Cost of Living Comparison Between Zacapoaxtla and Monterrey Cost of Living Comparison Between Zacapoaxtla and Monterrey

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,048 in Zacapoaxtla versus $1,728 in Monterrey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,718 in Zacapoaxtla versus $2,711 in Monterrey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,387 in Zacapoaxtla versus $3,694 in Monterrey.

Living in Zacapoaxtla costs roughly 39% less than in Monterrey, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Zacapoaxtla is 24% below, Monterrey is 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.14 MX$86.8

$14.63 MX$247

-64.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.1 MX$879

$53.1 MX$897

-1.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.90 MX$99.6

$12.02 MX$203

-50.92%

Cappuccino

$2.10 MX$35.44

$4.18 MX$70.6

-49.76%

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

$1.02 MX$17.21

$1.70 MX$28.68

-40.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MX$23.23

$1.12 MX$18.86

23.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.30 MX$21.96

$2.92 MX$49.30

-55.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 MX$40.00

$4.71 MX$79.5

-49.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.31

$1.97 MX$33.34

-29.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 MX$21.61

$3.16 MX$53.4

-59.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 MX$20.45

$2.00 MX$33.84

-39.50%

Eggs

$1.83 MX$30.87

$2.68 MX$45.23

-31.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.85 MX$217

$13.14 MX$222

-2.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.02 MX$84.8

$9.98 MX$169

-49.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.33 MX$90.0

$13.79 MX$233

-61.35%

Apples (1kg)

$1.71 MX$28.86

$3.60 MX$60.8

-52.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 MX$23.53

$1.65 MX$27.94

-15.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.60 MX$10.16

$2.31 MX$39.07

-74.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.78 MX$13.19

$2.58 MX$43.50

-69.77%

Potato (1kg)

$0.85 MX$14.34

$2.50 MX$42.19

-66.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 MX$19.60

$2.95 MX$49.79

-60.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.32

$1.62 MX$27.40

-33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$17.63

$1.34 MX$22.59

-22.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.72 MX$79.7

$5.34 MX$90.2

-11.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.36 MX$242

$14.83 MX$250

-3.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.28

$2.02 MX$34.12

-40.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 MX$81.1

$3.23 MX$54.5

48.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 MX$11.71

$0.87 MX$14.71

-20.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.53 MX$566

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 MX$20.50

$1.88 MX$31.67

-35.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 MX$9.69

$1.15 MX$19.42

-50.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$11.99 MX$203

-50.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$27.38

$1.68 MX$28.45

-3.57%

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

$15.1K MX$255.4K

$22.7K MX$383.2K

-33.36%

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

$27.3K MX$460.1K

$27.3K MX$460.6K

-0.10%

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

$46.91 MX$792

$124 MX$2,099

-62.26%

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

$29.57 MX$499

$28.42 MX$480

4.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.85 MX$588

$28.37 MX$479

22.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.66 MX$619

$33.01 MX$557

11.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.59 MX$365

$23.10 MX$390

-6.54%

Cinema Ticket

$7.01 MX$118

$5.51 MX$93.1

27.22%

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

$469 MX$7,914

$738 MX$12.5K

-36.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,001 MX$84.4K

$12.4K MX$210.1K

-59.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.5 MX$1,258

$80.9 MX$1,366

-7.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.2 MX$949

$45.74 MX$772

22.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,944

$121 MX$2,036

-4.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 MX$2,110

$135 MX$2,284

-7.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$658 MX$11.1K

$1,045 MX$17.7K

-37.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$422 MX$7,125

$728 MX$12.3K

-42.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,104 MX$18.6K

$2,014 MX$34.0K

-45.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$815 MX$13.8K

$1,403 MX$23.7K

-41.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,942 MX$32.8K

$4,411 MX$74.5K

-55.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,249 MX$21.1K

$2,630 MX$44.4K

-52.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$636 MX$10.7K

$1,170 MX$19.8K

-45.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

11.56

-2.25%

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

Last update for Zacapoaxtla: September 8, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $658 in Zacapoaxtla and $1,045 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterrey pays 84% 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: $52.0 in Zacapoaxtla vs $53.0 in Monterrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $208 vs $333 per month, with Zacapoaxtla cheaper across the board.

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

Zacapoaxtla vs Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zacapoaxtla and Monterrey differ by about 65% in total monthly costs ($1,048 vs $1,728 including rent). Zacapoaxtla is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 84% lower in Monterrey. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $658 in Zacapoaxtla versus $1,045 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $469 in Zacapoaxtla versus $738 in Monterrey. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Zacapoaxtla – a meal for two runs $52.0 versus $53.0 in Monterrey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,048 in Zacapoaxtla versus $1,728 in Monterrey, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Zacapoaxtla but tight or insufficient in Monterrey. The gap between the two cities makes Zacapoaxtla 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 Zacapoaxtla gentler on the wallet – expenses run 65% less than in Monterrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.