Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tulsa, OK and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,607 a month against $2,298 in Tulsa, OK, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Tulsa, OK
🇺🇸 United States
$2,298
/mo nomad
Monterrey
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,607
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,298 in Tulsa, OK versus $1,607 in Monterrey.

  • Tulsa, OK $2,298
  • Monterrey $1,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,423 in Tulsa, OK versus $2,512 in Monterrey.

  • Tulsa, OK $3,423
  • Monterrey $2,512

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,548 in Tulsa, OK versus $3,417 in Monterrey.

  • Tulsa, OK $4,548
  • Monterrey $3,417

Living in Tulsa, OK is roughly 43% more expensive than in Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Tulsa, OK 71% above, Monterrey 20% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Tulsa, OK
Monterrey
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.26 $16.26
$13.75 MX$252
18.25%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$73.5 $73.5
$50.2 MX$921
46.37%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.87 $9.87
$11.13 MX$204
-11.32%
Cappuccino
$5.14 $5.14
$4.04 MX$74.2
27.23%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 $2.29
$1.70 MX$31.29
34.71%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.72 $1.72
$0.99 MX$18.17
73.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.89 $4.89
$2.41 MX$44.21
102.90%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.82 $6.82
$4.48 MX$82.3
52.23%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tulsa, OK
Monterrey
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.10 $1.10
$1.92 MX$35.31
-42.71%
White Bread (500g)
$3.44 $3.44
$2.89 MX$53.1
19.03%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.74 $5.74
$1.94 MX$35.67
195.88%
Eggs
$4.10 $4.10
$2.50 MX$45.90
64.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.99 $14.99
$12.30 MX$226
21.87%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.17 $12.17
$9.33 MX$171
30.44%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.67 $15.67
$13.07 MX$240
19.89%
Apples (1kg)
$4.40 $4.40
$3.38 MX$62.1
30.18%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 $1.73
$1.58 MX$29.02
9.49%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.72 $3.72
$2.20 MX$40.45
69.09%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.83 $3.83
$2.45 MX$44.89
56.33%
Potato (1kg)
$2.68 $2.68
$2.26 MX$41.47
18.58%
Onion (1kg)
$2.89 $2.89
$2.74 MX$50.4
5.47%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.93 $1.93
$1.53 MX$28.09
26.14%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.27 $2.27
$1.26 MX$23.16
80.16%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.88 $9.88
$4.84 MX$88.9
104.13%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.26 $13.26
$13.59 MX$249
-2.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.92 $1.92
$1.91 MX$35.01
0.52%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.66 $4.66
$3.06 MX$56.3
52.29%
🚌 Getting Around
Tulsa, OK
Monterrey
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.77 $1.77
$0.80 MX$14.60
121.25%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.51 $44.51
$31.77 MX$583
40.10%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.99 $1.99
$1.62 MX$29.78
22.84%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.21 $1.21
$1.10 MX$20.17
10.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.71 $29.71
$10.97 MX$201
170.83%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.93 $0.93
$1.52 MX$27.93
-38.82%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.4K $35.4K
$21.4K MX$392.4K
65.79%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.2K $25.2K
$25.5K MX$467.6K
-1.14%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tulsa, OK
Monterrey
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$241 $241
$120 MX$2,198
101.55%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$70.6 $70.6
$27.08 MX$497
160.75%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$64.6 $64.6
$26.70 MX$490
141.99%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tulsa, OK
Monterrey
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$48.08 $48.08
$31.15 MX$572
54.35%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.81 $19.81
$21.95 MX$403
-9.75%
Cinema Ticket
$14.71 $14.71
$5.14 MX$94.4
186.19%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tulsa, OK
Monterrey
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,156 $1,156
$688 MX$12.6K
68.04%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.6K $25.6K
$11.4K MX$209.8K
124.39%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tulsa, OK
Monterrey
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$74.5 $74.5
$71.9 MX$1,321
3.57%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$62.6 $62.6
$43.30 MX$795
44.55%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$122 $122
$112 MX$2,059
8.70%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$149 $149
$122 MX$2,236
22.41%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tulsa, OK
Monterrey
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,250 $1,250
$957 MX$17.6K
30.61%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$911 $911
$670 MX$12.3K
35.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,023 $2,023
$1,887 MX$34.7K
7.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,515 $1,515
$1,305 MX$24.0K
16.13%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,798 $1,798
$4,159 MX$76.4K
-56.78%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,688 $1,688
$2,437 MX$44.7K
-30.74%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tulsa, OK
Monterrey
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,507 $3,507
$1,133 MX$20.8K
209.49%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.59
11.79
-44.11%

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

Last update for Tulsa, OK: October 5, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Tulsa, OK
$911
Monterrey
$670 26.4% $241
Groceries & Markets
Tulsa, OK
$398
Monterrey
$312 21.5% $86
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tulsa, OK
$377
Monterrey
$174 53.9% $203
Eating Out
Tulsa, OK
$276
Monterrey
$224 18.8% $52
Clothing & Footwear
Tulsa, OK
$184
Monterrey
$157 14.4% $27
Sport & Entertainment
Tulsa, OK
$77
Monterrey
$41 46.5% $36
Getting Around
Tulsa, OK
$60
Monterrey
$42 29.4% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,250 in Tulsa, OK and $957 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tulsa, OK pays 209% 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: $73.0 in Tulsa, OK vs $50.0 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $398 vs $312 per month, with Monterrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Tulsa, OK
🇲🇽 Monterrey
🕒 Local time
03:48 3:48 AM
02:48 2:48 AM
1 h behind Tulsa, OK
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
413,066
1,142,994
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.59 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Tulsa, OK Monterrey 1,240 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Tulsa, OK
  • 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
Tulsa, OK vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Tulsa, OK and in Monterrey?
Tulsa, OK and Monterrey differ by about 43% in total monthly costs ($2,298 vs $1,607 including rent). Monterrey is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Tulsa, OK or Monterrey?
Average pay runs 209% higher in Tulsa, OK, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Tulsa, OK and in Monterrey?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,250 in Tulsa, OK versus $957 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Monterrey – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $73.0 in Tulsa, OK. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Tulsa, OK or Monterrey?
All in, you'll spend $2,298 per month in Tulsa, OK versus $1,607 in Monterrey – a 43% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $1,607 in Monterrey versus $2,298 in Tulsa, OK, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Monterrey but tight or insufficient in Tulsa, OK. The gap between the two cities makes Monterrey the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Tulsa, OK and Monterrey?
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.
Where should expats move: Tulsa, OK or Monterrey?
Expats usually find Monterrey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Tulsa, OK. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Tulsa, OK vs other spots: cost of living compared

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