Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Union, SC and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,641 a month against $2,365 in Union, SC, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

113

Cost of Living Index in Union, SC
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Union, SC Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index

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Union, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,365

/mo nomad

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,365 in Union, SC versus $1,641 in Monterrey.

Union, SC $2,365
Monterrey $1,641

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,557 in Union, SC versus $2,573 in Monterrey.

Union, SC $3,557
Monterrey $2,573

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,749 in Union, SC versus $3,504 in Monterrey.

Union, SC $4,749
Monterrey $3,504

Living in Union, SC is roughly 44% more expensive than in Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Union, SC 75% above, Monterrey 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.74 $8.74

$13.37 MX$251

-34.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.8 $99.8

$47.95 MX$900

108.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.67 $8.67

$10.79 MX$203

-19.65%

Cappuccino

$5.69 $5.69

$3.77 MX$70.7

50.93%

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

$2.20 $2.20

$1.51 MX$28.37

45.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 $1.83

$1.03 MX$19.33

77.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.48 MX$46.60

11.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 $3.40

$4.36 MX$81.8

-22.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.89 MX$35.58

-42.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.36 $3.36

$2.85 MX$53.5

17.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.86 MX$34.86

32.80%

Eggs

$3.19 $3.19

$2.47 MX$46.31

29.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.90 $8.90

$11.81 MX$222

-24.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.02 $13.02

$8.97 MX$168

45.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.96 $14.96

$12.57 MX$236

19.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 $2.75

$3.20 MX$60.0

-14.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.50 MX$28.23

-14.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 $3.27

$2.12 MX$39.90

54.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$2.33 MX$43.82

86.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$2.22 MX$41.75

3.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.58 MX$48.54

-20.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.45 MX$27.15

20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.22 MX$22.94

0.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.47 $8.47

$4.80 MX$90.1

76.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.77 $8.77

$13.30 MX$250

-34.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.93 MX$36.28

-6.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.22 $5.22

$2.86 MX$53.6

82.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.20 $2.20

$0.80 MX$15.00

175.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.0 $55.0

$30.94 MX$581

77.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.83 MX$34.42

51.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.07 $3.07

$1.06 MX$19.86

189.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.57 $35.57

$10.82 MX$203

228.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.47 MX$27.65

-35.37%

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

$28.1K $28.1K

$24.1K MX$452.3K

16.77%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$23.5K MX$442.0K

10.31%

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

$177 $177

$115 MX$2,152

54.01%

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

$63.8 $63.8

$26.37 MX$495

141.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.59 $45.59

$25.70 MX$483

77.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.28 $40.28

$30.53 MX$573

31.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.27 MX$400

Cinema Ticket

$11.72 $11.72

$4.96 MX$93.1

136.29%

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

$2,537 $2,537

$679 MX$12.7K

273.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.6K $32.6K

$14.2K MX$266.4K

129.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.50 $47.50

$72.2 MX$1,356

-34.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.79 $20.79

$41.94 MX$788

-50.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.1 $84.1

$107 MX$2,019

-21.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 $100

$119 MX$2,228

-15.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,350 $1,350

$1,018 MX$19.1K

32.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,289 $1,289

$722 MX$13.6K

78.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,217 $2,217

$1,966 MX$36.9K

12.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,191 $2,191

$1,416 MX$26.6K

54.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,783 $2,783

$4,203 MX$78.9K

-33.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 $2,649

$2,782 MX$52.2K

-4.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,430 $2,430

$1,096 MX$20.6K

121.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.79

-66.07%

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

Last update for Union, SC: October 31, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Union, SC

$1.3K 54.5%

Monterrey

$722 44% 44% $568

Groceries & Markets

Union, SC

$330 13.9%

Monterrey

$302 18.4% 8.4% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Union, SC

$286 12.1%

Monterrey

$167 10.2% 41.7% $119

Eating Out

Union, SC

$201 8.5%

Monterrey

$216 13.2% 7.4% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Union, SC

$114 4.8%

Monterrey

$153 9.3% 34.7% $39

Getting Around

Union, SC

$82 3.5%

Monterrey

$41 2.5% 49.7% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Union, SC

$64 2.7%

Monterrey

$40 2.5% 36.5% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,350 in Union, SC and $1,018 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Union, SC pays about 2.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $100 in Union, SC vs $48 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $330 vs $302 per month, with Monterrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Union, SC

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🕒 Local time

08:43 8:43 AM

07:43 7:43 AM

1 h behind Union, SC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

1,142,994

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.74 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 November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.78 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 21.09 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Union, SC Monterrey 2,050 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Union, SC
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

Union, SC vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,365 in Union, SC and $1,641 in Monterrey, so Monterrey is about 31% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Union, SC is about 2.2 times higher, 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: $1,350 in Union, SC versus $1,018 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 $48 versus $100 in Union, SC. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,365 per month in Union, SC versus $1,641 in Monterrey – Monterrey is about 31% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Monterrey gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 31% less than in Union, SC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.