Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between West Palm Beach, FL and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,641 a month against $3,185 in West Palm Beach, FL, rent and utilities included – about $18,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

West Palm Beach, FL, United States
Monterrey, Mexico
West Palm Beach, FL
🇺🇸 United States
$3,185
/mo nomad
Monterrey
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,641
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,185 in West Palm Beach, FL versus $1,641 in Monterrey.

  • West Palm Beach, FL $3,185
  • Monterrey $1,641

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,758 in West Palm Beach, FL versus $2,573 in Monterrey.

  • West Palm Beach, FL $4,758
  • Monterrey $2,573

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,331 in West Palm Beach, FL versus $3,504 in Monterrey.

  • West Palm Beach, FL $6,331
  • Monterrey $3,504

Living in West Palm Beach, FL is roughly 94% more expensive than in Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: West Palm Beach, FL 136% above, Monterrey 21% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
West Palm Beach, FL
Monterrey
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$21.65 $21.65
$13.37 MX$250
61.93%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$80.3 $80.3
$47.95 MX$897
67.40%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.95 $11.95
$10.79 MX$202
10.75%
Cappuccino
$5.13 $5.13
$3.77 MX$70.4
36.07%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.46 $2.46
$1.51 MX$28.26
62.91%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.81 $1.81
$1.03 MX$19.25
75.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.65 $5.65
$2.48 MX$46.41
127.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.08 $8.08
$4.36 MX$81.5
85.32%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
West Palm Beach, FL
Monterrey
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.07 $1.07
$1.89 MX$35.43
-43.39%
White Bread (500g)
$3.11 $3.11
$2.85 MX$53.3
9.12%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.35 $3.35
$1.86 MX$34.71
80.11%
Eggs
$3.19 $3.19
$2.47 MX$46.12
29.15%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.06 $12.06
$11.81 MX$221
2.12%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.91 $10.91
$8.97 MX$168
21.63%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.07 $18.07
$12.57 MX$235
43.75%
Apples (1kg)
$4.91 $4.91
$3.20 MX$59.8
53.44%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 $1.69
$1.50 MX$28.12
12.67%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.06 $3.06
$2.12 MX$39.74
44.34%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.68 $4.68
$2.33 MX$43.64
100.86%
Potato (1kg)
$3.05 $3.05
$2.22 MX$41.58
37.39%
Onion (1kg)
$3.38 $3.38
$2.58 MX$48.34
31.01%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.50 $2.50
$1.45 MX$27.04
72.41%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.37 $2.37
$1.22 MX$22.85
94.26%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.06 $9.06
$4.80 MX$89.7
88.75%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.75 $12.75
$13.30 MX$249
-4.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.71 $1.71
$1.93 MX$36.14
-11.40%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.76 $3.76
$2.86 MX$53.4
31.47%
🚌 Getting Around
West Palm Beach, FL
Monterrey
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.98 $1.98
$0.80 MX$14.94
147.50%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$69.8 $69.8
$30.94 MX$579
125.73%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.87 $2.87
$1.83 MX$34.28
56.83%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.86 $1.86
$1.06 MX$19.78
75.47%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.37 $35.37
$10.82 MX$202
226.89%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.03 $1.03
$1.47 MX$27.54
-29.93%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K $28.0K
$24.1K MX$450.4K
16.14%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.0K $26.0K
$23.5K MX$440.2K
10.68%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
West Palm Beach, FL
Monterrey
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$195 $195
$115 MX$2,144
69.85%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$63.6 $63.6
$26.37 MX$493
141.03%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$76.9 $76.9
$25.70 MX$481
199.22%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
West Palm Beach, FL
Monterrey
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.06 $43.06
$30.53 MX$571
41.04%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.77 $25.77
$21.27 MX$398
21.16%
Cinema Ticket
$9.84 $9.84
$4.96 MX$92.8
98.39%
🧸 Childcare & Education
West Palm Beach, FL
Monterrey
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,464 $1,464
$679 MX$12.7K
115.73%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$27.7K $27.7K
$14.2K MX$265.3K
94.97%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
West Palm Beach, FL
Monterrey
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$63.3 $63.3
$72.2 MX$1,350
-12.34%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.17 $40.17
$41.94 MX$784
-4.22%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$95.0 $95.0
$107 MX$2,011
-11.58%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$109 $109
$119 MX$2,219
-8.44%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
West Palm Beach, FL
Monterrey
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,616 $2,616
$1,018 MX$19.0K
157.10%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,848 $1,848
$722 MX$13.5K
156.12%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,322 $5,322
$1,966 MX$36.8K
170.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,341 $3,341
$1,416 MX$26.5K
136.00%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,419 $5,419
$4,203 MX$78.6K
28.95%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,284 $3,284
$2,782 MX$52.0K
18.05%
💵 Salaries & Financials
West Palm Beach, FL
Monterrey
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,954 $3,954
$1,096 MX$20.5K
260.83%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.56
11.79
-44.36%

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

Last update for West Palm Beach, FL: November 1, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
West Palm Beach, FL
$1.8K
Monterrey
$722 61% $1.1K
Groceries & Markets
West Palm Beach, FL
$379
Monterrey
$302 20.3% $77
Monthly Utilities & Internet
West Palm Beach, FL
$335
Monterrey
$167 50.3% $168
Eating Out
West Palm Beach, FL
$332
Monterrey
$216 35% $116
Clothing & Footwear
West Palm Beach, FL
$138
Monterrey
$153 10.8% $15
Getting Around
West Palm Beach, FL
$90
Monterrey
$41 54.1% $49
Sport & Entertainment
West Palm Beach, FL
$63
Monterrey
$40 35.5% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,616 in West Palm Beach, FL and $1,018 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

West Palm Beach, FL pays about 3.6 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $80 in West Palm Beach, FL vs $48 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $379 vs $302 per month, with Monterrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 West Palm Beach, FL
🇲🇽 Monterrey
🕒 Local time
16:36 4:36 PM
15:36 3:36 PM
1 h behind West Palm Beach, FL
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
117,415
1,142,994
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.7 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 20.9 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • West Palm Beach, FL Monterrey 2,020 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • West Palm Beach, FL
  • 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
West Palm Beach, FL vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in West Palm Beach, FL and in Monterrey?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,185 in West Palm Beach, FL and $1,641 in Monterrey, so Monterrey is about 48% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: West Palm Beach, FL or Monterrey?
Average pay in West Palm Beach, FL is about 3.6 times higher, 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 West Palm Beach, FL and in Monterrey?
Rent for a central apartment: $2,616 in West Palm Beach, FL versus $1,018 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 $48 versus $80 in West Palm Beach, FL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: West Palm Beach, FL or Monterrey?
All in, you’ll spend $3,185 per month in West Palm Beach, FL versus $1,641 in Monterrey – Monterrey is about 48% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $1,641 in Monterrey versus $3,185 in West Palm Beach, FL, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Monterrey but tight or insufficient in West Palm Beach, FL. The gap between the two cities makes Monterrey the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between West Palm Beach, FL 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: West Palm Beach, FL or Monterrey?
Expats usually find Monterrey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in West Palm Beach, FL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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