Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wilmington, DE and Monterrey

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterrey: $1,641 a month against $2,557 in Wilmington, DE, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Wilmington, DE, United States
Monterrey, Mexico
Wilmington, DE
🇺🇸 United States
$2,557
/mo nomad
Monterrey
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,641
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,557 in Wilmington, DE versus $1,641 in Monterrey.

  • Wilmington, DE $2,557
  • Monterrey $1,641

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,433 in Wilmington, DE versus $2,573 in Monterrey.

  • Wilmington, DE $3,433
  • Monterrey $2,573

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,309 in Wilmington, DE versus $3,504 in Monterrey.

  • Wilmington, DE $4,309
  • Monterrey $3,504

Living in Wilmington, DE is roughly 56% more expensive than in Monterrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Wilmington, DE 89% above, Monterrey 21% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Wilmington, DE
Monterrey
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.04 $20.04
$13.37 MX$250
49.89%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$74.8 $74.8
$47.95 MX$897
55.89%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.30 $10.30
$10.79 MX$202
-4.54%
Cappuccino
$4.95 $4.95
$3.77 MX$70.4
31.30%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.19 $2.19
$1.51 MX$28.26
45.03%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.31 $1.31
$1.03 MX$19.25
27.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.05 $4.05
$2.48 MX$46.41
63.31%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.13 $6.13
$4.36 MX$81.5
40.60%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Wilmington, DE
Monterrey
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.13 $1.13
$1.89 MX$35.43
-40.21%
White Bread (500g)
$3.06 $3.06
$2.85 MX$53.3
7.37%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.76 $2.76
$1.86 MX$34.71
48.39%
Eggs
$3.08 $3.08
$2.47 MX$46.12
24.70%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.32 $9.32
$11.81 MX$221
-21.08%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.50 $8.50
$8.97 MX$168
-5.24%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.58 $14.58
$12.57 MX$235
15.99%
Apples (1kg)
$4.63 $4.63
$3.20 MX$59.8
44.69%
Banana (1kg)
$1.32 $1.32
$1.50 MX$28.12
-12.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.44 $4.44
$2.12 MX$39.74
109.43%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.83 $3.83
$2.33 MX$43.64
64.38%
Potato (1kg)
$2.54 $2.54
$2.22 MX$41.58
14.41%
Onion (1kg)
$2.46 $2.46
$2.58 MX$48.34
-4.65%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.04 $2.04
$1.45 MX$27.04
40.69%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.98 $0.98
$1.22 MX$22.85
-19.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.92 $9.92
$4.80 MX$89.7
106.67%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.96 $12.96
$13.30 MX$249
-2.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.42 $2.42
$1.93 MX$36.14
25.39%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.70 $3.70
$2.86 MX$53.4
29.37%
🚌 Getting Around
Wilmington, DE
Monterrey
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.05 $2.05
$0.80 MX$14.94
156.25%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$60.2 $60.2
$30.94 MX$579
94.67%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.89 $3.89
$1.83 MX$34.28
112.57%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.59 $1.59
$1.06 MX$19.78
50.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$27.47 $27.47
$10.82 MX$202
153.88%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.06 $1.06
$1.47 MX$27.54
-27.89%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.3K $27.3K
$24.1K MX$450.4K
13.27%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.6K $25.6K
$23.5K MX$440.2K
8.94%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Wilmington, DE
Monterrey
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$270 $270
$115 MX$2,144
135.52%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$50.7 $50.7
$26.37 MX$493
92.38%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$59.8 $59.8
$25.70 MX$481
132.76%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Wilmington, DE
Monterrey
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$24.69 $24.69
$30.53 MX$571
-19.13%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.19 $15.19
$21.27 MX$398
-28.58%
Cinema Ticket
$11.87 $11.87
$4.96 MX$92.8
139.31%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Wilmington, DE
Monterrey
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,605 $1,605
$679 MX$12.7K
136.43%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.7K $25.7K
$14.2K MX$265.3K
81.34%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Wilmington, DE
Monterrey
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$36.92 $36.92
$72.2 MX$1,350
-48.86%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.59 $47.59
$41.94 MX$784
13.47%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.1 $84.1
$107 MX$2,011
-21.78%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$90.8 $90.8
$119 MX$2,219
-23.51%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Wilmington, DE
Monterrey
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,729 $1,729
$1,018 MX$19.0K
69.94%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,308 $1,308
$722 MX$13.5K
81.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,728 $2,728
$1,966 MX$36.8K
38.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,613 $1,613
$1,416 MX$26.5K
13.91%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,215 $2,215
$4,203 MX$78.6K
-47.30%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,081 $2,081
$2,782 MX$52.0K
-25.21%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Wilmington, DE
Monterrey
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,946 $3,946
$1,096 MX$20.5K
260.16%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.3
11.79
-46.56%

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

Last update for Wilmington, DE: 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
Wilmington, DE
$1.3K
Monterrey
$722 44.8% $587
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Wilmington, DE
$380
Monterrey
$167 56.2% $214
Groceries & Markets
Wilmington, DE
$325
Monterrey
$302 7.1% $23
Eating Out
Wilmington, DE
$297
Monterrey
$216 27.4% $81
Clothing & Footwear
Wilmington, DE
$117
Monterrey
$153 31.2% $36
Getting Around
Wilmington, DE
$80
Monterrey
$41 48.6% $39
Sport & Entertainment
Wilmington, DE
$48
Monterrey
$40 16.5% $8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,729 in Wilmington, DE and $1,018 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wilmington, DE pays about 3.6 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $75 in Wilmington, DE vs $48 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $302 per month, with Monterrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Wilmington, DE
🇲🇽 Monterrey
🕒 Local time
10:36 10:36 AM
09:36 9:36 AM
1 h behind Wilmington, DE
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
72,826
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 = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.7 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 21.01 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Wilmington, DE Monterrey 2,780 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Wilmington, DE
  • 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
Wilmington, DE vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Wilmington, DE and in Monterrey?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,557 in Wilmington, DE and $1,641 in Monterrey, so Monterrey is about 36% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Wilmington, DE or Monterrey?
Average pay in Wilmington, DE 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 Wilmington, DE and in Monterrey?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,729 in Wilmington, DE 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 $75 in Wilmington, DE. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Wilmington, DE or Monterrey?
All in, you’ll spend $2,557 per month in Wilmington, DE versus $1,641 in Monterrey – Monterrey is about 36% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
How far does $3,000 go in Wilmington, DE compared to Monterrey?
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.
How does quality of life compare between Wilmington, DE 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: Wilmington, DE or Monterrey?
Expats usually find Monterrey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Wilmington, DE. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Wilmington, DE vs other spots: cost of living compared

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