Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wichita, KS and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,607 a month against $2,219 in Wichita, KS, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

106

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

Cost of Living Index in Monterrey
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Monterrey Living Index

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Wichita, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$2,219

/mo nomad

Monterrey

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,219 in Wichita, KS versus $1,607 in Monterrey.

Wichita, KS $2,219
Monterrey $1,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,196 in Wichita, KS versus $2,512 in Monterrey.

Wichita, KS $3,196
Monterrey $2,512

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,172 in Wichita, KS versus $3,417 in Monterrey.

Wichita, KS $4,172
Monterrey $3,417

Living in Wichita, KS is roughly 38% more expensive than in Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Wichita, KS 66% above, Monterrey 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.32 $18.32

$13.75 MX$252

33.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.8 $59.8

$50.2 MX$921

19.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.91 $10.91

$11.13 MX$204

-1.98%

Cappuccino

$5.55 $5.55

$4.04 MX$74.2

37.38%

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

$2.43 $2.43

$1.70 MX$31.29

42.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 $1.84

$0.99 MX$18.17

85.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.14 $5.14

$2.41 MX$44.21

113.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.09 $6.09

$4.48 MX$82.3

35.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.92 MX$35.31

-55.73%

White Bread (500g)

$3.82 $3.82

$2.89 MX$53.1

32.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.58 $4.58

$1.94 MX$35.67

136.08%

Eggs

$3.91 $3.91

$2.50 MX$45.90

56.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.39 $11.39

$12.30 MX$226

-7.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.16 $10.16

$9.33 MX$171

8.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.85 $17.85

$13.07 MX$240

36.57%

Apples (1kg)

$6.04 $6.04

$3.38 MX$62.1

78.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.58 MX$29.02

8.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$2.20 MX$40.45

137.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.14 $5.14

$2.45 MX$44.89

109.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$2.26 MX$41.47

29.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.74 MX$50.4

6.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.53 MX$28.09

47.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$1.26 MX$23.16

82.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.55 $9.55

$4.84 MX$88.9

97.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.85 $14.85

$13.59 MX$249

9.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.91 MX$35.01

16.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 $3.90

$3.06 MX$56.3

27.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 $1.71

$0.80 MX$14.60

113.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.4 $54.4

$31.77 MX$583

71.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.53 $2.53

$1.62 MX$29.78

56.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.10 MX$20.17

43.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.35 $40.35

$10.97 MX$201

267.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.52 MX$27.93

-38.16%

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

$38.1K $38.1K

$21.4K MX$392.4K

78.15%

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

$24.5K $24.5K

$25.5K MX$467.6K

-3.89%

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

$268 $268

$120 MX$2,198

123.95%

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

$82.9 $82.9

$27.08 MX$497

206.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.1 $68.1

$26.70 MX$490

155.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.58 $30.58

$31.15 MX$572

-1.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.29 $20.29

$21.95 MX$403

-7.56%

Cinema Ticket

$14.81 $14.81

$5.14 MX$94.4

188.13%

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

$909 $909

$688 MX$12.6K

32.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K $16.1K

$11.4K MX$209.8K

40.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.13 $47.13

$71.9 MX$1,321

-34.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.21 $31.21

$43.30 MX$795

-27.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 $113

$112 MX$2,059

0.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 $139

$122 MX$2,236

13.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 $1,006

$957 MX$17.6K

5.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$762 $762

$670 MX$12.3K

13.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 $1,598

$1,887 MX$34.7K

-15.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,303 $1,303

$1,305 MX$24.0K

-0.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,570 $1,570

$4,159 MX$76.4K

-62.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,467 $1,467

$2,437 MX$44.7K

-39.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,573 $3,573

$1,133 MX$20.8K

215.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.65

11.79

-43.60%

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

Last update for Wichita, KS: October 3, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Wichita, KS

$762 35.2%

Monterrey

$670 41.4% 12.1% $92

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wichita, KS

$419 19.3%

Monterrey

$174 10.7% 58.6% $246

Groceries & Markets

Wichita, KS

$406 18.7%

Monterrey

$312 19.3% 23.1% $94

Eating Out

Wichita, KS

$301 13.9%

Monterrey

$224 13.8% 25.6% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Wichita, KS

$148 6.8%

Monterrey

$157 9.7% 5.9% $8.7

Getting Around

Wichita, KS

$72 3.3%

Monterrey

$42 2.6% 41.3% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Wichita, KS

$60 2.8%

Monterrey

$41 2.6% 31.2% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Wichita, KS and $957 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wichita, KS pays 215% 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: $60.0 in Wichita, KS vs $50.0 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $312 per month, with Monterrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Wichita, KS

🇲🇽 Monterrey

🕒 Local time

07:01 7:01 AM

06:01 6:01 AM

1 h behind Wichita, KS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

357,698

1,142,994

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 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 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 = 20.57 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Wichita, KS Monterrey 1,360 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Wichita, 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

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

Wichita, KS and Monterrey differ by about 38% in total monthly costs ($2,219 vs $1,607 including rent). Monterrey is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 215% higher in Wichita, 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: $1,006 in Wichita, KS versus $957 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 $60.0 in Wichita, KS. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,219 per month in Wichita, KS versus $1,607 in Monterrey – a 38% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,607 in Monterrey versus $2,219 in Wichita, KS, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Monterrey but tight or insufficient in Wichita, 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 38% less than in Wichita, KS. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.