rent). Trujillo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 109% 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: $384 in Trujillo versus $970 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Trujillo – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $50.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $867 per month in Trujillo versus $1,608 in Monterrey – a 86% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $867 in Trujillo versus $1,608 in Monterrey, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Trujillo but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes Trujillo 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 Trujillo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 86% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.